The industrial plant floor is transforming. For decades, Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) have operated in parallel. But now, with the convergence of network technologies, the line between the two is blurring.
As often happens during times of great change, the need for specific skill sets is outpacing the availability of people with those skills. The demand for people who understand the exchange between IT and OT is big – and the need continues to increase as the industrial plant floor and the corporate enterprise become more connected.
In fact, to help scale the Internet of Things (IoT), it is estimated that 220,000 IT/OT engineers are needed every year.
To help ensure IT and OT professionals are equipped with the broad skill sets they need to manage and administer industrial network systems, Rockwell Automation and Cisco jointly developed the Industrial Networking Specialist Certification (exam ID 600-601), supported by a hands-on, lab-based course: Managing Industrial Networks with Cisco Networking Technologies (IMINS).
The course is designed for control engineers working with Ethernet networks, IT engineers who want to diversify their skills into industrial environments, and systems integrators in the manufacturing, process control, and oil and gas industries who install, maintain, and troubleshoot industrial network systems.
This five-day, instructor led course, including a lab, provides plant administrators, control system engineers and network engineers with the critical knowledge needed to support and maintain the networking technologies needed in today's connected plants and enterprises. Unlike other industrial networking programs, the IMINS program tests hands-on skills through simulations as well as theoretical knowledge, ensuring attendees are prepared for real-world implementations.
Twenty-eight classes are scheduled in the U.S., Canada and Europe between now and the end of April, 2015. Find a course in your area and prepare yourself for the convergence of IT and OT.
Published January 6, 2015
