Home > Workload Solutions > Data Analytics > Guides > Ready Solutions for AI & Data Analytics: Edge Analytics for Industry 4.0 with Confluent Platform > Introduction
The proliferation of data gathering sensors and programmable logic controllers were the fuel for digital transformation during Industry 3.0. Data management drove automation for industrial facilities that were dominated by Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS or ICS). Most of the devices, systems, networks, and controls used to operate or automate industrial processes were highly specialized and local to each plant. These systems are still the automation backbones in many diverse industries including manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. Before Industry 4.0 and the potential to implement more sophisticated cyber-physical systems, these systems only had to meet the needs of the Operational Technology (OT) organization.