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Manufacturing IT/OT Networks Are at Risk Due to Skills Gaps, Legacy Systems, and Advanced Cyber Threats, Says Info-Tech Research Group

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Info-Tech Research Group’s latest industry blueprint is providing manufacturing CIOs with comprehensive strategies to effectively navigate the unprecedented cybersecurity challenges posed by complex IT/OT environments and legacy systems. The firm’s resource emphasizes the importance of securing specialized cybersecurity skills and offers actionable insights to safeguard critical assets while ensuring compliance with regional regulations.

TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – The IT and OT environments in manufacturing are facing significant cybersecurity challenges, from managing intricate networks of interconnected systems to defending against sophisticated cyberattacks. Global IT research and advisory firm, Info-Tech Research Group, cautions technology leaders that as these systems become increasingly more complex, the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches escalates, potentially disrupting operations and compromising sensitive information. The situation and the recommended response are explored in Info-Tech Research Group’s latest blueprint, Understand Modern Cybersecurity Solutions for Manufacturing IT & OT. The research-backed resource will equip CIOs in the manufacturing industry with advanced tools and strategic insights to bolster defenses, safeguard critical assets, and maintain a competitive edge in the increasingly digital industrial landscape.

“Technologies such as IoT, AI, machine learning, AR/VR/XR, big data analytics, and digital twins are revolutionizing manufacturing by enabling increased automation, connectivity, and efficiency,” says Shreyas Shukla, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. “However, a rapid advancement in technology, combined with the presence of legacy systems, has created a landscape fraught with cyber-vulnerabilities. Legacy systems, and most factories, were never designed for connectivity or cybersecurity in the first place.”

Info-Tech’s newly published resource highlights the critical need for the manufacturing industry to secure and retain personnel with specialized cybersecurity skills. Protecting data in compliance with regional laws demands constant vigilance and frequent updates to security protocols, making these skills indispensable. However, the high demand for cybersecurity expertise across industries poses a significant challenge for the manufacturing sector. The firm’s blueprint details the role of CIOs in leading proactive cybersecurity strategies and integrating advanced software solutions. These initiatives will enable manufacturing firms to safeguard their assets, strengthen their market position, and build trust with investors and customers through measurable security improvements.

“Recent incidents underscore the rising cybersecurity risks in manufacturing: a leading forklift and truck manufacturer suffered a crippling cyberattack, a major aerospace company became the target of a sophisticated cyber-espionage campaign, and a top automotive manufacturer faced a ransomware attack that halted production,” explains Shukla. “These three examples highlight a growing trend where the innovations driving progress are also introducing significant cybersecurity risks.”

The resource further explains how, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing operations have evolved significantly, expanding the attack surface due to rapid digital transformation, hybrid work models, the connection of previously isolated machines, and the adoption of new technologies and partnerships. As a result, there is now an urgent need for solutions that protect both IT and OT environments.

In its Understand Modern Cybersecurity Solutions for Manufacturing IT & OT blueprint, Info-Tech outlines the significant potential of advanced cybersecurity solutions in safeguarding manufacturers from evolving threats. These solutions enhance security through the following key areas:

Asset Discovery and Management: Software solutions enable continuous identification and inventory of all connected devices to maintain an up-to-date asset register.Vulnerability Assessment: Automated tools regularly scan for vulnerabilities across IT and OT environments, prioritizing remediation efforts.Incident Detection and Response: AI-driven solutions quickly detect and respond to security incidents, minimizing operational disruptions.Network Segmentation: These tools prevent the lateral movement of threats between IT and OT systems.Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM software controls and monitors access to sensitive data and systems to prevent unauthorized access.Anomaly Detection: Machine learning solutions can detect abnormal behavior patterns that may indicate a security threat.Compliance Management: Compliance software ensures adherence to industry regulations and standards, reducing the risk of penalties.Security Awareness Training: Training platforms provide regular sessions to educate employees on recognizing and preventing cyber threats.Supply Chain Security: Advanced solutions can help to secure the supply chain and protect against third-party risks through enhanced monitoring and management.

The firm’s research insights found in the comprehensive new resource will equip manufacturing CIOs and security leaders with essential strategies to integrate robust cybersecurity measures into smart factories. Info-Tech advises that CIOs play a pivotal role in driving these initiatives and will be key to safeguarding operations and enhancing competitive advantage in an era of exponential IT. The firm’s detailed blueprint, along with its risk assessment tool, will support manufacturing firms in bolstering their defenses and building trust with stakeholders.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Shreyas Shukla, an expert in the manufacturing sector, and access to the complete Understand Modern Cybersecurity Solutions for Manufacturing IT & OT blueprint, please contact pr@infotech.com.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group

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Wondershare Demonstrates AI-Powered Document Workflows with PDFelement at Microsoft AI Tour Hong Kong

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HONG KONG, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wondershare, a global leader in digital productivity and creativity software, showcased its latest AI-powered solutions at the Microsoft AI Tour Hong Kong, highlighting how its flagship product, Wondershare PDFelement, integrates with Microsoft technologies to enable smarter, more secure, and more efficient document workflows for enterprises.

As Microsoft’s flagship global AI event, the Microsoft AI Tour brings together partners and industry leaders to explore how AI is transforming business operations. At the Hong Kong stop, Wondershare demonstrated its deep collaboration with Microsoft across key solution areas, showcasing how its product ecosystem aligns with Microsoft technologies to deliver integrated, end-to-end AI workflows.

At the center of the showcase was Wondershare PDFelement, an AI-powered, all-in-one PDF solution designed to streamline document-centric processes in enterprise environments. Through deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, PDFelement enables seamless interoperability with widely used applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, allowing users to convert PDFs into fully editable formats while preserving original layout and structure. With built-in Office plugins, users can also generate standardized PDFs directly within Microsoft applications. PDFelement further supports deployment in Microsoft Azure environments, enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) for streamlined access management, while maintaining compatibility with Microsoft Rights Management Services (RMS) to securely manage protected documents.

Beyond its ecosystem integration, PDFelement also introduces a suite of AI-powered capabilities to enhance productivity across document workflows. Smart Redact enables automatic detection and masking of over 70 types of sensitive data to support compliance requirements, while Professional AI Translation delivers accurate, industry-specific language output for cross-border collaboration. The Admin Console provides enterprise-grade centralized access and permission control, allowing IT teams to manage AI, cloud, and eSign features with real-time visibility into license usage. At the event, attendees can also experience a range of enhanced AI features, including AI Summarize, Chat with PDF, AI Translate, AI Detect and Rewrite, as well as AI Proofread, Voice, Explain, Grammar Check, and Mind Map Generation.

In addition to PDFelement, Wondershare also showcased how its broader product portfolio integrates with Microsoft technologies. EdrawMax offers full compatibility with Microsoft Visio through bidirectional .vsdx import and export, along with Office add-ins, OLE embedding, and data-driven diagram generation from Excel, while also featuring AI-powered capabilities such as the Edraw Agent, natural language-driven diagram generation, and text-to-diagram conversion across platforms. EdrawMind enables one-click conversion of mind maps into PowerPoint and supports intelligent analysis of Office documents to generate structured knowledge frameworks, alongside AI features including webpage summarization, node-based note generation, and AI-powered search. Filmora is optimized for the Windows AI PC ecosystem, leveraging on-device NPU acceleration for AI-powered video processing, supporting Windows on Arm, and enabling natural language interaction with RAG-based asset matching, while also incorporating AI Extend, AI Portrait, and Smart Cutout. Reelmate provides an AI-powered, agent-driven platform covering the full content production pipeline from generation to post-production for creating premium comic series.

Through live demonstrations, attendees were able to experience how Wondershare’s AI-powered solutions can be applied across real-world enterprise scenarios, from document processing and knowledge management to visual communication and content creation. The showcase attracted strong interest from professionals across industries such as finance, education, information technology, and telecommunications, particularly around capabilities related to document security, automation, and cross-language collaboration.

Wondershare’s participation in the Microsoft AI Tour Hong Kong highlights its continued commitment to advancing practical AI adoption through deep ecosystem integration. By combining AI capabilities with seamless compatibility across Microsoft technologies, Wondershare is helping enterprises build more secure, connected, and efficient workflows for the future.

About Wondershare:

Wondershare is a globally recognized software company founded in 2003, known for its innovative solutions in creativity and productivity. Driven by the mission “Creativity Simplified”, Wondershare offers a range of tools, including PDFelement for document management; EdrawMax, EdrawMind for diagraming, Filmora and SelfyzAI for video editing. With over 2 billion cumulative active users across all products and a presence in over 200 countries and regions, Wondershare empowers the next generation of creators with intuitive software and trendy creative resources, continually expanding the possibilities of creativity worldwide.

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SOURCE Wondershare Technology

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TCL Solar Highlights Groundbreaking Solar Products at Korea Green Energy Expo 2026

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Booth No: K-450

DAEGU, South Korea, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TCL Solar is currently exhibiting its latest photovoltaic solutions at the Korea Green Energy Expo, reinforcing its commitment to advancing South Korea’s renewable energy market. As South Korea is poised to become a key global player in the solar energy sector, the country is on track to achieve a cumulative installed solar capacity of 55.7GW by 2030, with over 5GW set to be installed annually. Among the growing demand, distributed and floating photovoltaic systems are driving significant market expansion.

TCL Solar is actively supporting South Korea’s renewable energy goals by offering high-efficiency, reliable solar modules and localized services that are integral to helping the country meet its solar installation targets and accelerate its transition to sustainable energy.

TCL Solar is showcasing its T5 Pro TOPCon Multi-Cut Product, which utilizes advanced TOPCon technology with overlapping cell architecture, offering a maximum power output of up to 670W、755W. This cutting-edge solution represents the pinnacle of high-efficiency solar energy.

Additionally, the C2 BC Module, powered by Back Contact technology, delivers significantly higher energy yields, making it perfect for complex applications with high BOS costs, low ground reflectivity, limited land availability, partial shadow scenarios, or aesthetic requirements.

The BC module with its no busbar design and no front metal lines present a more visually appealing aesthetic, meeting Korean architectural requirements. Offering a power output 20W higher than TOPCon modules, it also maintains significantly better hot spot resistance and a degradation rate of just 0.35%.

Additionally, the company introduced the lightweight modules (5.4kg/m², reducing weight by 49%) that are particularly suitable for low-load rooftops of aging factories in Korea.

Besides, the company proudly congratulate Prana Solution Co., Ltd. on winning the 2025 TCL Solar Top Sales Award on site. This remarkable achievement highlights the strong partnership between Prana Solution and TCL Solar, built on a shared commitment to innovation and sustainable energy.

Backed by TCL Zhonghuan’s (TCL Solar parent company) advanced manufacturing capabilities including the launch of the industry’s first 4.0 silicon wafer factory in 2020, TCL Solar guarantees excellent quality and technical support. TCL Solar will continue to collaborate with local partners to help South Korea achieve its renewable energy goals, while advancing its global expansion through partnership with the Korean market for mutual growth.

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SOURCE TCL Solar

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BCG Reports $14.4 Billion in Revenue, Marking 22nd Consecutive Year of Growth

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Tech- and AI-Focused Services Now Represent More than 40% of Total RevenueBCG Grew to 33,500 Employees

BOSTON, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has reported 7% global revenue growth, rising to $14.4 billion in 2025 from $13.5 billion in 2024, marking its 22nd consecutive year of growth. The firm expanded across all regions, reflecting client demand globally for large-scale transformation and applied AI impact.

Growth in 2025 was driven by clients seeking to harness technology and AI, pursue new avenues of growth, achieve cost excellence, and redesign their organizations for sustained results. AI- and tech-focused services now represent over 40% of BCG’s total revenue, driven by 25% year-over-year growth in AI services. BCG’s applied AI approach, embedding technology in real business operations at enterprise scale, enabled exponential impact for clients including IBM, Reckitt, and Foxconn.

“Our growth reflects the ambition of our clients and the dedication of our teams,” said Christoph Schweizer, BCG’s CEO. “We partner with leaders at defining moments to navigate uncertainty, embrace AI, and turn strategy into sustained advantage. As AI reshapes business, it is also reshaping how we operate as a firm. AI is now woven into every offering, client relationship, and daily case team experience to drive transformation and multiply impact for our clients.”

Building Up BCG’s Team to Deliver Transformational Results
BCG continued to expand its global talent base in 2025, growing its workforce to 33,500 employees. The firm added AI engineers, data scientists, IT architects, and deep-industry specialists, while continuing to develop its consulting teams to lead complex end-to-end transformations.

AI upskilling efforts have further accelerated across the firm, equipping teams to combine human judgment with AI-powered tools. BCG employees now use AI tools daily, with nearly 4,000 BCG employees actively developing and scaling AI workflows through advanced coding and automation. LinkedIn’s AI Talent Maturity Index places BCG’s workforce as leaders in the industry.

“Our people are at the center of our performance,” Schweizer said. “Their judgment, empathy, and ability to combine applied AI with strategic clarity are what enable us to deliver lasting impact for clients.”

Serving Clients in an Applied AI World
As AI reshapes industries, BCG is embedding AI directly into how it designs and delivers client solutions. Over the past year, the firm has reimagined its offerings by integrating AI into core consulting workflows—embedding proprietary knowledge, data, and proven delivery approaches into reusable, human-led agentic processes that accelerate impact.

Through BCG X, the firm builds bespoke AI solutions where differentiation matters most, deploying industry-specific platforms such as Auto AI, Retail AI, and Deep Customer Engagement AI directly into client systems. In 2025, BCG launched the BCG X AI Science Institute to advance frontier applications across industries, strengthening its work at the intersection of science, technology, and business transformation. BCG also serves as an ecosystem orchestrator working to deliver integrated solutions in collaboration with its tech alliance partners.

To best serve clients, BCG remains a leader in developing and using AI in a manner that is secure, responsible, and trusted by clients, partners, and regulators. BCG was among the first 100 organizations globally, and the only premium consulting firm, certified for ISO/IEC 42001 International Standard for AI Management Systems.

Media Contact:
Brian Bannister
Bannister.Brian@bcg.com

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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