Industrial Edge has been promising one thing for years: that data “originates” in the factory, the power grid, or the smart building, so it makes sense to process it as close as possible to where it’s generated. However, the reality has been more challenging: integrating sensors, equipment, OT networks, and IT systems often results in silos, custom integrations, and operational costs that grow with each new plant or production line.
In this context, SUSE has announced the acquisition of Losant, an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform, with a clear goal: to complete its Edge vision and extend it from the “Near” and “Far Edge” all the way to the so-called “Tiny Edge,” that is, the edge closest to the physical world where machines, controllers, industrial equipment, and resource-constrained devices reside. The company frames this as a leap from “edge infrastructure” to a full-stack process automation platform for IIoT, with interoperability as a central idea.
From managing infrastructure… to orchestrating operations
For system administrators and development profiles, the practical takeaway is simple: SUSE wants industrial Edge to no longer be just about “where I deploy,” but also about “how I operate.”
According to the announcement, adding Losant introduces a layer closer to the business: device orchestration, data management, and enabling connected applications with workflows and enterprise analytics. In other words, it’s not just about running workloads at the edge but closing the full loop: signal → context → decision → action.
SUSE illustrates this approach with a straightforward example: a manufacturer collects real-time data from sensors on production equipment, orchestrates them at the Edge, and can automatically trigger maintenance workflows or AI-assisted quality checks before defects or failures occur. The promise here is to reduce the usual frictions of IIoT and shorten the path from data capture to operational action.
Why does this matter to sysadmins and developers?
Because if it works well, it shifts the “center of gravity” of daily work:
- Less ad-hoc glue: more standardized integration and automation (at least in theory).
- More logic close to the source: fast decisions with minimal latency, even when connectivity is irregular.
- More real operational observability: not just infrastructure metrics but process and operational signals.
Losant presents itself as a low-code platform aimed at accelerating “time-to-value,” relying on a visual workflow engine and configurable dashboards. At the most extreme edge, its Edge Agent is distributed as a Docker container that enables local execution of workflows and operation in environments where connectivity is not always reliable (for example, local data storage/management when the link drops).
Concrete use case examples
When thinking about “use cases,” it’s useful to translate marketing into tasks that anyone operating systems recognizes:
- Predictive maintenance with real automation
- Signals: anomalous vibration/temperature/consumption from a machine.
- Expected action: generate an operational event and trigger a workflow (notification, checklist, incident creation, maintenance window).
- Value for IT/DevOps: reproducible rules and workflows, traceability, and less reliance on loose scripts per plant.
- Edge-assisted quality control with analytics
- Signals: deviations in process parameters (or inspection results).
- Expected action: activate a quality gating, perform additional verification, or adjust parameters within defined limits.
- Value: lower latency, fewer round-trips to the cloud for decision-making in seconds.
- Operation in remote locations or with unstable connectivity
- Signals: real-time telemetry from dispersed sites (infrastructure, health, utilities, logistics).
- Expected action: run local logic and synchronize when the connection is restored.
- This is where the “Tiny Edge” approach makes sense for real-world applications.
The key nuance: interoperability and “open source economics”
In the announcement, SUSE emphasizes two ideas that are often sensitive in industry:
- Avoid vendor lock-in through an “open” architecture aligned with standards.
- Leverage open-source economics to accelerate adoption and collaboration.
And there is a particularly relevant detail for industrial and public sector environments: SUSE states it plans to open source Losant’s technology and work with related communities to push for standardization of interfaces, interoperability, and process automation on a global scale.
Alongside, the announcement mentions the ecosystem of open initiatives in industrial automation. For example, Margo has been publicly presented as an industry effort to promote open interoperability in process automation, aligning with SUSE’s standardization narrative.
What to watch for moving forward
In acquisitions like this, the “what” is often less interesting than the “how”:
- Actual integration with SUSE’s Edge stack: not just listing but connecting into a product.
- OT/IT governance and security: in industry, an automated flow is as good as its safety barriers.
- Open-source roadmap: if it materializes, it can shift the balance against proprietary IIoT platforms.
- Development experience: SDKs, APIs, deployment, observability, and field maintenance (where costs are higher).
If the thesis holds, industrial Edge will cease to be a patchwork of tools and become a more continuous value chain: from sensor to business flow, through infrastructure, automation, and increasingly, AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Tiny Edge” mean in industrial IIoT projects?
It refers to the edge closest to the machine and physical process, where logic and automation run on resource-limited devices or gateways, often on-site with strict latency and availability requirements.
What advantages does a low-code IIoT platform offer over custom integrations?
It typically accelerates the creation of workflows, dashboards, and repeatable automation, reducing dependence on “ad hoc” development per factory and enabling rapid iteration as processes change.
How does the Edge Agent help in environments with intermittent connectivity?
It allows local execution of logic and workflows (for example, as a container), maintaining operation even if the connection to central services is unstable, and syncing when possible.
What does SUSE’s intention to open-source the acquired technology imply?
If realized, it can facilitate auditing, extensibility, standardization, and interoperability, and reduce dependency on a single vendor in large-scale industrial deployments.
via. suse