Advantech and ei3 recently introduced a partnership to deliver a zero-trust remote service platform designed for machine builders.
The offering integrates Advantech’s UNO industrial edge computer with ei3’s Service cloud application and Zethus secure edge container, creating what the companies describe as a Cyber-Physical Systems Protection Platform.
For OEMs, remote service is changing how equipment is supported once it’s in the field. It allows troubleshooting and maintenance to happen without requiring repeated site visits, leading to a reduction in travel demands, response times, and stronger connected service platforms.
As for manufacturers, remote access remains tied to security concerns around allowing external connections into production environments.
Spencer Cramer, founder and CEO of ei3, told Packaging OEM that customer IT approval is often the biggest barrier to deployment.
“The thing that stands between the OEM and those prizes is almost always the end customer’s IT security team,” said Cramer. “And rightly so because they’re being asked to let an outside party reach into their plant.”
How zero-trust secures machine access
The zero-trust platform allows access to be defined by specific machines, users, and time frames, rather than broad network permissions.
The companies said the system enables outbound-only encrypted communication, eliminates inbound firewall ports, and applies micro-segmentation at the machine level. It’s an approach that differs from traditional VPN or remote desktop methods, which can expose networks through open ports and broad access permissions.
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The platform is deployed using containerized software at the edge, allowing installation without changes to existing machine control networks. This eliminates the need for OEMs to build their own cloud infrastructure.
Cramer added that the design is intended to simplify remote service access while limiting exposure across production networks.
“The right engineer gets to the right asset for as long as they need it, and not a second longer,” said Cramer. “Nothing else on the network is reachable.”
He added that zero-trust also reduces the work involved in managing user access across multiple vendors and service teams, while giving IT full audit visibility.
“The machine builder gets the flexibility and support tools they need to actually run a remote service business. Both sides win, which is what unlocks the deployment in the first place,” said Cramer.
Remote service reducing travel demands
The platform is engineered for OEMs building connected service and aftermarket support programs.
“Every OEM I talk to understands there are two big prizes in remote management,” said Cramer. “The first is cost avoidance: fewer truck rolls or plane trips during startup, faster warranty resolution, problems caught before they become claims. The second is aftermarket revenue, which includes extended service agreements, predictive maintenance, parts replenishment, and the whole connected-service business model.”
One of the key benefits of remote management is the ability to monitor machine performance in real time.
“A connected machine eliminates about 80% of site visits compared to a non-connected one,” said Cramer.
Customer expectations are increasingly shaping OEM remote service offerings.
“Customers want and frankly expect the immediacy that remote service delivers,” said Cramer. “If you don’t offer it, your competitor will.”
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Remote troubleshooting at scale
ei3 pointed to Bobst, an OEM that provides printing and converting equipment for labeling and flexible packaging, as an example.
“They built a service offering called Helpline, which delivers professional remote support to their customers worldwide, powered by ei3’s technology underneath,” said Cramer.
According to ei3, Bobst’s Helpline platform connects to thousands of machines globally and supports more than 100,000 remote service sessions each year, allowing engineers to troubleshoot and support equipment remotely.
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“When a company as discerning as Bobst builds a flagship service program on your platform and it runs at that scale, year after year, you know the model works,” said Cramer.
He added that other OEMs adopting similar connected service platforms include Milacron, Coperion, and Shibaura Machine.
“The OEMs who lean into this are the ones we’re built to serve,” said Cramer.
