In the future, data will move about wirelessly, says Tom McKinney, business development manager at HMS Industrial Networks. “One of the big areas of new technology affecting HMS’s business with machine builders is the use of Wi-Fi,” he explains. “In the past, customers have used Wi-Fi as a cable replacement technology. It eliminated a wire in the customer’s OT network.”

Now machine builders are adding Wi-Fi capability to machines. “It’s being used whether the machine is on the factory floor or a remote-site pump skid,” says McKinney. “It’s being used to support an HMI that may be on an engineer’s or technician’s smartphone or tablet.”

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