by Gary Mintchell | Feb 29, 2024 | News, Security
Tenable One has some news today about the release of Tenable One. It is a visibility product that allows managers and others to see assets across an enterprise regardless of IT, OT, or IoT. You will notice a new marketing term in the release—at least new to me. The company is now called an “Exposure Management” company. They tell me that means it enables organizations to understand cyber risk in order to make more effective business decisions.
Tenable, the Exposure Management company, announced February 29, 2024 the release of Tenable One for OT/IoT. It is the first and only exposure management platform that provides holistic visibility into assets across IT and operational technology (OT) environments.
I cannot verify the “first and only” claim, but companies are often careful to define things such that they can make the claim. In this case, exposure management most likely is the key phrase (before anyone writes to me). Also they talk management. What they do is provide information for managers to be able to take informed actions.
Tenable One for OT/IoT extends visibility beyond IT, to include OT and IoT, and helps security leaders gain a clear picture of true exposure across their entire attack surface. This first-of-its-kind approach allows organizations to prioritize security risks wherever they reside – be it in the cloud, data center, or the OT environment – and most importantly, to understand how these risks create attack paths across their infrastructure.
Users can also view their global exposure, including OT assets, to see how their security posture compares to other companies in their industry and gain additional insights from their OT assets to make better decisions, faster.
Three key points:
- Comprehensive visibility beyond the IT environment to the modern attack surface
- Risk intelligence to mitigate operational risks
- Actionable planning and decision making across enterprise and critical infrastructure environments
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 28, 2024 | Generative AI, Software
It had to happen sooner or later—GenerativeAI Large Language Model (LLM) for human-machine interface applications. Funny that nowhere in the press release do they mention HMI while using more awkward workaround phrasing. Maybe that is a Finish translation?
- Generative AI Large Language Model (LLM) technology for operational environments, bridging knowledge and language barriers between industrial workers and OT systems
- On-premise edge based MX Workmate solution enables connected workers to get contextually relevant real-time information and query OT-systems in a secure and reliable way using natural language
- OT-compliant MX Workmate automated IT/OT knowledge retrieval, eases interaction between workers and systems to drive efficiency, productivity and worker safety
MX Workmate leverages Generative AI (GenAI) and large language module (LLM) technologies to generate contextual, human-like language content based on real-time OT data, enabling workers to understand complex machines, get real time status information and industries to achieve greater flexibility, productivity, sustainability, as well as improve worker safety.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 28, 2024 | Automation, Sensors, Technology
As long as I have been working with and covering vision technology in manufacturing bandwidth has been the constraint to robust applications. A Canadian company called Pleora Technologies has introduced a patented lossless compression technology called RapidPIX that is said to increase data throughput by almost 70 percent while meeting the low latency and reliability demands of machine vision and medical imaging applications.
RapidPIX is initially available on Pleora’s new iPORT NTx-Mini-LC platform, which provides a compression-enabled drop-in upgrade of the widely deployed NTX-Mini embedded interface. With added compression, designers can deploy the iPORT NTx-Mini-LC to support low latency transmission of GigE Vision compliant packets at more than 1.5 Gbps throughput rates over existing 1 Gb Ethernet infrastructure. Manufacturers are designing the iPORT NTx-Mini-LC embedded interface with RapidPIX compression into X-ray panels for medical and dental imaging, contact image sensors (CIS), and industrial camera applications.
Pleora’s RapidPIX compression is now available on the iPORT NTX-Mini-LC embedded interface to support low latency transmission of GigE Vision compliant packets at more than 1.5 Gbps throughput rates over existing 1 Gbps infrastructure. To speed time-to-market, the iPORT NTx-Mini-LC with RapidPIX Development Kit helps manufacturers develop system or camera prototypes and proof-of-concepts easily and rapidly, often without undertaking hardware development.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 27, 2024 | Business, News, Sustainability
Here is one of my favorite companies—using “waste” bioplastic to mold those plastic eating utensils ubiquitous in fast food restaurants and picnics. They have a small operating plant and just closed an $8 million round to increase production. How many more energy and resource saving ideas are lurking out there in the minds of my readers?
PlantSwitch has developed revolutionary bioplastic technology that converts cellulosic agricultural waste streams into a low-cost, compostable plastic resin alternative. As bans on single-use plastic are increasing globally and major corporations are searching for ways to reduce their plastic footprint, PlantSwitch is uniquely positioned to provide a compostable, cost-effective alternative to conventional plastic that is both sustainable and scalable.
“Alternatives to plastic have traditionally failed to deliver on cost, quality, and availability,” shares CEO and Founder Dillon Baxter. “PlantSwitch was founded with the mission to deliver a bioplastic alternative that can replace all traditional single-use plastics. To do that, the technology must be low-cost, high performance, and rapidly scalable; and those 3 tenets have guided every decision our development team has made since inception.”
Proceeds from this raise will be used to launch PlantSwitch’s first commercial manufacturing facility in North Carolina and expand its team. At scale, the 52,000 sq ft facility is expected to produce over 50M lbs of bioplastic resin annually. PlantSwitch’s customers include some of the leading brands and manufacturers in foodservice, CPG, cosmetics, and agricultural products, and the company expects this facility to reach its capacity in 2025. PlantSwitch currently has 12 employees, primarily chemical engineers and polymer scientists that have made significant contributions to the field of sustainable materials.
Aligned with PlantSwitch’s vision, NexPoint Capital is a large institutional investor with a climate tech platform, where they allocate early-stage capital to climate-smart technologies that will require significant infrastructure to scale. NexPoint currently holds over $16 billion in assets under management.
“At NexPoint, we are always looking to support companies that do important work, and offer attractive opportunities for growth,” said Scott Johnson, Managing Director & Portfolio Manager at NexPoint Capital. “PlantSwitch certainly fits that bill and represents an investment that aligns with our values and expertise in Climate Tech businesses.”
PlantSwitch is now gearing up for its 2024 Series A fundraise, which will be used to expand capacity with additional manufacturing facilities.
“Major corporations have made commitments to lower their plastic consumption and the toxic waste it produces, but the proper infrastructure to deliver a viable alternative hasn’t existed,” says PlantSwitch CEO Dillon Baxter. “This $8 million raise, in partnership with NexPoint, is being invested in building out this infrastructure, which will drive the alternative plastics market forward.” In conclusion, Baxter adds, “We believe the infrastructure for compostable bioplastics is critical to the future of our economy, our health, and our planet. That’s why we are on a mission to build it in a way that is scalable and cost competitive.”
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 27, 2024 | Edge, Internet of Things, Operations Management
Computing at the Edge of the network remains a crucial and growing part of a plant’s architecture. Digi International positioned itself as an enabler of data transmission for a long time. This news is a new product exploiting some of the 5G cellular technology benefits.
Digi International announced market launch of Digi IX40, a 5G edge computing industrial IoT cellular router solution. Digi IX40 is purpose-built for Industry 4.0 use cases such as advanced robotics, predictive maintenance, asset monitoring, industrial automation and smart manufacturing. Fully integrated with Digi Remote Manager, this solution’s capabilities improve security and scalability while ensuring speed, reliability and efficiency.
Digi IX40 integrates Digi Remote Manager (Digi RM) for rapid configuration, automated security monitoring and simplified management. Digi RM — the cloud-based command center for IoT deployments — gives businesses critical insights into their network operations for more data-driven decisions. Likewise, Digi RM supports secure terminal access for out-of-band management of edge devices via serial ports and a command-line interface.
Key Digi IX40 features include:
- Global 5G and LTE support for public and private cellular networks
- Integrated edge computing capabilities for applications requiring edge intelligence and real-time processing
- The Digi Accelerated Linux operating system (DAL OS)
- Simplified configuration and management with Digi Remote Manager
- FIPS 140-2 validation for encryption of sensitive data
- Ethernet, SFP, serial, I/O and Modbus bridging
- Powerful failover options, including fiber and 4G LTE for ultimate redundancy
- Digi SureLink, VRRP+ and dual SIMs for resilient cellular connectivity
- GNSS receiver supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo
- License-free enterprise software: VPN, firewall, logging and authentication
- Rugged enclosure with DIN rail and shelf mounting options
- FirstNet Capable models to meet the demands of emergency response
Digi Containers, a Digi value-added service, augments the Digi IX40 solution to facilitate cost-effective applications via lightweight Linux containers, giving businesses additional flexibility and scalability for their Industry 4.0 initiatives. Digi is proud to provide not only a Digi Containers solution for customers who want to run their own custom applications or binaries on Digi IX40, but we also provide vetted access to software from leaders in the Industry 4.0, Networking 2.0, and industrial protocol services.
Digi WAN bonding, an add-on service available through Digi Remote Manager, provides ultra-fast, ultra-reliable network connectivity. Digi WAN Bonding enables users to centrally set up, deploy, and manage the bonding of multiple WAN Internet connections together on Digi IX40 for a combination of increased throughput speeds, WAN smoothing, packet redundancy, and seamless failover for always-on Internet connectivity. Digi WAN Bonding can scale to hundreds or thousands of sites to ensure you are getting the most robust connectivity for your entire fleet or network that is always ready, always online.
