by
Umer Kamran
IT / OT Convergence
The Obstacles to IT/OT Convergence: Lessons From the Field
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While convergence is critical, it is not easy.
At Vraitex, we are ready to leverage our practical experience to help enterprises facing these common roadblocks:
1. Legacy Systems That Weren’t Built to Connect
Many OT systems are decades old and run on proprietary protocols. Retrofitting them for modern integration is costly and risky. Yet without addressing these legacy systems, convergence cannot scale.
2. Cybersecurity Gaps Across Digital and Physical Assets
When IT and OT networks converge, so do the risks. We’ve seen phishing attacks in corporate IT environments cascade into OT systems, threatening uptime and safety. The challenge is designing security frameworks that cover both without disrupting operations.
3. Cultural and Skillset Divides
IT professionals think in terms of data, governance, and agility. OT teams are measured by uptime, reliability, and safety. Unless leadership bridges these priorities, projects stall. We’ve found success comes when cross-functional teams are empowered with shared KPIs and joint accountability.
4. Data Silos That Limit Insights
Even when IT and OT systems are connected, data often remains fragmented. Inconsistent formats, inaccessible logs, and siloed platforms undermine real-time analytics. Breaking these silos requires unified data governance and interoperable platforms.
5. ROI Uncertainty
CFOs want hard numbers. The benefits of convergence — fewer failures, better visibility, improved customer responsiveness — can be indirect. Without clear metrics, projects struggle for funding. Vraitex helps define the KPIs up front so investments are defensible.
Overcoming the Barriers
The organizations that succeed follow a clear path:
Start small, scale fast: Launch pilots with measurable business outcomes, then expand.
Modernize selectively: Retrofit legacy OT where possible, replace where strategic.
Unify governance: Establish joint IT/OT oversight with board-level visibility.
Invest in skills: Train IT in operational realities and OT in digital tools.
Embed security: Apply Zero Trust principles to both networks and devices.
The Vraitex Advantage
We’ve guided enterprises across real estate, manufacturing, and infrastructure through these very challenges. For one North American portfolio, we integrated OT telemetry with IT analytics to enable predictive maintenance, cutting downtime incidents by 30% and saving millions annually.
The lesson: IT/OT convergence is achievable, but only when technical, cultural, and financial obstacles are addressed together
While convergence is critical, it is not easy.
At Vraitex, we are ready to leverage our practical experience to help enterprises facing these common roadblocks:
1. Legacy Systems That Weren’t Built to Connect
Many OT systems are decades old and run on proprietary protocols. Retrofitting them for modern integration is costly and risky. Yet without addressing these legacy systems, convergence cannot scale.
2. Cybersecurity Gaps Across Digital and Physical Assets
When IT and OT networks converge, so do the risks. We’ve seen phishing attacks in corporate IT environments cascade into OT systems, threatening uptime and safety. The challenge is designing security frameworks that cover both without disrupting operations.
3. Cultural and Skillset Divides
IT professionals think in terms of data, governance, and agility. OT teams are measured by uptime, reliability, and safety. Unless leadership bridges these priorities, projects stall. We’ve found success comes when cross-functional teams are empowered with shared KPIs and joint accountability.
4. Data Silos That Limit Insights
Even when IT and OT systems are connected, data often remains fragmented. Inconsistent formats, inaccessible logs, and siloed platforms undermine real-time analytics. Breaking these silos requires unified data governance and interoperable platforms.
5. ROI Uncertainty
CFOs want hard numbers. The benefits of convergence — fewer failures, better visibility, improved customer responsiveness — can be indirect. Without clear metrics, projects struggle for funding. Vraitex helps define the KPIs up front so investments are defensible.
Overcoming the Barriers
The organizations that succeed follow a clear path:
Start small, scale fast: Launch pilots with measurable business outcomes, then expand.
Modernize selectively: Retrofit legacy OT where possible, replace where strategic.
Unify governance: Establish joint IT/OT oversight with board-level visibility.
Invest in skills: Train IT in operational realities and OT in digital tools.
Embed security: Apply Zero Trust principles to both networks and devices.
The Vraitex Advantage
We’ve guided enterprises across real estate, manufacturing, and infrastructure through these very challenges. For one North American portfolio, we integrated OT telemetry with IT analytics to enable predictive maintenance, cutting downtime incidents by 30% and saving millions annually.
The lesson: IT/OT convergence is achievable, but only when technical, cultural, and financial obstacles are addressed together