How IT/OT Convergence Can Improve Costs and Performance

Mahdi Mohammadi

4월 22, 2025

Integrating IT and OT technology on a common IT network can improve cost-effectiveness, performance, security, and compliance.

The union of information and operational technology (IT/OT) seems to be on everyone’s lips right now. But even though it has become a tech buzzword, the benefits of IT/OT convergence across many business verticals means it's here to stay.

That’s because it can improve cost-effectiveness, performance, cybersecurity, and other areas. Virtue Market Research says the global IT/OT market will expand at a 14.5% CAGR from 2024 to 2030, and it’s easy to see why.

Let’s examine the benefits and challenges around the coupling of IT and OT, and what it means going forward.

What is IT/OT convergence, and how does it help?

IT/OT convergence builds on the momentum of digital transformation—including the integration of solutions and IT infrastructure—and extends it to operations. It merges physical items, applications and solutions onto a common IT network. This allows the fusion of data from OT systems, internet of things (IoT) devices and industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices together with business processes such as equipment maintenance and security threat monitoring.

It also builds on the rise of IoT and the Industry 4.0 shift toward combining automation, networking and communications. Because IoT connects devices from video cameras to heat sensors to a common IT network, IT/OT convergence allows for a full operational solution instead of having various items running on separate networks.

This provides several benefits:

• Lower costs via a common infrastructure, which improves resource optimization
• More proactive maintenance and improved performance by analyzing device data
• Better all-around system visibility for improved security and compliance

Barriers to marrying IT and OT

It almost goes without saying that OT wasn’t designed to work with core IT infrastructure: IT and OT systems have traditionally been kept separate. It’s also true that IT and OT teams are usually siloed away from one another. Given the above, it’s no surprise that joining IT and OT isn’t always easy.

OT systems usually feature specific networking technology and protocols that must be migrated to WLAN, IP and ethernet environments. This can be especially tricky when it comes to security: While IT teams have had to be security-conscious for years, OT teams have not. But that changes with IT/OT convergence because connected OT devices must also be secured against threats. This can be a disruptive process if not performed correctly.

The cultural barriers facing IT/OT convergence are also difficult to navigate. IT and OT teams are typically kept separate and usually have different skill sets, goals and points of view. For example: While IT teams are usually focused on network uptime and security, OT teams value deliverables related to their sector (such as meeting production schedules and quality metrics).

As mentioned, these barriers can be just as challenging as the tech element. The IT team, for example, may feel there is added pressure on an already short-staffed department. But once the tech hurdles have been mastered these cultural differences can also be overcome via cross-training and a focus on collaboration.

How IT/OT will affect the future

We’re still in the early stages of the fusion of IT and OT, with relatively few firms jumping on the IT/OT convergence train. But it’s very likely we’ll see these numbers pick up over the next few years.

Meanwhile, IT providers now offer options that allow for an extended IT environment. For example: Integrated plug-ins for video management systems to support security cameras on an IT network that offer practical IT help for OT teams without needing to contact IT. Network solutions that automate user, device and object onboarding and management will also be key to ensuring smooth IT/OT convergence.

Another element to keep in mind is the vast volumes of data produced by integrating devices and solutions with IT networks. AI and ML tools will be needed to process, manage, govern, and make sense of all this data, along with automating certain processes. That means AI’s role in enabling IT/OT convergence will be critical not only in managing the data, but also analyzing and generating insights from previously siloed datasets, will be critical.

IT/OT convergence is set to bring huge time and cost efficiencies while reducing the amount of mundane work for staff, allowing them to work on more value-added tasks. And at the end of the day, that means organizations will become more effective, efficient and successful.