As industrial operations become increasingly connected and data-driven, operational technology (OT) networks must deliver secure, resilient, and always-available performance. To strengthen internal capability and support the growing complexity of critical customer environments, SAGE Automation partnered with IPD and Hirschmann to deliver an advanced OT networking capability program for its National Operations Centre (NOC) team.
Delivered across SAGE Automation’s Melbourne office and Adelaide’s Skills Lab, the three-day hands-on training program focused on real-world industrial networking scenarios aligned to enterprise-scale operational environments, including customers such as BHP and SA Water. The initiative strengthened the team’s ability to design, manage, monitor, and troubleshoot high-availability industrial Ethernet networks while reinforcing best-practice approaches to OT resilience, segmentation, lifecycle management, and operational support.
The program also reinforced the strategic partnership between SAGE Automation, IPD, and Hirschmann, combining specialist industrial networking technologies with operational support expertise to deliver stronger outcomes for shared customers.
As industrial environments continue to evolve, OT networks are becoming more complex, interconnected, and business critical. High availability, cyber security, operational continuity, and real-time visibility are no longer optional. They are essential requirements for organisations operating critical infrastructure and industrial assets.
For teams responsible for supporting these environments, traditional IT networking knowledge alone is not sufficient. OT environments introduce unique operational demands where uptime, determinism, resilience, and lifecycle management directly impact production, safety, and operational continuity.
To continue delivering reliable 24/7 support across complex industrial environments, SAGE Automation identified an opportunity to further strengthen the capability of its Network Operations Centre team through advanced industrial networking training tailored specifically to operational technology environments.
SAGE Automation partnered with IPD and Hirschmann to deliver a three-day operational technology networking program focused on practical, real-world industrial applications.
Hosted across SAGE Automation’s Melbourne and Adelaide offices, the training combined foundational OT networking principles with advanced industrial Ethernet design, resilience, and operational lifecycle management. The program was designed around scenarios reflective of live customer environments and the operational realities of supporting critical infrastructure networks.
The initiative combined theory with extensive hands-on labs using Hirschmann industrial networking platforms and tools, enabling participants to apply concepts directly within simulated industrial environments.
The program provided a progressive learning pathway covering both foundational and advanced operational technology networking concepts.
Key focus areas included:
Hands-on labs were delivered using Hirschmann industrial Ethernet technologies and reflected the types of environments supported by the SAGE Automation NOC team across critical customer operations.
Following the program, the SAGE Automation NOC team strengthened its capability to design, deploy, support, and troubleshoot industrial Ethernet networks with greater consistency and confidence.
The initiative improved readiness to support high-availability customer environments while reinforcing best-practice approaches to network resilience, segmentation, monitoring, and operational lifecycle management.
Key operational outcomes included:
The training also highlighted the importance of combining technical capability with disciplined operational processes, documentation standards, monitoring practices, and lifecycle management to maintain resilient industrial networks over time.
The initiative reinforced the strategic partnership between SAGE Automation, IPD, and Hirschmann, bringing together operational expertise, industrial networking technologies, and specialist support capability.
By aligning technology, training, and operational practices, the program strengthened the collective ability to support enterprise-scale industrial environments and deliver long-term value for shared customers.
The collaboration also expanded internal capability to support Hirschmann-based infrastructure while enhancing knowledge sharing between vendor, distributor, and service delivery teams.
The program incorporated a range of non-proprietary industrial networking technologies and operational practices, grounded in globally recognised IEEE and IETF standards, including:
The program reinforced several critical principles for modern operational technology environments: