IT/OT integration
Software at the heart of modern production
In an interview with Andreas Mühlbauer, Ulrich Huggenberger, Managing Director and CEO of Xitaso, explains why software architectures, modular control systems and networked data models are crucial for the production of the future. He explains the challenges that companies have to overcome when it comes to IT/OT integration and how the IT/OT Integration Summit 2027 aims to provide new impetus.
What makes the IT/OT Integration Summit special and how does it differ from traditional industry or IT events?
The Summit consistently overcomes old silos. Traditional events still separate IT and OT into two camps. In practice, this boundary no longer exists. Today, modern machines and the entire store floor are defined more by software and platform architectures than by mechanics. Xitaso is hosting and sponsoring this event because we have been working at precisely this interface for years: with in-depth IT expertise and a simultaneous understanding of the reality of automation technology. At the summit, factory floor DNA and software development meet and become tangible solutions for production.
What challenges at the IT/OT interface are the focus and what do the participants take away with them?
The biggest challenge is the architectural change of machines and factories. Classic PLC code quickly reaches its limits when scaling variants, recipes and modules. Machines run for 13 years and longer, software must remain maintainable and expandable over this period, and expert knowledge is dwindling. The Summit addresses precisely this reality: How can control architectures be modularized? How can software be tested before the machine is built? How can data from existing systems be used? Participants will receive concrete answers to these questions in compact presentations.
Why should decision-makers not miss the IT/OT Integration Summit 2027?
If you want to drive forward the transition to networked production, you must not treat software as a mere add-on to mechanics. The Summit is an event by doers for doers. Practitioners from IT and OT will report on what really works in day-to-day operations: without glossy slides, but with real experience from the store floor. Which architectures hold up? Where does integration fail in practice? And what does the next concrete step look like? Anyone who wants to future-proof their systems will find answers here from people who have already done it.
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