Summary
As industrial environments adopt containerization and edge computing, Operational Technology (OT) engineers are being asked to take on responsibilities traditionally handled by IT teams. From managing Docker or Kubernetes clusters to configuring secure integrations, they now support complex digital systems in environments where downtime is not an option.
This whitepaper presents a hierarchy of needs tailored to the unique realities of industrial automation engineers.
Through real-world user stories and practical requirements, it outlines what these engineers truly need from a container platform - visibility, control, offline deployment, simplified updates, and integrations that respect SCADA, MQTT, and other industrial protocols. It challenges platform vendors and solution architects to build tools that align with field operations, not just cloud-native ideals.