A resilient industrial communication strategy is designed to maintain, withstand and rapidly recover connectivity during disruptions – ranging from technical failures to cyberattacks. And there’s more.
Resilient industrial communications are fundamental for 24/7 production – supporting secure, scalable and always-available operations as digital innovation accelerates. Consistent with the World Economic Forum’s position that resilience and innovation are complementary objectives (not conflicting), Rockwell Automation identifies six practical, engineering-driven enablers that support next-generation industrial communications:
- Embedded secure communications
- Standardized communication protocols for more reliable data exchange
- Interoperability that preserves investment
- Fault-tolerant network infrastructure for continuous performance
- Scalable smart device communications
- Communications for operational insight
Together, these tactics help manufacturers adopt new digital capabilities – such as remote operations, analytics and AI – while preserving operational stability, determinism and trust that industrial environments require.
Innovation is not a trade-off with resilience
Global manufacturers are under constant pressure to innovate while maintaining stable, predictable operations. As change accelerates, resilient communication systems become critical for visibility, coordination and integration across the industrial environment. Industrial communications must be reliable and stable over time, enabling new capabilities to be introduced without disrupting what already works. This reality is reinforced by global industry risk discussions.
Here are six ways Rockwell Automations helps build resilient industrial communication systems that are ready for whatever comes next.
1. Embedded secure communications
Secure communications use widely accepted IETF standards to authenticate endpoints and help protect data confidentiality and integrity. For example, CIP Security provides this protection for control-layer communications, helping reduce risk to critical operations from tampering or interception. Rockwell Automation enabled solutions are engineered to help defend against network-based threats without the complexity of tunneling or dual-stack configurations. These technologies are foundational to Rockwell Automation's embedded diagnostics and control solutions – enabling innovation through trusted connectivity by design, not as an add-on.
2. Standardized protocols for reliable data exchange
Rockwell Automation relies on widely adopted communication protocols like EtherNet/IP, OPC UA and others like MQTT and HTTPS to enable data exchange across control, safety, motion and information systems. These standards boost reliability and support scalable, future-ready operations. Well established and standardized protocols built on top of standard Ethernet TCP and IP transport layers create a unified digital foundation that lets designers evolve, adapt and innovate in an increasingly connected world. They are further complimented by a rich ecosystem of reusable content including predefined device profiles, information models, libraries and integration templates that accelerate development and simplify system integration.
3. Interoperability that preserves investments
Resilient communications technology must integrate both legacy and modern assets to support the needs of operations. Rockwell Automation uses communication technology that enables seamless communication across devices and routable networks with well-established foundations, preserving existing investments while supporting modernization initiatives.
By enabling communications across generations of technology, we help manufacturers reduce downtime, simplify upgrades and build future-ready systems that evolve with operational needs.
4. Fault-tolerant network infrastructure for continuous performance
The Rockwell Automation industrial networking portfolio – including Stratix® managed switches – enables design of segmented, scalable Ethernet architectures that isolate faults and maintain performance under stress. It delivers high availability and rapid recovery to help support the demands of continuous operations.
5. Scalable smart device communications
Rockwell Automation enables scalable smart device communications across a wide range of performance needs – from simple in-cabinet components such as buttons and overloads to bandwidth and latency-sensitive assets such as robots and coordinated servo systems.
For example, EtherNet/IP In-cabinet simplifies connectivity for high density, entry-level devices, reducing installation effort and improving cabinet level visibility for maintenance teams. The same EtherNet/IP architecture extends to high-performance smart devices with needs like motion and safety coordination. Paired with ControlLogix® 5590 controllers, this unified communication approach enables high speed, multi-discipline control across discrete, process, motion and robotic applications – allowing manufacturers to expand operations and maintain performance while accelerating innovation.
6. Communications for operational insight
Connectivity delivers insight. OPC UA provides structured data access, while FactoryTalk® Optix™ accelerates application development at the edge of control assets – delivering timely, contextualized insights to the device of your choice.
Future-ready starts with resilient industrial communication foundations
Whether you're modernizing legacy systems or designing greenfield applications, Rockwell Automation provides resilient technology ready for tomorrow’s challenges. Explore these resilient communication technology enablers:
- ControlLogix 5590 – High-performance programmable logic controller with built-in security capabilities
- EtherNet/IP In-cabinet – Streamlined In-Cabinet smart device connectivity
- Stratix® Managed Ethernet Switches – Fault-tolerant industrial networking
- FactoryTalk Optix – Edge-to-device visualization
