Device Connectivity

Device Connectivity is doubleSlash’s IoT solution for the secure, scalable, and standardized connection of heterogeneous devices, machines, and OT systems to cloud platforms—from the shop floor through edge devices to the cloud, across multiple locations. It provides the technical foundation for transparent device statuses, reliable data flows, and digital services—regardless of device type, manufacturer, or IoT platform.

Device Connectivity is the starting point: securely connecting devices, modeling them, and providing data. For fleet management, remote maintenance, OTA updates, and compliance (CRA, NIS2), Device & Update Management adds the next level of functionality. Many projects start with Connectivity and gradually expand to include –—both solutions are designed to work together seamlessly.

As the number of devices grows, manual integrations and siloed solutions can no longer scale. Typical challenges in enterprises include: each device type requires its own integration, OT data remains isolated locally, provisioning is inconsistent, and multi-site rollouts fail due to a lack of standards.

Device Connectivity addresses these challenges with standardized device connectivity, automated onboarding, uniform device modeling (Digital Twin), and a resilient data pipeline –—even on unstable networks. Reusable connection patterns and proven standard components accelerate rollouts across plants and regions without a proportional increase in integration effort. Case studies such as ZEISS (450 systems in 12 months) demonstrate that industrial-scale deployment can be implemented in a planned and predictable manner.

The right platform depends on your target architecture –, not on a fixed vendor stack. doubleSlash is technology-agnostic and integrates Microsoft Azure IoT, AWS IoT, PTC ThingWorx, and other systems. Your requirements are key: device and protocol diversity (MQTT, OPC UA, REST), security and compliance needs, your existing IT/OT landscape, and planned use cases ranging from monitoring to digital services.

A modular approach using proven standard components—–—which are platform-independent and customizable—is often ideal for a quick start. For complex corporate architectures, multi-site rollouts, or deep ERP/PLM/MES integration, a customized solution makes more sense. In the Use Case Workshop or IoT Blueprint Workshop for corporate groups, we assess the current situation, maturity level, and prioritized use cases—and derive an appropriate platform and architecture decision.

Microsoft Azure IoT, AWS IoT, PTC ThingWorx, Mender.io, and other systems. doubleSlash is technology-agnostic—the choice of platform is based on your target architecture, not on a fixed vendor stack. Protocols include MQTT, REST, AMQP, OPC UA, HTTPS, and WebSockets.

OT systems follow different rules than IT: Networks are isolated or unstable, maintenance windows are tight, outages have direct operational consequences, and security means certificates and protocols rather than REST APIs. IT, on the other hand, is cloud-native, agile, and designed for scalability. Those unfamiliar with both worlds either build architectures foreign to OT that fail in the field—or solutions foreign to IT that don’t scale. doubleSlash bridges the two worlds: with OT-proven protocol connections (OPC UA, Modbus, Profibus), secure edge architecture, and cloud-native platform integration (Azure IoT, AWS IoT, ThingWorx).

The modular approach is suitable if you need results quickly, have already selected a platform, and typical requirements (agent, provisioning, digital twin, monitoring) can be met. The customized approach is recommended for complex corporate architectures, deep ERP/PLM/MES integration, or specific security and compliance requirements. In the workshop, we’ll determine the best path forward.

In an industrial setting, “connected” isn’t enough—Connectivity must be securely protected end-to-end, from the device all the way to the cloud. Device Connectivity relies on end-to-end security: TLS/mTLS for communication, certificate-based device identities (X.509/PKI), automated provisioning using zero-touch approaches, and authentication and authorization via OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect.

Secure defaults, logging, and auditability provide transparency regarding access and device statuses. For particularly security-critical requirements—such as in regulated industries or OT environments with high security needs—doubleSlash collaborates with secunet as a Preferred Partner: one of Germany’s leading specialists in IT security for critical infrastructure and industrial networks.

During provisioning, each device is assigned a unique identity—typically certificate-based (X.509/PKI). Automated processes register devices during initial setup, securely transfer configurations, and assign them to a tenant, location, or product line. Zero-touch approaches minimize manual errors and accelerate multi-site rollouts.

About OT-to-Cloud Integration: Connectors for OPC UA, protocol conversion, edge gateways, and semantic mapping securely deliver machine data to the cloud. At the same time, the OT side remains secure—with end-to-end security, a resilient data pipeline, and a unified device model as the foundation for dashboards and services.

Edge devices and gateways serve as the bridge between the shop floor and the cloud: They receive OT protocols, preprocess data locally, and forward it securely—even over unstable networks. Device Connectivity relies on edge modules as Docker containers, store-and-forward functionality, certificate-based identities, and encrypted communication (TLS/mTLS). This ensures offline capability, low local latency, and security, while the cloud handles central analysis and services. For environments with high security requirements, the Preferred Partnership with secunet provides edge gateways for critical OT environments.

A digital twin provides a digital representation of your physical device—using a unified model for properties, states, and commands. Consumer applications such as dashboards, service portals, and analytics tools all access the same model. This reduces integration effort and ensures consistency across device variants and locations.