Microsoft and Rockwell Automation: Transforming Industrial AI Together
Unlocking the Future of Connected Operations In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, manufacturers face mounting pressure to increase agility, optimize operations, and harness data-driven insights across every level of production. The collaboration between Microsoft and Rockwell Automation represents a pivotal step toward achieving these goals. By combining Rockwell’s deep expertise in operational technology (OT) with Microsoft’s adaptive cloud approach, this partnership bridges the gap between OT and IT, creating a unified, intelligent ecosystem that empowers manufacturers to innovate at scale. Together, we enable seamless connectivity, advanced analytics, and AI-driven optimization across the factory floor from edge and cloud environments. Connected Operations powered by Microsoft and Rockwell Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk Optix and Microsoft’s Azure IoT Operations together deliver a powerful foundation for industrial transformation. FactoryTalk Optix provides a modern, flexible visualization platform for real-time monitoring and control of OT systems. FactoryTalk Optix supports numerous industrial protocols for secure interoperability and “smart-object” data modeling to provide analytics-ready data. Paired with Azure IoT Operations, a unified, adaptive cloud solution built on open standards and powered by Azure Arc, manufacturers gain seamless connectivity across the factory floor enabling edge to cloud orchestration. With support for protocols like OPC UA and MQTT, camera and third-party integration through Akri and WASM connectors, and Copilot-driven automation for observability and deployment, this partnership bridges OT and IT to unlock advanced analytics, AI-driven optimization, and predictive maintenance at scale. A Partnership That Delivers Scalable Innovation Customers can start utilizing FactoryTalk Optix with Azure IoT Operations as a scalable physical to digital foundation for transforming how they manufacture, design, and operate going forward. In partnership with Rockwell, there is a published GitHub sample that demonstrates how FactoryTalk Optix native IIoT connectivity protocols unlock contextualized data from industrial assets into Azure IoT Operations. With the 2510 Azure IoT Operations release , OPC Write capability is now available as well, creating a true read/write path for richer interoperability. The synergy between these technologies is a game-changer for manufacturers, unlocking advanced analytics, and AI-driven use cases. This collaboration delivers: Improved efficiency and reduced downtime through real-time connectivity and predictive maintenance Scalable edge-to-cloud architecture leveraging OPC UA and MQTT standards for unified OT/IT data Highly replicable, scalable deployments across hybrid and multicloud environments Proactive optimization with AI-driven design and analytics Democratized automation via Copilot capabilities for observability and deployment Unified IT management and centralized monitoring for streamlined operations Robust security and reduced integration complexity for faster time-to-value From the Shop Floor to the Boardroom By combining Rockwell’s industrial expertise with Microsoft’s cloud innovation, manufacturers can break down data silos, unify operations, and drive continuous optimization. AI-powered insights become accessible at every level, helping organizations anticipate change, improve safety and efficiency, and maintain a competitive edge in the digital era. Join Us at Rockwell Automation Fair Visit the Microsoft booth at Automation Fair to experience end-to-end demonstrations, explore customer stories, and see firsthand how the Rockwell–Microsoft ecosystem accelerates your digital transformation journey. Join live sessions at the Discovery Theatre – o Tuesday Nov 18th, 11:15am – 11:45am → The new industrial frontier - Using AI to scale faster, work smarter and unlock new value o Tuesday Nov 18 th 2pm – 3pm, and Thursday Nov 20 th at 10:00am – 11:00am → Bringing AI to the Factory Floor o Wednesday Nov 19 th , 1:45pm – 2:15pm → Start with Secure Solutions From Edge to Cloud Visit us at the Expo at Booth #1931 – For demos and conversations to see what we have to offer. Explore the products Learn more about Azure IoT Operations → https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/iot-operations Explore FactoryTalk Optix → https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/products/software/factorytalk/optix.html Hear more about our integration story at Microsoft Ignite → The new industrial frontier
Azure IoT Hub with ADR (preview): Extending Azure capabilities and certificate management to IoT
Operational excellence in every industry begins by linking the physical world to the digital, enabling organizations to turn raw data from connected assets into actionable insights and real-world improvements. Azure IoT Hub and Azure IoT Operations make this possible by seamlessly integrating data from machines whether on a single factory floor or spread across the globe into a unified platform. Together, they serve as the backbone of connected operations, ensuring that assets, sensors this data is then moved to Microsoft Fabric for real-time analytics and further leveraged by AI agents to drive informed decisions. This approach lets organizations scale efficiently, unifying teams, sites, and systems under the Adaptive Cloud Strategy. It enables use of cloud-native and AI technologies across hybrid, multi-cloud, edge, and IoT environments in a single operational model. Azure IoT Hub empowers organizations to securely and reliably manage connected assets across the globe, providing real-time visibility and control over diverse operations. With proven scalability, broad device support, and robust management tools, IoT Hub delivers a unified platform for developing and operating IoT solutions. Organizations in various industries are using Azure IoT Hub to enhance their operations. In mining, sensors provide real-time safety data and support compliance. Fleet managers track equipment health to boost efficiency and prevent failures, while rail operators use GPS and vibration sensors for precise monitoring and issue detection. Ports utilize conveyor and loading system metrics to optimize scheduling and reduce delays. These examples show how Azure IoT Hub delivers actionable insights, greater safety, and operational efficiency through connected devices. As customers evolve, Azure IoT Hub continues to advance, deepening its integration with the Azure ecosystem and enabling AI-driven, connected operations for the next generation of applications. Today, we’re announcing the public preview of Azure IoT Hub integration with Azure Device Registry bringing IoT devices under the purview of Azure management plane via ARM resource representation and securing them with best-in-class Microsoft-backed X.509 certificate management capabilities. From Connected Devices to Connected Operations Ready-to-use AI platforms are enabling organizations to unlock untapped operational data and gain deeper insights. Organizations are leveraging AI to unify machine and enterprise data, extract actionable insights, and translate them into measurable business gains. They are broadly transitioning from connected devices that simply gather and transmit telemetry, to connected operations which empower supervisors and AI agents to interpret events and respond to scenarios in real time. The integration of Azure IoT Hub with ADR enhancements extends the comprehensive capabilities of Azure to IoT devices. With this integration, Azure Device Registry (ADR) acts as the unified control plane for managing both physical assets from Azure IoT Operations and devices from Azure IoT Hub. It provides a centralized registry, ensuring every entity whether an industrial asset or a connected device is uniquely represented and managed throughout its lifecycle. By integrating with Azure IoT Hub, ADR enables consistent device onboarding, certificate management, and operational visibility at scale. This integration simplifies large-scale IoT fleet management and supports compliance and auditability across diverse deployments. What’s New in this Preview We’re excited to announce the public preview of new capabilities that bring IoT devices into the broader Azure ecosystem. This integration allows IoT to be managed at scale through the Azure management plane. It also strengthens security and enables consistent governance across large deployments: Deep integration with Azure: The Azure Device Registry (ADR) now offers a unified control plane, simplifying identity, security, and policy management for millions of devices. New ADR features make it easier to register, classify, and monitor devices, supporting consistent governance and better operational insights. Combined with Device Provisioning Service (DPS), these enhancements help reduce deployment challenges, speed up time-to-value, and lower operational risks. With IoT Hub integration, IoT Hub devices are represented as Azure resources, providing: One unified registry across multiple IoT Hubs and Azure IoT Operations (AIO) instances. ARM-based management for all Azure resources from cloud to edge. A consolidated view of the entire IoT fleet, simplifying large-scale deployments, monitoring and management. Certificate lifecycle management: Now in public preview, this capability enables secure onboarding and automated certificate rotation for IoT devices, directly integrated with ADR and IoT Hub. X.509 certificates are widely recognized for providing a robust security posture by establishing trusted, cryptographically verifiable device identities. Starting today, customers can use a Microsoft-backed PKI to issue X.509 certificates across their IoT fleets. Devices receive operational certificates that authenticate with IoT Hub, chained to Certificate Authorities (CAs). Policy-driven lifecycle management makes certificate renewal simpler and keeps state in sync with your Hubs. This integration sets the stage for Physical AI by connecting digital and physical systems, thus unlocking new possibilities for data and artificial intelligence. Customer feedback from Private Preview This release has received positive feedback from private preview customers. Particularly the Microsoft-supported PKI and certificate management capabilities, highlighting that previous manual processes were inefficient and fragmented. Customers further noted the advantages of grouping devices from multiple IoT Hubs under a unified namespace, which streamlined management. Moreover, the integration of certificate management within ADR has diminished the reliance on custom solutions. “We were genuinely impressed by how seamless it was to implement. With just a few clicks, clear policy definitions, and two calls in firmware, the entire process became automated, frictionless, and reliable with no external dependencies.” – Uriel Kluk, CTO, Mesh Systems Why It Matters These investments make Azure IoT Hub the cornerstone for connected operations at scale, empowering customers to: Reduce manual cert ops with policy‑driven rotation (fewer outages due to expired certs). Consolidate device registry in ADR for cross‑hub fleet governance. Accelerate compliance audits with centralized certificate lineage. Apply advanced AI tooling for predictive insights and automation. Call to Action Explore the new capabilities in public preview today and start building the next generation of connected operations with Azure IoT Hub and ADR. Learn more on Azure IoT Hub documentationMicrosoft Industrial AI Partner Guide: Choosing the Right Data Expertise for Every Stage
As organizations scale Industrial AI, the challenge shifts from technology selection to deciding who should lead which part of the journey -- and when. Which partners should establish secure connectivity? Who enables production grade, AI ready industrial data? When do systems integrators step in to scale globally? This Partner Guide helps customers navigate these decisions with clarity and confidence: Identify which partners align to their current digital transformation and Industrial AI scenarios leveraging Azure IoT and Azure IoT Operations Confidently combine partners over time as they evolve from connectivity to intelligence to autonomous operations This guide focuses on the Industrial AI data plane – the partners and capabilities that extract, contextualize, and operationalize industrial data so it can reliably power AI at scale. It does not attempt to catalog or prescribe end‑to‑end Industrial AI applications or cloud‑hosted AI solutions. Instead, it helps customers understand how industrial partners create the trusted, contextualized data foundation upon which AI solutions can be built. Common Customer Journey Steps 1. Modernize Connectivity & Edge Foundations The industrial transformation journey starts with securely accessing operational data without touching deterministic control loops. Customers connect automation systems to a scalable, standards-based data foundation that modernizes operations while preserving safety, uptime and control. Outcomes customers realize Standardized OT data access across plants and sites Faster onboarding of legacy and new assets Clear OT–IT boundaries that protect safety and uptime Partner strengths at this stage Industrial hardware and edge infrastructure providers Protocol translation and OT connectivity Automation and edge platforms aligned with Azure IoT Operations 2. Accelerate Insights with Industrial AI With a consistent edge-to-cloud data plane in place, customers move beyond dashboards to repeatable, production-grade Industrial AI use cases. Customers rely on expert partners to turn standardized operational data into AI‑ready signals that can be consumed by analytics and AI solutions at scale across assets, lines, and sites. Outcomes customers realize Improved Operational efficiency and performance Adaptive facilities and production quality intelligence Energy, safety, and defect detection at scale Partner strengths at this stage Industrial data services that contextualize and standardize OT signals for AI consumption Domain-specific acceleration for common Industrial AI scenarios Data pipelines integrated with Azure IoT Operations and Microsoft Fabric 3. Prepare for Autonomous Operations As organizations advance toward closed‑loop optimization, the focus shifts to safe, scalable autonomy. Customers depend on partners to align data, infrastructure, and operational interfaces, while ensuring ongoing monitoring, governance, and lifecycle management across the full operational estate. Outcomes customers realize Proven reference architectures deployed across plants AI‑ready data foundations that adapt as operations scale Coordinated interaction between OT systems, AI models, and cloud intelligence Partner strengths at this stage Industrial automation leadership and control system expertise Edge infrastructure optimized and ready for Industrial AI scale Systems integrators enabling end‑to‑end implementation and repeatability Data Intelligence Plane of Industrial AI - Partner Matrix This matrix highlights which partners have the deepest expertise in accessing, contextualizing, and operationalizing industrial data so it can reliably power AI at scale. The matrix is not a catalog of end‑to‑end Industrial AI applications; it shows how specialized partners contribute data, infrastructure, and integration capabilities on a shared Azure foundation as organizations progress from connectivity to insight to autonomous operations. How to use this matrix: Start with your scenario → identify primary partner types → layer complementary partners as you scale. Partner Type Adaptive Cloud Primary Solution Example Scenarios Geography Advantech Industrial Hardware, Industrial Connectivity LoRaWAN gateway integration + Azure IoT Operations Industrial edge platforms with built in connectivity, industrial compute, LoRaWAN, sensor networks Global Accenture GSI Industrial AI, Digital Transformation, Modernization OEE, predictive maintenance, real-time defect detection, optimize supply chains, intelligent automation and robotics, energy efficiency Global Avanade GSI Factory Agents and Analytics based on Manufacturing Data Solutions Yield / Quality optimization, OEE, Agentic Root Cause Analysis and process optimization; Unified ISA-95 Manufacturing Data estate on MS Fabric Global Capgemini GSI The new AI imperative in manufacturing OEE, maintenance, defect detection, energy, robotics Global DXC GSI Intelligent Boost AI and IoT Analytics Platform 5G Industrial Connectivity, Defect detection, OEE, safety, energy monitoring Global Innominds SI Intelligent Connected Edge Platform Predictive maintenance, AI on edge, asset tracking North America, EMEA Litmus Automation Industrial Connectivity, Industrial Data Ops Litmus Edge + Azure IoT Operations Edge Data, Smart manufacturing, IIoT deployments at scale Global, North America Mesh Systems GSI & ISV Azure IoT & Azure IoT Operations implementation services and solutions (including Azure IoT Operations-aligned connector patterns) Device connectivity and management, data platforms, visualization, AI agents, and security North America, EMEA Nortal GSI Data-driven Industry Solutions IT/OT Connectivity, Unified Namespace, Digital Twins, Optimization, Edge, Industrial Data, Real‑Time Analytics & AI EMEA, North America & LATAM NVIDIA Technology Partner Accelerated AI Infrastructure; Open libraries, models, frameworks, and blueprints for AI development and deployment. Cross industry digitalization and AI development and deployment: Generative AI, Agentic AI, Physical AI, Robotics Global Oracle ISV Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM + Azure IoT Operations Real-time manufacturing Intelligence, AI powered insights, and automated production workflows Global Rockwell Automation Industrial Automation FactoryTalk Optix + Azure IoT Operations Factory modernization, visualization, edge orchestration, DataOps with connectivity context at scale, AI ops and services, physical equipment, MES Global Schneider Electric Industrial Automation Industrial Edge Physical equipment, Device modernization, energy, grid Global Siemens Industrial Automation & Software Industrial Edge + Azure IoT Operations reference architecture Industrial edge infrastructure at scale, OT/IT convergence, DataOps, Industrial AI suite, virtualized automation. Global Sight Machine ISV Integrated Industrial AI Stack Industrial AI, bottling, process optimization Global Softing Industrial Industrial Connectivity edgeConnector + Azure IoT Operations OT connectivity, multi-vendor PLC- and machine data integration, OPC UA information model deployment EMEA, Global TCS GSI Sensor to cloud intelligence Operations optimization, healthcare digital twin experiences, supply chain monitoring Global This Ecosystem Model enables Industrial AI solutions to scale through clear roles, respected boundaries and composable systems: Control systems continue to be driven by automation leaders Safety‑critical, deterministic control stays with industrial automation partners who manage real‑time operations and plant safety. Customers modernize analytics and AI while preserving uptime, reliability, and operational integrity. Data, AI, and analytics scale independently A consistent edge to cloud data plane supports cloud scale analytics and AI, accelerating insight delivery without entangling control systems or slowing operational change. This separation allows customers and software providers to build AI solutions on top of a stable, industrial‑grade data foundation without redefining control system responsibilities. Specialized partners align solutions across the estate Partners contribute focused expertise across connectivity, analytics, security, and operations, assembling solutions that reduce integration risk, shorten deployment cycles, and speed time to value across the operational estate. From vision to production Industrial AI at scale depends on turning operational data into trusted, contextualized intelligence safely, repeatably, and across the enterprise. This guide shows how industrial partners, aligned on a shared Azure foundation, create the data plane that enables AI solutions to succeed in production. When data is ready, intelligence scales. Call to action: Use this guide to identify the partners and capabilities that best align to your current Industrial AI needs and take the next step toward production‑ready outcomes on Azure.Siemens and Microsoft: Beyond Connectivity to Autonomous, Sustainable Manufacturing
Explore how Siemens Industrial Edge and Microsoft Azure IoT Operations enable secure edge-to-cloud integration, contextualized data, and AI-driven insights—transforming factories into adaptive, future-ready operations.Azure IoT Operations 2510 Now Generally Available
Introduction We’re thrilled to announce the general availability of Azure IoT Operations 2510, the latest evolution of the adaptive cloud approach for AI in industrial and large scale commercial IoT. With this release, organizations can unlock new levels of scalability, security, and interoperability, empowering teams to seamlessly connect, manage, and analyze data from edge to cloud. What is Azure IoT Operations? Azure IoT Operations is more than an edge-to-cloud data plane, it’s the foundation for AI in physical environments, enabling intelligent systems to perceive, reason, and act in the real world. Built on Arc-enabled Kubernetes clusters, Azure IoT Operations unifies operational and business data across distributed environments, eliminating silos and delivering repeatability and scalability. By extending familiar Azure management concepts to physical sites, AIO creates an AI-ready infrastructure that supports autonomous, adaptive operations at scale. This approach bridges information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), and data domains, empowering customers to discover, collect, process, and send data using open standards while laying the groundwork for self-optimizing environments where AI agents and human supervisors collaborate seamlessly. We've put together a quick demo video showcasing the key features of this 2510 release. Watch below to discover how Azure IoT Operations' modular and scalable data services empowers IT, OT and developers. What’s New in Azure IoT Operations 2510? Management actions: Powerful management actions put you in control of processes and asset configurations, making operations simpler and smarter. Web Assembly (Wasm) data graphs: Wasm-powered data graphs for advanced edge processing, delivering fast, modular analytics and business logic right where your data lives. New connectors: Expanded connector options now include OPC UA, ONVIF, Media, REST/HTTP, and Server-Sent Events (SSE), opening the door to richer integrations across diverse industrial and IT systems. OpenTelemetry (OTel) endpoints: Data flows now support sending data directly to OpenTelemetry collectors, integrating device and system telemetry into your existing observability infrastructure. Improved observability: Real-time health status for assets gives you unmatched visibility and confidence in your IoT ecosystem. Reusable Connector templates: Streamline connector configuration and deployment across clusters. Device support in Azure Device Registry: Azure Device Registry (ADR) now treats devices as first‑class resources within ADR namespaces, enabling logical isolation and role‑based access control at scale. Automatic device and asset discovery and onboarding: Akri‑powered discovery continuously detects devices and industrial assets on the network, then automatically provisions and onboards them (including creating the right connector instances) so telemetry starts flowing with minimal manual setup. MQTT Data Persistence: Data can now be persisted to disk, ensuring durability across broker restarts. X.509 Auth in MQTT broker: The broker now supports X.509 authentication backed by Azure's Device Registry. Flexible RBAC: Built-in roles and custom role definitions to simplify and secure access management for AIO resources. Customers and partners Chevron, through its Facilities and Operations of the Future initiative, deployed Azure IoT Operations with Azure Arc to manage edge-to-cloud workloads across remote oil and gas sites. With a single management plane, the strategy unifies control over thousands of distributed sensors, cameras, robots, and drones. Real-time monitoring and AI enabled anomaly detection not only to enhance operational efficiency but also significantly improve worker safety by reducing routine inspections and enabling remote issue mitigation. This reuse of a global, AI-ready architecture positions Chevron to deliver more reliable, cleaner energy. [microsoft.com] Husqvarna implemented Azure IoT Operations across its global manufacturing network as part of a comprehensive strategy. This adaptive cloud approach integrates cloud, on-premises, and edge systems, preserves legacy investments, and enables real-time edge analytics. The result: data operationalization is 98% faster, imaging costs were slashed by half, productivity was improved, and downtime was reduced. Additionally, AI-driven capabilities like the Factory Companion powered by Azure AI empower technicians with instant, data-informed troubleshooting, shifting maintenance from reactive to predictive across sites. [microsoft.com] Together, these success stories show how Azure IoT Operations, combined with capabilities like Azure Arc, can empower industrial leaders to advance from siloed operations to unified, intelligent systems that boost efficiency, safety, and innovation. Additionally, this year we are celebrating how our partners are integrating, co-innovating, and scaling real customer outcomes. You can learn more about our partner successes at https://aka.ms/Ignite25/DigitalOperationsBlog. Learn more at our launch event Join us at Microsoft Ignite to dive deeper into the latest innovations in Azure IoT Operations 2510. Our sessions will showcase real-world demos plus expert insights on how new capabilities accelerate industrial transformation. Don’t miss the chance to connect with product engineers, explore solution blueprints, and see how Azure IoT Operations lays the foundation for building and scaling physical AI. Get Started Ready to experience the new capabilities in Azure IoT Operations 2510? Explore the latest documentation and quickstart guides at https://aka.ms/AzureIoTOperations Connect with the Azure IoT Tech Community to share feedback and learn from peers.Azure IoT Operations 2603 is now available: Powering the next era of Physical AI
Industrial AI is entering a new phase. For years, AI innovation has largely lived in dashboards, analytics, and digital decision support. Today, that intelligence is moving into the real world, onto factory floors, oil fields, and production lines, where AI systems don’t just analyze data, but sense, reason, and act in physical environments. This shift is increasingly described as Physical AI: intelligence that operates reliably where safety, latency, and real‑world constraints matter most. With the Azure IoT Operations 2603 (v1.3.38) release, Microsoft is delivering one of its most significant updates to date, strengthening the platform foundation required to build, deploy, and operate Physical AI systems at industrial scale. Why Physical AI needs a new kind of platform Physical AI systems are fundamentally different from digital‑only AI. They require: Real‑time, low‑latency decision‑making at the edge Tight integration across devices, assets, and OT systems End‑to‑end observability, health, and lifecycle management Secure cloud‑to‑edge control planes with governance built in Industry leaders and researchers increasingly agree that success in Physical AI depends less on isolated models, and more on software platforms that orchestrate data, assets, actions, and AI workloads across the physical world. Azure IoT Operations was built for exactly this challenge. What’s new in Azure IoT Operations 2603 The 2603 release delivers major advancements across data pipelines, connectivity, reliability, and operational control, enabling customers to move faster from experimentation to production‑grade Physical AI. Cloud‑to‑edge management actions Cloud‑to‑edge management actions enable teams to securely execute control and configuration operations on on‑premises assets, such as invoking methods, writing values, or adjusting settings, using Azure Resource Manager and Event Grid–based MQTT messaging. This capability extends the Azure control plane beyond the cloud, allowing intent, policy, and actions to be delivered reliably to physical systems while remaining decoupled from protocol and device specifics. For Physical AI, this closes the loop between perception and action: insights and decisions derived from models can be translated into governed, auditable changes in the physical world, even when assets operate in distributed or intermittently connected environments. Built‑in RBAC, managed identity, and activity logs ensure every action is authorized, traceable, and compliant, preserving safety, accountability, and human oversight as intelligence increasingly moves from observation to autonomous execution at the edge. No‑code dataflow graphs Azure IoT Operations makes it easier to build real‑time data pipelines at the edge without writing custom code. No‑code data flow graphs let teams design visual processing pipelines using built‑in transforms, with improved reliability, validation, and observability. Visual Editor – Build multi-stage data processing systems in the Operations Experience canvas. Drag and connect sources, transforms, and destinations visually. Configure map rules, filter conditions, and window durations inline. Deploy directly from the browser or define in Bicep/YAML for GitOps. Composable Transforms, Any Order – Chain map, filter, branch, concatenate, and window transforms in any sequence. Branch splits messages down parallel paths based on conditions. Concatenate merges them back. Route messages to different MQTT topics based on content. No fixed pipeline shape. Expressions, Enrichment, and Aggregation – Unit conversions, math, string operations, regex, conditionals, and last-known-value lookups, all built into the expression language. Enrich messages with external data from a state store. Aggregate high-frequency sensor data over tumbling time windows to compute averages, min/max, and counts. Open and Extensible – Connect to MQTT, Kafka, and OpenTelemetry (OTel) endpoints with built-in security through Azure Key Vault and managed identities. Need logic beyond what no-code covers? Drop a custom Wasm module (even embed and run ONNX AI ML models) into the middle of any graph alongside built-in transforms. You're never locked into declarative configuration. Together, these capabilities allow teams to move from raw telemetry to actionable signals directly at the edge without custom code or fragile glue logic. Expanded, production‑ready connectivity The MQTT connector enables customers to onboard MQTT devices as assets and route data to downstream workloads using familiar MQTT topics, with the flexibility to support unified namespace (UNS) patterns when desired. By leveraging MQTT’s lightweight publish/subscribe model, teams can simplify connectivity and share data across consumers without tight coupling between producers and applications. This is especially important for Physical AI, where intelligent systems must continuously sense state changes in the physical world and react quickly based on a consistent, authoritative operational context rather than fragmented data pipelines. Alongside MQTT, Azure IoT Operations continues to deliver broad, industrial‑grade connectivity across OPC UA, ONVIF, Media, REST/HTTP, and other connectors, with improved asset discovery, payload transformation, and lifecycle stability, providing the dependable connectivity layer Physical AI systems rely on to understand and respond to real‑world conditions. Unified health and observability Physical AI systems must be trustworthy. Azure IoT Operations 2603 introduces unified health status reporting across brokers, dataflows, assets, connectors, and endpoints, using consistent states and surfaced through both Kubernetes and Azure Resource Manager. This enables operators to see—not guess—when systems are ready to act in the physical world. Optional OPC UA connector deployment Azure IoT Operations 2603 introduces optional OPC UA connector deployment, reinforcing a design goal to keep deployments as streamlined as possible for scenarios that don’t require OPC UA from day one. The OPC UA connector is a discrete, native component of Azure IoT Operations that can be included during initial instance creation or added later as needs evolve, allowing teams to avoid unnecessary footprint and complexity in MQTT‑only or non‑OPC deployments. This reflects the broader architectural principle behind Azure IoT Operations: a platform built for composability and decomposability, where capabilities are assembled based on scenario requirements rather than assumed defaults, supporting faster onboarding, lower resource consumption, and cleaner production rollouts without limiting future expansion. Broker reliability and platform hardening The 2603 release significantly improves broker reliability through graceful upgrades, idempotent replication, persistence correctness, and backpressure isolation—capabilities essential for always‑on Physical AI systems operating in production environments. Physical AI in action: What customers are achieving today Azure IoT Operations is already powering real‑world Physical AI across industries, helping customers move beyond pilots to repeatable, scalable execution. Procter & Gamble Consumer goods leader P&G continually looks for ways to drive manufacturing efficiency and improve overall equipment effectiveness—a KPI encompassing availability, performance, and quality that’s tracked in P&G facilities around the world. P&G deployed Azure IoT Operations, enabled by Azure Arc, to capture real-time data from equipment at the edge, analyze it in the cloud, and deploy predictive models that enhance manufacturing efficiency and reduce unplanned downtime. Using Azure IoT Operations and Azure Arc, P&G is extrapolating insights and correlating them across plants to improve efficiency, reduce loss, and continue to drive global manufacturing technology forward. More info. Husqvarna Husqvarna Group faced increasing pressure to modernize its fragmented global infrastructure, gain real-time operational insights, and improve efficiency across its supply chain to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital and manufacturing landscape. Husqvarna Group implemented a suite of Microsoft Azure solutions—including Azure Arc, Azure IoT Operations, and Azure OpenAI—to unify cloud and on-premises systems, enable real-time data insights, and drive innovation across global manufacturing operations. With Azure, Husqvarna Group achieved 98% faster data deployment and 50% lower infrastructure imaging costs, while improving productivity, reducing downtime, and enabling real-time insights across a growing network of smart, connected factories. More info. Chevron With its Facilities and Operations of the Future initiative, Chevron is reimagining the monitoring of its physical operations to support remote and autonomous operations through enhanced capabilities and real-time access to data. Chevron adopted Microsoft Azure IoT Operations, enabled by Azure Arc, to manage and analyze data locally at remote facilities at the edge, while still maintaining a centralized, cloud-based management plane. Real-time insights enhance worker safety while lowering operational costs, empowering staff to focus on complex, higher-value tasks rather than routine inspections. More info. A platform purpose‑built for Physical AI Across manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure, the message is clear: the next wave of AI value will be created where digital intelligence meets the physical world. Azure IoT Operations 2603 strengthens Microsoft’s commitment to that future—providing the secure, observable, cloud‑connected edge platform required to build Physical AI systems that are not only intelligent, but dependable. Get started To explore the full Azure IoT Operations 2603 release, review the public documentation and release notes, and start building Physical AI solutions that operate and scale confidently in the real world.Azure IoT Hub + Azure Device Registry (Preview Refresh): Device Trust and Management at Fleet Scale
What’s New in this Preview In November 2025, we announced the preview integration of Azure IoT Hub with Azure Device Registry, marking a huge step towards integrating IoT devices into the broader Azure ecosystem. We’re grateful to the customers and partners who participated in the preview and shared valuable feedback along the way. Today, we’re expanding the preview with new capabilities to strengthen security, improve fleet management, and simplify development for connected devices. With this refresh, preview customers can: Automate device certificate renewals with zero-touch, at-runtime operations to minimize downtime and maintain a strong security posture. Integrate existing security infrastructure like private certificate authorities with your Azure Device Registry namespace. Leverage certificate revocation controls to isolate device or fleet-level risks and maintain operational continuity Utilize an improved Azure Portal experience for streamlined configuration and lifecycle management of your devices. Accelerate solution development with expanded IoT Hub and DPS Device SDK compatibility for smoother integration and faster time to value. Together, these enhancements help organizations to secure, govern, and manage their IoT deployments using familiar Azure-native tools and workflows. Why this matters: From Connected Devices to Connected Operations Operational excellence begins by bridging the gap between physical assets and digital intelligence. Consider a global logistics fleet where every vehicle is more than just a machine; it is a trusted, connected, and manageable digital entity in the cloud. As these assets move, they emit a continuous stream of telemetry - from engine vibrations to fuel consumption – directly to a unified data ecosystem, where AI agents can reason over it with greater context. Instead of waiting for a breakdown, these agents detect wear patterns, cross-reference with digital twins, and provide recommendations to reroute a vehicle for service before a failure occurs. This completes a shift from reactive troubleshooting to proactive physical operations. Yet, for many organizations, this transformation is often stalled by fragmented systems where security policies, device registries, and data streams exist in silos. Overcoming this requires a sophisticated stack designed to establish trust, manage device lifecycles, and orchestrate data flows at a global scale: The Digital Operations stack for cloud-connected devices This journey starts with having a secure foundation for fleet management. In an era where perimeter security is no longer enough, organizations need an identity foundation that is both hardware-rooted and deeply integrated with device provisioning. Utilizing robust X.509 certificate management, where keys and credentials are anchored in tamper-resistant hardware, provides high-assurance system integrity across millions of endpoints. Once trust is established, Azure Device Registry creates a unified management plane, where devices are represented as first-class Azure resources, enabling ARM-based fleet management, role-based access control for lifecycle operations, and Azure Policy for enforcement. Simultaneously, IoT Hub provides secure, bidirectional messaging for at-scale fleets. This high-fidelity data provides the essential fuel for Physical AI. By streaming trusted telemetry into Microsoft Fabric, organizations can break down data silos and allow AI agents to reason over real-world events in a centralized analytics environment. The Azure IoT stack provides the essential bridge for cloud-connected devices, enabling customers to transform their industrial environments into highly secure and intelligent ecosystems. For more information on Azure's approach to industrial AI, check out: Making Physical AI Practical for Real-World Industrial Operations. Azure IoT Hub + ADR (Preview): Expanding Fleet and Certificate Lifecycle Management The April 2026 Preview for Azure IoT Hub and Azure Device Registry (ADR) deliver key features to further standardize device identity and enable policy‑driven management for certificates at scale. You can think of device identity in Azure Device Registry like the birth record of a person. When someone is born, certain information becomes permanently associated with them - such as their date and place of birth. In the same way, a device’s identity represents its immutable existence within your solution - things like its serial number, model, or ownership context. However, as that person moves through life, they obtain different credentials that allow them to prove who they are in different situations - such as a driver’s license or passport. These credentials may expire, be renewed, or even replaced entirely over time without changing the person’s underlying identity. In IoT, devices use X.509 certificates as their credential to prove identity to services like IoT Hub. In your Azure Device Registry namespace, you can define the public key infrastructure (PKI) that manage your X.509 certificates and certificate authorities (CAs). In this preview, we are making it easier to integrate with existing security infrastructure and manage certificates at fleet scale. Certificate Management for Cloud-connected Devices in Azure Bring Your Own Certificate Authority (BYO CA) in Azure Device Registry Organizations that already operate sophisticated certificate authorities, with well‑established compliance controls, audit processes, and key custody requirements, want to integrate their trusted CA with the Azure Device Registry operating model. With BYO CA, customers can use their own private certificate authority while still benefiting from Azure’s fully managed device provisioning, and lifecycle management. Azure handles the heavy lifting of issuing, rotating, and revoking issuing certificate authorities (ICAs) and device certificates - while you stay in control of the top-most CA. Full Ownership of Trust and Keys: By bringing their own CA, organizations maintain absolute control over their private keys and security boundaries. Azure never takes custody of the external CA, ensuring existing governance, auditability, and compliance controls remain fully intact. Automated Lifecycle Management: While the CA remains customer-owned, Azure Device Registry automates the issuance, rotation, and revocation of device certificates. This eliminates the need for custom tooling or manual, per-device workflows that typically slow down deployments. Bring your own Certificate Authority in Azure Device Registry Fleet‑Wide Protection with Certificate Revocations Revocation is a mechanism for selective isolation, used to contain a single or group of devices by decommissioning a single device's certificates or the entire anchor of trust. When a single device is compromised, lost, or retired, device certificate revocation enables a precise, targeted response. This allows organizations to isolate individual devices instantly, reduce blast radius, and maintain uninterrupted operations for healthy devices - without rebuilding device identities. ADR propagates the revocation state to IoT Hub, blocking revoked devices until they’re re-provisioned. When a subset of devices requires isolation, policy revocation allows operators to decommission an entire trust anchor rather than managing individual devices. By mapping a specific Issuing CA to a single ADR policy, organizations gain a high-precision containment mechanism. In a single action, an operator can invalidate a compromised CA and then plan for a staged credential rollover across the entire segment. ADR automatically enforces this updated trust chain within IoT Hub, ensuring that only devices with newly issued certificates can connect. This makes large‑scale certificate rotation predictable, controlled, and operationally simple. Revoking the certificate for a single ADR Device on Azure Portal Flexible Options to renew Device Certificates Managing X.509 certificates at scale doesn’t stop once a device is onboarded. Operational certificates are short-lived by design, ensuring devices do not rely on long-lived credentials for authentication. In real-world IoT fleets, devices are often intermittently connected, deployed in hard-to-reach locations, and expected to run continuously - making certificate renewal one of the most operationally challenging parts of device security. Azure IoT Hub now enables device certificate renewal directly through IoT Hub, complementing the role of Device Provisioning Service (DPS). While DPS remains the solution for first-time device onboarding and certificate issuance, IoT Hub renewal is designed for the steady state - keeping already-connected devices securely authenticated over time without introducing downtime. IoT Hub certificate renewal follows similar patterns as other device-initiated operations such as twin updates and direct methods. With this capability, devices can request a new certificate as part of normal operation, using the same secure MQTT connection they already rely on. Support for IoT Hub and Device Provisioning Service (DPS) Device SDKs Managing credential issuance and renewals at scale is only possible if devices can handle their own credential lifecycles. We’ve added Certificate Signing Request (CSR) support to our C, C# (.NET), Java, Python, and Embedded device SDKs for IoT Hub and Device Provisioning Service (DPS). Beyond developer convenience, this provides multiple device-initiated paths for certificate renewal and trust-chain agility. Devices can generate CSRs and request newly signed X.509 certificates through IoT Hub or DPS as part of normal operation. This allows security teams to rotate and update certificates in the field without touching the hardware, keeping fleets secure as certificate authorities and policies evolve over time. Customer Feedback from Preview We’re grateful to the customers and partners who participated in the preview and shared valuable feedback along the way. Hear some of what our customers had to say: "The availability of a built-in certificate manager is a great upgrade in keeping the IoT space more secure."— Martijn Handels, CTO, Helin Data “Secure data is the starting line for industrial AI. With Azure certificate management, at CogitX we can ingest manufacturing signals safely and confidently - then use domain‑aware models to deliver real‑time insights and agentic workflows that improve throughput, quality, and responsiveness.” – Pradeep Parappil, CEO, CogitX Get Started Explore the new capabilities in preview today and start building the next generation of connected operations with Azure IoT Hub and Azure Device Registry: Get Started with Certificate Management in Preview.Advancing Firmware Security: Fleet Visibility and New Capabilities in Firmware Analysis
When we announced general availability of firmware analysis enabled by Azure Arc last October, our goal was clear: help organizations gain deep visibility into the security of the firmware that powers their IoT, OT, and network devices. Since then, adoption has continued to grow as customers use firmware analysis to uncover vulnerabilities, inventory software components, and secure their software supply chain. Leading into the Hannover Messe (HMI) 2026 conference, we’re excited to share the next wave of firmware analysis capabilities, delivering enhancements that help customers connect firmware risk to real-world fleet impact, prioritize vulnerabilities more effectively, scale to larger and more complex firmware images, and expand security analysis for UEFI-based platforms. These updates are driven directly by customer feedback and by the rapidly evolving threat landscape facing embedded and edge devices. Connecting Firmware Risk to Your Deployed Fleet with Azure Device Registry (Preview) Securing connected devices doesn’t stop at identifying vulnerabilities in firmware—it requires understanding where those vulnerabilities exist in your deployed fleet and which devices are affected. We’re excited to announce a new preview integration between firmware analysis enabled by Azure Arc and Azure Device Registry, bringing fleet-level visibility of IoT and OT devices directly into the firmware analysis experience. This helps customers quickly understand how many devices and assets are running a given firmware image, and which ones may be exposed to known security issues. From firmware insights to fleet impact Firmware analysis helps customers uncover security risks hidden deep inside the firmware running IoT, OT, and network devices—risks such as known CVEs, outdated open-source components, weak cryptography, and insecure configurations. Until now, these insights were primarily scoped to the firmware image itself. With this new preview integration, firmware analysis now connects directly to Azure Device Registry, allowing customers to: See how many devices from IoT Hub integration with ADR (preview) and assets from Azure IoT Operations are associated with a specific analyzed firmware image Understand the real-world blast radius of vulnerabilities discovered in firmware Quickly identify which devices may require patching, mitigation, or isolation This preview bridges an important gap between security analysis and operational decision-making. What’s included in this preview With this release, we’re introducing new fleet-level context directly into the firmware analysis experience: A new Devices + Assets count column in the firmware analysis workspace showing how many Azure Device Registry devices and assets are running each analyzed firmware image A click-through experience that lets users view the list of affected devices and assets in Azure Device Registry Visibility spanning both: Devices connected via IoT Hub Assets managed through Azure IoT Operations This information is derived by correlating firmware metadata with device and asset inventory in Azure Device Registry, giving customers immediate insight into deployment exposure. Key use cases Identify vulnerable devices at scale: When critical CVEs are discovered in a firmware image, customers can immediately see how many deployed devices are impacted—without manually correlating spreadsheets, tools, or inventories. Prioritize remediation actions: With fleet visibility, teams can decide whether to patch devices, temporarily isolate affected devices from the network, or disable devices that pose unacceptable risk. Bridge security and operations teams: Security teams gain clear insight into where vulnerabilities exist, while operations teams can quickly act on specific devices and assets—all within the Azure portal. This integration is especially valuable in environments where downtime, safety, or regulatory compliance matter—such as manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure. Prioritizing Vulnerabilities with Enhanced CVE Metadata (Preview) The number of publicly disclosed vulnerabilities continues to rise year over year, making it increasingly difficult for security teams to determine which CVEs truly require urgent action. Simply knowing that a vulnerability exists is no longer enough—teams need context to prioritize remediation efforts. With this release, firmware analysis now provides richer metadata for each discovered CVE, helping customers focus on vulnerabilities that pose the greatest real-world risk. New CVE metadata includes: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) status – Indicates whether a CVE is listed in the CISA KEV catalog, signaling that the vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild. EPSS score (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) – A data-driven probability score that estimates the likelihood of a vulnerability being exploited in the next 30 days, complementing traditional severity metrics by focusing on exploitation likelihood rather than impact alone. Additional vulnerability context, including CVSS vectors and base scores, CWE classifications, and expanded metadata to support filtering and analysis. Together, these enhancements make it easier to triage findings, align remediation with risk, and communicate priorities across security, engineering, and product teams. Faster Performance for Large and Complex Firmware Images As firmware analysis adoption has grown, we’ve seen customers analyze increasingly large and complex firmware images—particularly in domains like networking equipment, where a single image can generate thousands of findings. To support these scenarios, we’ve made architectural enhancements to the service that significantly improve performance when working with large result sets. Key improvements include: Up to 90% reduction in load times of analysis results, especially for firmware images producing 10,000+ findings More responsive filtering and exploration of results These changes ensure that firmware analysis remains fast and usable at scale, even for complex network and infrastructure firmware images. Expanding UEFI Firmware Analysis (Preview) Modern devices increasingly rely on UEFI firmware as a foundational security boundary. In this release, we’re expanding our UEFI analysis capabilities to provide deeper visibility into UEFI executables and components. New UEFI-focused capabilities include: Detection of OpenSSL libraries and related CVEs within UEFI firmware Binary hardening analysis for UEFI executables, including detection of proper configuration of Data Execution Prevention (DEP) memory protection Continued support for discovering cryptographic material in UEFI images, including embedded certificates and keys This preview allows customers to evaluate the new capabilities, provide feedback, and help shape future enhancements in this area. Note: UEFI SBOM and binary analysis features are currently in preview and intended for evaluation and feedback. Bulk Export of Analysis Results for Supply Chain Collaboration We also recently released a highly requested feature that makes it easier to share firmware analysis results with partners and suppliers. Customers can now: Bulk download analysis results across one or more firmware images Export results as CSV files packaged into a ZIP archive This capability simplifies workflows such as sharing findings with device manufacturers or firmware suppliers, integrating results into downstream analysis or reporting pipelines, and supporting software supply chain security and compliance processes. Looking Ahead We’re excited about the progress we’ve made with this release and what it means for customers securing IoT, OT, and network devices. From connecting firmware risk to fleet-level impact with Azure Device Registry, to richer vulnerability prioritization, improved scalability, and deeper UEFI analysis—these enhancements reinforce firmware analysis as a critical tool for addressing some of the most challenging blind spots in modern infrastructure security. Firmware security is foundational to trustworthy systems—especially as edge devices continue to play a central role in industrial operations, networking, and data collection. If you’re already using firmware analysis and Azure Device Registry, the ADR integration preview will appear directly within the firmware analysis experience as it rolls out. We look forward to your feedback as we continue building secure, observable, and manageable digital operations with Azure. As always, we value your feedback, so please let us know what you think.
