AdvantageOct 8, 2025 9:00:03 AM7 min read

Upgrading Your IoT Network for Modern Cloud-Centric Manufacturing

A single smart factory can generate more data in a day than an entire office building does in a week. This torrent of information from thousands of sensors, machines, and robots is the lifeblood of modern manufacturing connectivity. But to turn that data into a competitive advantage, it must flow seamlessly to the cloud for analysis and action.

This is where many enterprises hit a wall.

Legacy IoT infrastructure can’t keep up. Once sufficient for on-premise monitoring, this technology now represents a significant risk to security, scalability, and your bottom line.

For IT leaders, the challenge is clear. You must modernize your IoT infrastructure to support a cloud-first world. Failure to do so creates bottlenecks, exposes vulnerabilities, and stalls the innovation you seek to achieve.

IoT in the Manufacturing Industry: An Overview

The Internet of Things (IoT) in manufacturing refers to the network of sensors, machines, robots, and devices that collect and exchange data across the factory floor and supply chain.

Essentially, IoT is the backbone of a modern smart factory. Companies that deploy such infrastructure have the following functionalities at their disposal:

Predictive Maintenance: Sensors monitor equipment health to predict failures before they happen.
Automated Quality Control: AI-powered cameras and sensors inspect products in real-time, identifying defects with superhuman accuracy.
Supply Chain Optimization: Real-time tracking of assets from the warehouse to delivery improves inventory management and logistics.
Enhanced Worker Safety: Wearable devices monitor employee health and environmental conditions in hazardous areas, providing real-time alerts and support.

The use of these technologies is only accelerating. A recent report from Market.us projects that the global IoT in manufacturing market will reach $1.2 trillion by 2033, signaling its central role in the industry's future.

But powering these innovations requires a robust and flexible connectivity layer. This means selecting the most suitable network for the task.

What are the types of IoT networks?

Not all IoT networks are created equal. An effective enterprise IT strategy requires choosing the right connectivity for each technology application.

1. Local Area Networks (LAN/WLAN)

These include Wi-Fi and Ethernet. They are ideal for high-bandwidth applications within a single facility, such as streaming video from quality control cameras.

2. Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN)

Technologies like LoRaWAN and NB-IoT are designed for long-range, low-power communication. They are perfect for connecting thousands of simple sensors that send small data packets, such as environmental monitors.

3. Cellular (4G/5G)

Cellular networks offer a reliable, high-speed connection for mobile assets or as a primary link for an entire facility. Private 5G networks are emerging as a powerful option for secure, low-latency connectivity on the factory floor.

4. Mesh Networks

In a mesh network, devices connect directly to each other, creating a redundant and self-healing web. This is another excellent option for reliability in complex environments, such as a factory floor, where a single point of failure can disrupt an entire production line.

5. Satellite

Modern LEO satellite connectivity is a game-changer for remote sites. It provides high-speed, low-latency broadband in areas where terrestrial options are unavailable, ensuring every location is part of your global network.

While these modern manufacturing network options offer incredible flexibility, many enterprises are still relying on infrastructure that was never designed to support them.

Why Legacy Networks Fall Short in a Cloud-Centric World

In an earlier era, enterprise IoT networks were built to funnel data from the factory floor to an on-premise server. This architecture isn’t equipped for the demands of the modern industrial cloud.

Legacy networks cause significant bottlenecks. Funneling massive data volumes from thousands of sensors through a centralized, on-premise data center before sending it to the cloud is inefficient and slow. This latency sabotages any opportunities for real-time analytics and decision-making.

Most importantly, outdated infrastructure makes businesses vulnerable to cyber attacks. Enterprises face numerous IoT security risks due to the widespread accessibility of these devices. The sheer volume of endpoints increases the statistical probability of a weak link.

Something as simple as a sensor with outdated firmware or a stolen wearable can create an entry for bad actors to exploit. Perhaps that’s why IoT device attacks rose by 107% in the first half of 2024 alone.

Companies in the manufacturing sector must proceed with even more caution. In addition to the rise in breaches, the critical manufacturing industry tops the list of the most targeted sectors for IoT hacks.

The convergence of IT and Operational Technology (OT) creates a perfect storm for attackers. Legacy factory equipment (which wasn’t designed for internet connectivity, much less access to the corporate network) makes manufacturers an attractive target for ransomware and industrial espionage.

A Phased Approach to Upgrading IoT Networks

Upgrading every system at once is an overwhelming task that requires ample resources. A phased approach makes the transformation process manageable and ensures a clear return on investment.

Phase 1: Complete a Risk and Opportunity Audit

A comprehensive audit goes beyond a technical inventory list. Cataloging every connected device, firmware versions and known vulnerabilities is a good start.

Mapping data flows and analyzing business risk adds an extra layer of insight and analysis, both important to the success of updating legacy systems. Trace how data moves to identify performance bottlenecks and single points of failure.

Then quantify the impact of a potential failure for each system. The result is an understanding of the business’s most critical vulnerabilities, effectively identifying the high-priority projects for your upgrade.

Phase 2: Decide Upgrade Timelines Based on Impact

Prioritize your modernization efforts based on where they will deliver the most immediate and significant value.

The systems you identified as having the highest business risk in your audit should be at the top of your list. Securing these assets yields the most significant immediate improvement to your resilience.

Additionally, identify ways you can achieve ‘quick wins’ that build internal goodwill and momentum. Choose a system where a modernization pilot project can deliver a fast, measurable return on investment.

Phase 3: Design a Scalable Architecture

With your priorities set, the next stage is to design the future-state architecture. The goal is to create secure, efficient, and direct paths to the cloud.

This means embracing strategies like network segmentation, which logically isolates OT traffic from IT traffic on a corporate network. Further decrease attack surfaces by isolating segments at the application level and placing firewalls between them to control traffic.

Phase 4: Design a Scalable Architecture

With a secure foundation in place, selecting the best solutions to match connectivity needs takes the spotlight.

High-frequency data from robotic arms and real-time quality control systems demands the ultra-low latency and dedicated reliability of a Private 5G network. Aggregating data from multiple sources and efficiently routing it to the cloud calls for an SD-WAN overlay. For thousands of simple, low-power sensors monitoring environmental conditions, an LPWAN solution offers a cost-effective and efficient choice.

By strategically combining these networking technologies, manufacturers can build a secure and scalable IoT infrastructure that supports modern, cloud-centric operations.

Phase 5: Implement Governance and Lifecycle Management

The final step is to implement a robust governance framework that effectively manages this new environment for the long term. Avoid silos by collaborating with leaders from both IT and OT to establish clear ownership and policies.

This framework must also operationalize a clear plan for technology lifecycle management. Standardize secure processes for everything from device onboarding and patch management to, most critically, end-of-life decommissioning, so that forgotten, unpatched devices don't become your biggest security liability.

Conclusion: Innovate Now for Long-Term Resiliency

The urgency to upgrade your IoT network is clear. Outdated infrastructure is a direct threat to a company’s competitiveness, security, and ability to innovate.

On the other hand, a cloud-centric approach creates a resilient foundation needed for the next era of business. Modernizing your IoT network is a foundational step toward unlocking the future of manufacturing connectivity and next-generation technologies, such as AI, digital twins, and predictive analytics.

Navigating this modernization requires a partner who understands both the factory floor and the global technology landscape. Advantage provides the strategic framework, implementation and ongoing management to ensure your IoT infrastructure becomes a powerful enabler of your business goals.