When people think about technology in manufacturing, they often picture one of two worlds.
On one side, there’s IT – Microsoft 365, laptops, servers, cybersecurity, cloud services and the helpdesk.
On the other, there’s Operational Technology (OT) – PLCs, SCADA systems, HMIs, robotics and the equipment that keeps production moving. Both are essential and both are usually well supported. But the more businesses I speak to, the more I wonder whether there’s a third layer that doesn’t always receive the attention it deserves.
The Space Between
In a modern production environment, we need to think about far more than just the PLCs on the factory floor and the PCs in the office. There are industrial switches connecting production equipment, virtual servers hosting SCADA and historian systems, and firewalls separating corporate and operational networks. Secure remote access allows equipment vendors to support production systems without being on site, while backups protect critical production data and monitoring helps identify infrastructure issues before they become production problems.
None of these systems are the production equipment itself, but without them, production can quickly grind to a halt.
An Opportunity to Think Differently
Rather than asking whether something is “IT” or “OT”, the better question is:
Whose responsibility is it to keep the infrastructure that supports production resilient, secure and available?
The areas that often fall between the gaps include:
Infrastructure
- Industrial Ethernet networks and managed switches
- Firewalls and IT/OT network segmentation
- Virtual servers hosting operational applications
- Backup and disaster recovery
Operational Platforms
- SCADA and historian systems
- Production management, recipe management and batching systems
- Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
- Warehouse, logistics and supplier integration platforms
Operations & Compliance
- Quality management systems
- Environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity and traceability)
- Secure remote access for equipment vendors
- Barcode scanners and label printing
These aren’t glamorous subjects, but they’re often the foundations upon which reliable production depends.
Why Cloudwyse is No Ordinary Support Provider
At Cloudwyse, we believe there’s a growing need for a technology partner who understands both traditional IT and the operational environments that modern FMCG manufacturerers depend upon.
We’re not PLC programmers, machine builders or automation engineers – and we don’t pretend to be. Those specialists play a vital role in designing and maintaining the systems that control production.
Our role is different. We specialise in the infrastructure that underpins production environments. We understand the nuances of operational technology – industrial networks, production support platforms, resilient infrastructure, secure remote access and the need to balance cybersecurity with uptime. By combining this understanding with deep expertise in enterprise IT, we help manufacturers build environments that are secure, reliable and fit for modern production.
This approach is already helping organisations across the UK and the USA build more resilient manufacturing environments. By working alongside engineering teams, automation specialists and internal IT departments, we’re removing the grey areas, strengthening resilience and ensuring the technology supporting production is managed as professionally as the production systems themselves.
As IT and OT continue to converge, we believe organisations need a partner who can bridge the gap between corporate IT, engineering and operational technology – bringing the right people together to build secure, reliable and resilient manufacturing environments.
If that sounds like a conversation worth having, we’d love to hear from you.