Hybrid MSP - IT/OT specialist for industry

Industrial and manufacturing companies face unique challenges within their IT and OT environments. Your primary (production) process must keep running 24/7 - with no room for downtime. At the same time, digital transformation demands hybrid environments in which on-premises infrastructure works seamlessly with cloud solutions. How do you ensure that your IT and OT are secure, efficient and future-proof?

 

The digital transformation also requires hybrid environments for industrial and manufacturing companies, in which on-premises infrastructure works seamlessly with cloud solutions. But your primary (production) process needs to keep running 24/7 - with no room for downtime. So how do you make sure your IT and OT are secure, efficient and future-proof?

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Unique challenges and complexity in industry

Industrial organizations often work with complex IT landscapes where primary production processes, business continuity and security are critical. Some of the challenges we often encounter:

  • Continuity of production processes: How do you prevent unexpected failures that shut down your production? Unexpected events, such as hardware failures or cyber attacks, can have major financial consequences.
  • High security requirements: Both IT and OT systems must be protected from cyber threats that are becoming increasingly complex. Think of ransomware attacks that shut down not only your office environment, but also your production lines.
  • Co-management: The cooperation and shared responsibility between external IT partner(s) and internal IT/OT teams is crucial. It is not just about cooperation, but about a clear division of tasks and alignment where both parties contribute optimally to the management of the IT and OT environment. Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined and communicated.
  • Integration of new technologies with existing systems: You often use legacy systems that are essential to production. When you want to combine these with modern technology, this requires a careful approach. Especially if these systems are not designed for integration with new platforms.
  • IT/OT network segmentation: Keeping IT and OT networks separate is critical for security and efficiency, but the boundaries are increasingly blurred as IT and OT become more intertwined.
  • International support: If you have production facilities in multiple countries, quick and uniform support is necessary. However, local laws and regulations can vary by region, adding to the complexity.

Other common questions and challenges include: how is patch management arranged? What are the OT maintenance windows? How is third party access arranged and how is it controlled? With 24/7 production, how do you set up a good standby? How is supplier management arranged? How do we maintainfull visibility and control over the assets within our IT and OT environment, including legacy?


In short, it is often a multitude of complex challenges, also playing out in business-critical areas. Therefore, these challenges are not exhaustive, but must be carefully identified and weighed for each organization.

How to deal with complex challenges in industry

Dealing with these challenges requires a thoughtful approach that starts with understanding your current situation. It is important to look at the relationship between your systems, processes and the specific requirements of your organization. Some key issues are:

  • Thorough inventory: Together, we map out your IT and OT landscape. Which systems are crucial to your primary processes? Where are the weak points in your infrastructure? A full audit can provide valuable insights here.
  • Security as an Integral Component: Cybersecurity (IT/OT) should not be an afterthought, but a necessity or core part of your strategy. This includes not only technical measures, such as firewalls and network segmentation, but also awareness training for your employees.
  • Infrastructure flexibility: By implementing hybrid models, you benefit from the robustness of on-premises systems and the scalability of cloud solutions. This gives you the ability to manage costs while being prepared for future growth.
  • Collaboration with specialized partners: External experts can support you in designing and implementing solutions specific to your industry. They help with knowledge and technologies that are not standardly available within your own organization.

What we see in practice

In many manufacturing companies, we see that the balance between reliability and innovation is a major challenge. On the one hand, you want to bet on stability and predictability; on the other hand, you want to take advantage of technological advances. This area of tension often leads to questions such as:

  • How can I future-proof my legacy systems without disrupting my current processes?
  • Which technologies provide the most value to my organization, and how do I implement them efficiently?
  • How do I ensure that my organization is flexible enough to adapt to market changes?

Answering these questions starts with a strategic look at your IT and OT environment. By taking a critical look at what works well and where there is room for improvement. Then you can take steps that directly contribute to the continuity and growth of your organization.

Our vision of the future for IT and OT in industry

The industry continues to evolve rapidly, and it's important that your systems and processes grow with it. Whether it's increasing your uptime, implementing advanced security measures, or improving the collaboration between IT and OT, it's all about a sustainable and forward-looking approach. Particularly in the area of IT/OT security grip on risk is essential.

The increasing intertwining of IT and OT increases vulnerability to cyber threats such as ransomware and unauthorized access. By properly designing a hybrid environment that focuses on network segmentation, advanced monitoring and proactive security, you can protect your production environment from downtime and data breaches. A well-designed hybrid IT and OT environment allows you to not only address your current challenges, but also be prepared for what's to come.

The industrial expertise of our customer teams

At Valid, we believe that a robust IT/OT environment and successful collaboration starts with in-depth understanding of your organization and industry. That's why we work with specialized client teams with specialists with years of experience in industrial environments.

The client team knows your company's challenges and priorities. From balancing production continuity to securely integrating new technologies. With in-depth knowledge of IT and OT processes, the team acts as an extension of your organization. We work hard to speak your language, understand the critical processes and provide solutions that work seamlessly with your operations.

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Why Valid as a Managed Services Provider for industrial environments?

With years of extensive experience working with industrial and manufacturing companies, we understand the complexities of industrial IT and OT environments. Our unique hybrid approach combines proven technologies with customized solutions tailored to the needs of manufacturing and production companies. With our extensive experience in both IT and OT, we are the partner to support your manufacturing processes - reliable, secure and innovative.

Some of our references in industry

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