Everyone wants seamless industrial data. Fewer people talk about the tradeoffs beneath it.

Recorded live at the CSIA Conference in Baltimore, Gary Cohen sits down with Skkynet CEO Gary Tillery to discuss industrial connectivity, cybersecurity, system integrator partnerships and the future of manufacturing technology.

Tillery shares insights from more than 30 years in industrial automation, including why system integrators remain critical to digital transformation, how cybersecurity has become a business risk and why manufacturers should think carefully about where and how data moves between the edge, OT networks and the cloud.

The conversation also explores AI's growing role in industrial operations, channel partner relationships and Skkynet's perspective on the industry's push toward unified namespace architectures.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Navigating Industrial Data Challenges

02:25 Gary Tillery's Journey to Skkynet

08:42 The Role of System Integrators

14:05 Managing Channel Conflicts

17:14 Positioning Skkynet in a Competitive Landscape

19:02 Global Partner Management Strategies

21:47 Onboarding New System Integrators

24:17 Cybersecurity in Industrial Operations

27:31 Future of System Integrators

30:17 Data Hub and the Fractal UNS Model

35:07 Innovative Marketing Strategies

• (00:00:00) - Navigating Industrial Data Challenges
• (00:02:25) - Gary Tillery's Journey to Skkynet
• (00:08:42) - The Role of System Integrators
• (00:14:05) - Managing Channel Conflicts
• (00:17:14) - Positioning Skkynet in a Competitive Landscape
• (00:19:02) - Global Partner Management Strategies
• (00:21:47) - Onboarding New System Integrators
• (00:24:17) - Cybersecurity in Industrial Operations
• (00:27:31) - Future of System Integrators
• (00:30:17) - Data Hub and the Fractal UNS Model
• (00:35:07) - Innovative Marketing Strategies

What does it take to grow from a controls engineer in the plant to the CEO of a global system integrator, all while the definition of automation project keeps changing?

Recorded live at the CSIA conference in Baltimore, this Ctrl+Alt+Mfg episode features Daniel Gomez, CEO of Omnicon, recognized as a 2026 System Integrator of the Year. Gomez shares the playbook behind scaling delivery across regions, building disciplined (but adaptable) engineering frameworks and shifting from point solutions to architectures that can roll out across multiple sites.

The conversation also gets practical about where system integrators create value today — especially as data, cybersecurity and AI reshape industrial work — and what SIs should be doing now to prepare their teams for the next five years.

• (00:00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
• (00:02:48) - Daniel Gomez's Journey in Manufacturing
• (00:05:55) - Recognition and Achievements of Omnicon
• (00:08:43) - Challenges in Scaling a Global Organization
• (00:11:36) - Evolving Customer Expectations in Automation
• (00:14:53) - The Importance of Long-Term Relationships
• (00:17:50) - Future of System Integrators in Industrial Transformation

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Josh Peeno, P.E., joins the conversation to explore why so many digital transformation and AI initiatives in manufacturing fall short. It’s not because the technology isn’t powerful; it’s because it often isn’t built for the realities of the plant floor. Drawing on his experience in heavy manufacturing and industrial AI, Peeno explains why successful transformation requires operator trust, practical deployment strategies and a deep understanding of how factories actually run.

Peeno also discusses the concept of “machine teaching,” using human expertise to train autonomous AI systems in a way that supports operators rather than replaces them. He shares lessons from applying AI in glass manufacturing, talks about the value of fractional technical leadership for mid-sized manufacturers and explains why the industry’s looming skills gap may be one of the biggest drivers for smarter automation.

• (00:00:00) - The Reality of AI in Manufacturing
• (00:04:55) - Understanding Digital Transformation Challenges
• (00:09:05) - Bridging the Gap in Manufacturing
• (00:14:36) - The Human Element in Digital Transformation
• (00:18:34) - AI: Fear and Resistance on the Plant Floor
• (00:21:23) - AI as the Apprentice in Manufacturing
• (00:30:43) - Fractional Leadership: A New Approach
• (00:33:35) - Teaching the Next Generation of Engineers
• (00:35:50) - Global Competitiveness in Manufacturing