Security in the FactoryTalk Edge platform provides protection against cyberattacks with signed configuration and images, hardware root of trust, and measured boot and remote attestation.
Shepherd added that customer feedback prompted Rockwell Automation to develop FactoryTalk Edge with a focus on speed and maneuverability via the cloud. “We’re hearing from all our customers that they still don’t feel like they’re moving fast enough. Those old highway signs used to say ‘speed kills’. But it seems today that speed is the only way to survive. We’ve also heard about the importance of agility, because speed in one direction is not enough. The targets keep moving, the landscapes are shifting, the threats are accelerating, and you need to be able to pivot. The cloud is tried and tested. It’s proven, and it’s relied upon.”
The Future of Automation
Rockwell Automation detailed its strategy for the future of automation through a session hosted by Matheus Bulho, vice president and general manager of production automation, and Dan DeYoung, director of production automation. They explained the three key pillars Rockwell Automation views as being critical to advancing automation: simplify production elements, remove boundaries and accelerate outcomes, and mitigate risk.
During their presentation, DeYoung mentioned these three pillars were developed in response to what’s happening in the marketplace today, noting that 88% of executives think their customers are changing faster than their businesses and automation systems can keep up; 64% of consumers wish companies would respond faster to their changing needs; and that manufacturers and OEMs need nimble, scalable control platforms to simplify design, operation, and maintenance.
Regarding the first pillar about simplification, Bulho said, “You can overwhelm any machine or equipment builder or end user with technology that is extremely complex. You don’t need to buy three, four, five boxes to use a particular type of system. You don’t need one box for a robot and another box for motion control, you [should be able to] buy one automation controller that does it all. Simplification is a trend that will continue and expand over time.”