10. Hitachi

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

29,000 employees

CEO: Toshiaki Higashihara

Revenue: US$91bn

Founded in 1910, Hitachi is on a mission is to contribute to society through ‘the development of superior, original technology and products’.

Hitachi’s Social Innovation Business focuses on several growth sectors: Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy, and IT.

Its employees aim to build a sustainable future by working to improve the quality of life for its customers across their social, environmental and economic values.

Hitachi applies its skills in information technology and operational technology across a huge variety of products, which its hopes will ‘advance social infrastructure systems and improve quality of life across the world’. 

LinkedIn: Hitachi

Twitter: @Hitachi

9. Honeywell International Inc.

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

110,000 employees

CEO: Darius Adamczyk

Revenue: US$35bn

Manufacturing technology company Honeywell is a leader in safety, security and energy - since 2004, energy efficiency has increased by 70% and greenhouse gas intensity has decreased by 90%.

Honeywell teamed up with Acalvio Technologies for the launch of its Honeywell Threat Defense Platform (HTDP), a new solution which can quickly spot known and unknown attacks in the operational technology (OT) environments of commercial buildings.

"Incorporating Acalvio's autonomous deception technology into our OT cybersecurity toolbelt provides a highly effective solution to help protect our customers' buildings from increasingly sophisticated attacks,” said Mirel Sehic, Global Director of Cybersecurity at Honeywell Building Technologies.

LinkedIn: Honeywell

Twitter: @Honeywell

8. ABB

Zurich, Switzerland

105,000 employees

CEO: Bjorn Rosengren

Revenue: US$29bn

As a technology leader in electrification and automation for over 130 years, ABB has always aimed for a resource-efficient future.

ABB joined an alliance to offer technical and organisational framework for safe and secure operational technology: The Operational Technology Cyber Security Alliance (OTCSA). The Alliance will fill security gaps for OT and critical infrastructures.

“We are confident the OTCSA will deliver a framework for much-needed solutions, at a time when industrial customers live in a world of increasingly sophisticated threats, putting organisations at risk of potentially catastrophic losses,” said Satish Gannu, Chief Security Officer, ABB & Senior Vice President Architecture and Analytics, ABB Ability™.

LinkedIn: ABB

Twitter: @ABB

7. Schneider Electric

Rueil Malmaison, Paris, France

162,000 employees

CEO: Jean-Pascal Tricoire

Revenue: US$36bn

Schneider Electric’s mission is to be the digital partner for those seeking sustainability and efficiency. The company advances digital transformation with energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products and more.

In 2020, invested in operation technology with ETAP, an analytical engineering solution company, to utilise smart and green electrification. The combined digital offering has streamlined complex power systems, improved the integration of renewable energy and battery storage technologies. This has helped Schneider Electric advance its decarbonised transport plans and because of the improved performance, led to a decrease of energy usage.

LinkedIn: Schneider Electric

Twitter: @Schneider Electric

6. General Electric

Boston, USA

172,000 employees

CEO: H. Lawrence Culp Jr.

Revenue: US$76bn 

For over 125 years, GE has been leading the future of the manufacturing sector, helping manufacturers work more reliably and safely.

GE recognises that as industrial connectivity continues to grow, so does the need for improving operational technology security. A proactive approach must be taken to ensuring network safety, in order to prevent successful cyber attacks.

GE Digital’s Operational Technology Security Services help manufacturers utilise the best practices on offer to their manufacturing business to advance their operational resilience and technology, expose weaknesses, identify potential future risks and suggest strategies.

LinkedIn: General Electric

Twitter: @General Electric

5. Siemens

Munich, Germany

311,000 employees

CEO: Roland Busch

Revenue: US$77bn

Siemens technology company is focused on infrastructure, transport and healthcare, building resource-efficient manufacturing bases, resilient supply chains and smarter buildings. In recent years the company has shifted to creating clean and green transport options and moving the healthcare sector forward to bring real value for customers.

Siemens understands the importance of availability for operational technology networks and has made sure that redundancy mechanisms are in place to manage this. Safety functions keep employees and machines safe.

Siemens’ operational technology networks require a multilevel protection concept and must also function well under harsh conditions.

LinkedIn: Siemens

Twitter: @Siemens

4. Cisco

San Jose, California, USA

71,000 employees

CEO: Chuck Robbins

Revenue: US$51bn

In 1984 a group of computer scientists from Stanford University created Cisco, a company which provides easy access to information. Its hardware, software, and service offerings create solutions ‘that make networks possible’. Cisco’s engineers are also leaders in the development of Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking technologies.

At Siemens, its operational technology and IT network infrastructure have similar elements, in aspects such as switches, routers and wireless technology. Depending on the design, Siemens’ operational technology devices can support networks including LoraWAN or WiSun, to connect industrial IoT (IIoT) devices.

LinkedIn: Cisco

Twitter: @Cisco

3. Oracle

Austin, Texas, USA

143,000 employees

CEO: Safra Catz

Revenue: US$42bn

Cloud technology company Oracle provides businesses across the globe with the right computing infrastructure and specialist software to assist them in working in a more effective way. Oracle puts security first and built the first autonomous database for its customers’ data to the highest standard. Oracle Cloud applications allow businesses to use modern applications to ensure sustainable growth and resiliency. 

Oracle recognises that the number of devices and applications using the grid is expanding - and each one has its own requirements.

Oracle Utilities Live Energy Connect can integrate all of a businesses operational technology and supports legacy, current and future devices and systems.

LinkedIn: Oracle

Twitter: Oracle

2. Accenture

Dublin, Ireland

710,000 employees

CEO: Julie Sweet

Revenue: US$61bn

Global professional services company Accenture leads customers in digital, cloud and security, with skills covering over 40 industries, Accenture provides Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services, in addition to Accenture Song. The company supports clients in over 120 countries, using the power of change to build value for ‘our clients, people, shareholders, partners, and communities’.

In May, Accenture will host its third annual operational technology cybersecurity virtual summit, where CEOs and CISOs will voice their concerns and unique insights on the threat landscape and sustainability imperatives.

LinkedIn: Accenture

Twitter: @Accenture

1. IBM

Armonk, New York, USA

288,000 employees

CEO: Arvind Krishna

Revenue: US$60bn

The technologists, developers, and engineers at IBM create ways to ‘make the world work better through technology and infrastructure, software and consulting’.

IBM recognises that the healthcare sector is changing, especially biopharma. Digitisation, operating models and manufacturing processes are creating better care for patients, but security needs continue to evolve with them.

IBM knows that in order to utilise the full benefits of these great technologies, both information technology and operational technology must ‘modernise and synchronise’. While IT collects information and generates solutions, OT controls the physical operations - they must work in union.

LinkedIn: IBM

Twitter: @IBM