Siemens has inked a strategic partnership with HPE’s Aruba that marries their respective Operational Technology (OT) and IT portfolios.

The two can provide “secure and insightful data networks enabling high plant and network availability”, they said.

The partnership pairs Siemens’ industrial Ethernet network components with Aruba’s wired and wireless LAN infrastructure.

Partnership Comes Amid Major Siemens Shakeup

It comes as the German industrial conglomerate continues its sweeping shakeup in a bid to avoid the fate of rival General Electric, which has seen shares tumble in recent years amid concerns it is not adapting fast enough to digital demands.

A concerted emphasis at Siemens is the need to de-emphasise legacy engineering lines including a troubled turbines business (hit hard by the shift to renewables). The company is increasingly looking to offer digital solutions to clients, from industrial IoT hub MindSphere to cybersecurity tools and services.

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“Customers will benefit from futureproof, integrated communication networks ensuring availability and security”, Siemens’ Management Board member Klaus Helmrich, said in a statement on Monday.

Aruba President Keerti Melkote added: “Working together for nearly three years, Siemens and Aruba have addressed the OT/IT divide thru [sic] technology integration, backed by validated reference designs. The resulting solutions are ideal for a variety of industrial applications, and are backed by both Siemens’ and Aruba’s support teams.”

The joint product suite will be sold via the companies’ “extensive partner networks” with direct access to their engineering and support experts, they said.

“Aruba and Siemens can address customer requirements spanning pre-sales consulting and engineering, professional services (including project management, commissioning, factory acceptance testing, and design engineering), managed operations and maintenance services, and after-sales support.”

Examples of the joint marketing include bundling Aruba’s 360 Secure Fabric for IT networks with Siemens’ “Defense in Depth” OT security concept.

“Since customers’ security needs vary, especially in older legacy deployments, Aruba and Siemens will also tailor security solutions to address specific customer requirements.”