If you’ve been in operations and using technology for some time, you may remember the hoopla when the Windows 3.0 OS came on the scene. You probably had been living in a world where the very stable UNIX OS and Oracle or IBM databases were the main underlying system technologies, and real-time operating systems with deterministic networks were the norm for process control. At that time, Windows 3.0 (built on DOS with networking as an afterthought) and Ethernet were not serious considerations for the plant floor.
Blockchain is like one of those underlying technologies. While it’s relatively new, there’s also been a lot of hype about it—in fact, it uses networking and distributed database technology with encryption, security and much more. But should you jump on the bandwagon now? Just how integrated is blockchain technology with applications? Is one blockchain compatible with another? Is it secure? Should you wait until the dust settles out?