The IoT era and its effect on the future of industrial networks

What is the future for industrial networks in the IoT era?

This and many more questions will be posed and discussed by industrial communications leaders at the inaugural Future Networks Forum, part of the conference program for the second annual ACI Connect event to be held at Sydney Olympic Park 12-13 August. The forum will feature local and international experts representing four of the leading protocols - Profinet/Profibus, FieldComm Group (formerly Foundation Fieldbus and HART Wireless), ODVA and EtherCAT.

The forum will be introduced and moderated by the editor of What’s New in Process Technology/ProcessOnline, Glenn Johnson, and will feature a 30-minute presentation from each group on how they see the challenges and opportunities that the Internet of Things, big data, cybersecurity and cloud services are now bringing to the industrial networking sector, and what needs to be done to prepare for an always-connected future. The Future Networks Forum will culminate in a panel discussion where delegates will be encouraged to contribute and join the discussion. Questions covered will include:

• Can IT and engineering management work together better at the network planning stage - and what are the benefits of better collaboration?
• How will advanced network design better enable advanced manufacturing?
• What are the security implications of smartphone access to business-critical operational data on your network?
• What impact will external technology and economic forces have on future network design and planning?

“Industrial communication networks are the lifeblood of every control system. Understanding a network’s functionality is critical for operators choosing technologies best suited to their individual applications,” said Rafael Koenig, chairman, Profibus Australia. “Further challenges are now emerging with the rise of IoT and the impact it will have on our future industrial automation landscape. Profibus Australia believes forums like ‘Future Networks’ at this year’s ACI Connect perform an invaluable role in defining the issues and outlining the potential outcomes for further debate.”

The ACI Connect 2015 conference program also features keynotes on connected manufacturing and the IoT, and industry, technical and management focused MiniLabs from leading industry educator IDC Technologies, as well as a Live Theatre on the expo floor featuring the latest technology and applications from leading automation, control and instrumentation vendors. It is supported by leading industry groups the IICA and Engineers Australia, plus the above industrial networking groups. Registrations are now open, with early bird discounts available until the end of March. Visit www.ACIconnect.com.au