Home
The Hilscher Blog

Industrial Communication Tomorrow: Same Old, Same Old?

Industrial communication tomorrow: Same old, same old?

For a long time, industrial communication was a reliable foundation. That is why many projects treated it as a given. But the conditions have clearly changed. Systems handle more data. Machines are more connected. At the same time, they need stronger protection against disruptions and cyber risks. Communication now affects more than basic connectivity. It shapes scalability, serviceability, and ultimately the economics of a plant or a product.

Thomas Rauch

Anyone developing new devices, machines, or automation solutions faces a key question. How do we build a communication foundation that keeps up with growing requirements—without starting from scratch every time?

Thomas Rauch
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Hilscher

Three drivers are redefining requirements

Bandwidth and real-time performance have to work together

High-performance vision systems, more sensors, and more data points for AI applications are driving much higher data volumes in industrial networks. At the same time, deterministic behavior and real-time requirements remain essential.
The result: In modern architectures, it is no longer enough to be either “fast” or “real-time capable.” Future-ready solutions combine bandwidth and determinism across the entire communication path.

Security and regulation become a market factor

Cybersecurity is no longer a “nice to have.” Security requirements from standards, audits, and new legal frameworks need to be considered from the first product concept—and implemented throughout development and go-to-market, all the way to decommissioning. Updatability, patch processes, and a robust security concept become measurable criteria, including in procurement and acceptance processes.
That shifts priorities: Security is not a last-minute hardening workshop right before rollout. It is part of the system architecture.

An icon of two puzzle pieces.

Platform thinking instead of variant chaos

Device manufacturers and machine builders operate globally. Different markets and ecosystems often come with different communication requirements. If every variant becomes a one-off solution, effort and risk increase: more validation, more testing, more support, and more spare-parts and lifecycle complexity.
Platform approaches with clear, consistent interfaces—and planned expandability through different form factors—become a practical way to reduce complexity.

What this means for manufacturers, integrators, and operators

“The real challenge is simultaneity: complex protocol diversity, higher performance, stricter security requirements, and long lifecycles—while development timelines stay under constant pressure”, sums up Hilscher CTO Rauch.
For manufacturers, communication decisions directly impact time-to-market and costs across the entire product lifecycle. For integrators and operators, resilience, maintainability, and update processes become operational priorities. Treating communication as a system factor helps control risks early—instead of paying for costly retrofits later.

The next technology platform is taking shape

This is exactly where performance, flexibility, and security meet—and where Hilscher is developing the next generation of its communication technology. 

The new netX 900 is not just a new controller-capable network processor. It is the first step toward a comprehensive solution offering for users across a wide range of industries that rely on future-ready, cybersecure communication.

Related links

Unlock the Unlimited | Industrial Communication

The next generation of industrial communication is coming.

Discover the next generation of industrial communication. netX 900 enables seamless connectivity, cybersecurity, and long-term scalability.

Communication controllers and printed circuit boards are extensively tested at Hilscher in Germany.

We make industrial communication possible. From legacy fieldbus to Real-Time Ethernet and the cloud. Our solutions are multi-protocol capable, flexible and reliable. Learn more about how our netX software and hardware technologies work and how we make machine data accessible for you with our IIoT platform netFIELD.

A photo of the male and female customer support phone operator with different internationality

Customer Center / Sales Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH

You've got questions? We've got the answers!

Newsletter Form

Fieldset

Stay Up to Date

In our newsletter we inform you regularly about our latest products, solutions as well as participation in events such as exhibitions and conferences. In this way, we offer exciting insights into the world of Hilscher and automation technology. Sign up now!

Fieldset