JUMP TO: Customer | Challenge | Discovery | Solution | Results
Customer
IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) is a leading provider of payment, connectivity and cybersecurity solutions used by billions of people worldwide.
To support its global footprint, IST operates manufacturing sites in Brazil, China, Colombia, France, India, and the U.S. The Industrial Operations & Services team ensures excellence across these facilities, with its Digital Factory team driving smarter, more agile operations through machine connectivity and data insights—all within a framework of strict data protection.
Challenge
IST’s connected manufacturing initiative faced critical obstacles that prevented operational optimization.
The project began in China, where IDEMIA Secure Transactions encountered technical challenges connecting factory floor data to AWS cloud services due to restrictive firewall environments. As producers of payment cards, every data transmission required the highest levels of security and complex regulatory compliance.
In addition, manufacturing equipment showed different performance patterns across facilities. This variation highlighted the lack of access and visibility to machine information needed for standardized maintenance practices and data-driven optimization strategies.
Discovery
Belden’s approach began with comprehensive assessment rather than immediate technology recommendations. Belden experts conducted thorough discovery to understand:
- Current data infrastructure and network performance across facilities
- Security requirements and regulatory compliance needs
- Operational equipment effectiveness and uptime metrics
- Business goals for digital transformation and growth support
- Technical challenges specific to manufacturing environments
This process revealed that connectivity issues were symptoms of broader infrastructure limitations. The assessment identified scattered data sources, inconsistent protocols across facilities, and the need for centralized security orchestration.
Solution
Through deep understanding of IST’s challenges, Belden recommended a complete data solution centered on the Horizon platform.
The solution provides scalable, secure foundation for factory-to-cloud data connectivity. OpEdge management gateways deployed at each facility enable local data processing while maintaining secure connections to cloud analytics platforms.
The platform transforms data from multiple sources, formats, and protocols into analytics-ready insights. Rather than simply collecting information, the system provides a standardized framework for data management. This approach organizes and normalizes data from enterprise level down to individual sensors, making use case development much easier and faster.
“We maintain a high level of openness, which creates significant value by fostering trust. Trust is fundamental to any business relationship, and they rely on us as a genuine advocate for their interests,” says Julien Auger.
Vendor-agnostic capabilities connect diverse industrial equipment—PLCs, smart meters, sensors, and automation systems integrate seamlessly regardless of manufacturer, ensuring multi-protocol connectivity.
Comprehensive security measures give IST’s global IT team a centralized platform for managing network rules, monitoring communications, and detecting cyber threats across all facilities.
“We don’t just collect data, we process and contextualize it into meaningful information, enriched with analytics, to help factories and end users make better use of it,” explains Juliana Carvalho Silva de Sá, Belden’s Business Development Manager for Data Solutions. “It’s about simplifying and standardizing raw data to turn it into insights.”
Results
The partnership has enabled IST to establish comprehensive data governance, transforming fragmented initiatives into unified insights.
Operational improvements:
- Equipment optimization: Addressing robot lifespan variations through predictive maintenance analytics
- Quality enhancement: Reducing failure rates in credit card production processes
- Predictive maintenance: Transitioning from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies
Infrastructure transformation:
- Centralized governance: Standardizing how data is collected and structured, ensuring traceability and compliance
- Scalable architecture: The data foundation enables easy scaling across multiple sites, replicating best practices and accelerating deployment
- Enhanced security: Solid security by design architecture dedicated to IoT infrastructure allowing to protect sensitive data
- Global deployment: Validated architecture ready for replication across additional facilities
The data governance foundation has proven its value beyond the initial use case. “We started from one use case, from one technical challenge, and now we are able to develop a complete data framework that ensures effective and efficient use of information, enabling the faster implementation of multiple use cases,” notes Juliana. The platform now supports applications ranging from security monitoring to quality control.
The relationship continues expanding as IDEMIA Secure Transactions explores additional applications. Discussions now include broader Belden portfolio elements as the partnership deepens beyond initial data solution.
“We don’t try to lock them into our system,” explains Julien Auger, Belden’s Digital Automation Consultant. “We’re really open, and this brings a lot of value because the trust is there. All business is based on trust, and they trust us as a real advocate for what they want.”
This trust-based partnership represents Belden’s transformation from product sales to solution partnerships that deliver measurable business value—converting scattered data initiatives into unified insights that drive operational excellence across global manufacturing operations.
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