Bridging the IT/OT divide: Why unified monitoring is the key to smarter, more resilient infrastructure

As buildings become smarter, more connected, and increasingly data-driven, the line between Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) is quickly blurring. What were once separate worlds, servers and switches on one side, HVAC systems and fire alarms on the other, are now converging to form a single, interdependent ecosystem. With this merging comes a new operational reality: visibility across IT and OT is now business critical.

For decades, organisations have invested heavily in network and systems monitoring tools, but traditional building management systems (BMS) and industrial control platforms still tend to focus on OT-only metrics like energy usage, temperature, or elevator status. Meanwhile, IT monitoring tools have evolved in their own silo, with little awareness of what’s happening on the physical infrastructure side. In today’s environment, that disjointed view is a liability, one that can increase downtime, obscure the root cause of faults, and expose systems to new security risks.

Fortunately, the industry is waking up to this challenge, with IDC reporting that by 2026, 75% of industrial enterprises will have integrated IT and OT systems to drive improved business outcomes. 

Visibility drives resilience

The real value of IT/OT convergence lies in the ability to contextualise data across domains. Imagine a temperature anomaly in a building, on its own, that may seem like an HVAC fault. But with unified monitoring, you might see that it coincides with a failed network switch in the server room, or an issue in the power supply. This kind of cross-functional insight enables faster diagnosis, better decision-making, and stronger resilience across the entire operation.

That’s where flexible, cross-domain monitoring solutions come into play. Platforms that can ingest and display data from both IT and OT environments, without requiring specialist training or siloed dashboards, are becoming foundational to smart building strategies.

Bosch Energy and Building Solutions

One organisation putting this into action is Bosch Energy and Building Solutions. Supporting over 100,000 customers globally, Bosch needed a way to manage a sprawling portfolio of systems, ranging from fire safety and video surveillance to network tech and energy management. 

Bosch selected Paessler’s PRTG Network Monitor as the foundation for a unified monitoring environment. What made the difference wasn’t just the intuitive interface or real-time dashboards, it was the ability to integrate IT and OT data within a single platform. Using the Paessler PRTG OPC UA Server extension, Bosch could feed IT infrastructure data directly into its existing OPC UA-based BMS, enabling building technicians to see everything in one view.

This isn’t just about convenience, it’s about operational intelligence. A temperature spike now comes with the context of network status. A CCTV failure isn’t diagnosed in isolation, it’s understood in terms of power, storage, and connectivity. Mean time to resolution has dropped, service levels have improved, and teams can respond based on a complete picture rather than isolated alerts.

Security built into the architecture

Security also benefits from convergence. With threats increasingly targeting the blurred edge between cyber and physical systems, unified monitoring platforms need to respect both security best practices and operational constraints. In Bosch’s case, the architecture was designed so communication from the OPC UA Server is initiated within the secure OT network, ensuring observability without exposing systems to unnecessary risk.

This approach reflects a broader industry need - building smart infrastructure that is secure by design, not just by patchwork.

AI, edge, and cloud-native monitoring

As industries embrace edge computing, AI-based anomaly detection, and cloud-native architectures, the monitoring landscape is evolving fast. Solutions like PRTG are already adapting, adding support for industrial protocols like MQTT and Modbus, and developing AI tools to surface unusual patterns before they escalate.

These innovations will be pivotal as organisations scale their digital infrastructure, but the foundation remains the same: visibility across IT and OT is the cornerstone of resilience.

From silos to strategy

The convergence of IT and OT is no longer a trend, it’s a reality. While the technology to support it is maturing, the mindset shift is just as important. Smart infrastructure isn’t just about smart devices. It’s about strategic integration, breaking down silos, connecting data sources, and building systems that are not only more efficient, but more secure, scalable, and intelligent.

The work Bosch and Paessler have done offers a blueprint for this future, but they’re not alone. As more organisations seek to modernise operations, reduce risk, and improve outcomes, unified monitoring will become a defining capability.

The first step? Start with visibility.