SUSE acquires Losant: this reinforces its commitment to the IIoT

Buying Losant by SUSE It has become one of the most talked-about moves within the open-source software ecosystem and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This is not just another corporate transaction: it represents a long-standing player in the Linux world and enterprise infrastructure fully entering the realm of full-stack IIoT platforms, taking innovation to the next level. Tiny EdgeThat is, even the smallest devices closest to the physical process.

In practice, this acquisition means that SUSE shifts its focus from infrastructure Edge (Near Edge and Far Edge) also offers the operational layer where sensors, machines, data, and industrial applications connect. Thanks to Losant's technology, the company aims to break down the traditional silos between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), facilitating the flow of data from the industrial environment into enterprise systems and transforming it into Actionable intelligence in real time.

What does SUSE's purchase of Losant for the industrial Edge mean?

With this operation, SUSE completes its vision of Edge Extending its reach from the Near Edge and Far Edge to the most extreme layer: the Tiny Edge, where AI models and business logic run directly on compact, low-power devices with limited computing resources. This evolution aligns with the trend noted by analysts at 451 Research (S&P Global Energy): IoT endpoints are evolving towards terminals with Artificial Intelligence capabilities, driven by new, cheaper, and more powerful connectivity options that are generating the biggest device renewal cycle of the last decade.

According to this market analysis, the shift towards AI-powered devices is accelerating the maturity of the hybrid artificial intelligence architecturesIn these architectures, the Edge is consolidated as an indispensable execution layer that guarantees performance, low latency, and scalability, allowing the transition from simple digital monitoring systems to AI-orchestrated semi-autonomous environmentsIn that context, the joint proposal from SUSE and Losant fits like a glove, because it places intelligence and decision-making closer to where physical events occur.

SUSE itself emphasizes that the purchase of Losant transforms the company from a supplier primarily of peripheral infrastructure to a leading player in full-stack industrial IoTKeith Basil, general manager of SUSE Edge, explains that they can now offer customers "the part of the Edge where the digital world directly meets the physical world," that is, the point where machines, environments, and people interact in real time and where AI can be meaningfully applied to better understand production processes.

For Basil, the key is that, with Losant's platform, SUSE will be able to move much faster from mere infrastructure towards tangible operational resultsBy combining SUSE's Edge solutions portfolio with products like SUSE AI and Losant's low-code platform, the door is opened to deeper collaboration with equipment manufacturers, industrial partners, and open-source communities specializing in automation and IIoT.

From Losant's side, its CEO, Charlie Key, sees the acquisition as the next logical step in the company's evolution. In his view, join forces with SUSE This will allow SUSE to combine its low-code IIoT platform with over three decades of experience in enterprise software, providing customers with a solid foundation of long-term stability, interoperability, and reliability. The stated goal is to help IT managers transform complex data from the industrial environment into immediate operating valueas well as bringing its Tiny Edge capabilities to a much wider audience.

From Infrastructure to Tiny Edge: Near Edge, Far Edge, and Operational Execution

Until now, SUSE's Edge proposal had been built primarily around the Infrastructure for the Near Edge and the Far EdgeThat is, around nodes and servers located near plants, factories, or remote stations, but still some distance from the sensor or actuator itself. With the integration of Losant, that spectrum expands to the Tiny Edge, where intelligence and automation are deployed directly on devices with very limited resources.

The concept of Tiny Edge is closely linked to the local execution of AI models and machine learning algorithms in small devices. Instead of sending all the data to the cloud for processing, some of the logic runs on the sensor, gateway, or controller itself. This reduces latency, saves bandwidth, and improves resilience to connectivity outages—vital in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and smart city environments.

Losant's platform adds a powerful combination of device orchestration, data management, and enabling industrial applicationsIn SUSE's words, the new joint portfolio allows operating systems and infrastructure to be connected to business workflows and business analytics tools, drastically reducing the complexity that typically accompanies the adoption of industrial IoT in organizations with many distributed assets.

A practical example helps to illustrate the idea: a manufacturer can collect real-time sensor data from its production lines, process and correlate it at the edge, and then automatically activate predictive maintenance workflows or AI-based quality controls, even before defects or failures occur. All this without needing to develop solutions from scratch or rely on ad hoc integrations that are difficult to maintain.

In this type of scenario, the Tiny Edge is not just a “new site” to run software on, but a a key element in bringing automation closer to the physical processThe combination of Losant's capabilities with the SUSE stack, from Linux to container orchestration and AI tools, is designed precisely to offer a coherent and scalable solution across the entire Edge spectrum.

How Losant and SUSE Edge integrate in practice

In practice, the integration of Losant into the SUSE ecosystem means that the IIoT platform and its team will become part of the SUSE Edge business unitFrom there, work will be done to align Losant's interface, deployment models, and integrations with the rest of SUSE's core technologies, including its Linux distributions, Kubernetes container solutions, and specific automation and orchestration capabilities.

Losant's platform stands out for its approach low-codeWith a visual workflow engine and customizable dashboards, it allows operational technology teams to design, deploy, and iterate IIoT solutions without large custom development investments. This approach reduces time to market and shortens the project payback period, which is especially relevant in industries where equipment investment cycles are long and the return on investment must be well justified.

By combining this low-code model with the robustness and security of SUSE's Edge infrastructure, a platform ready for run critical applications in real time, with support for device management, data ingestion, analytics and connection with corporate systems such as ERP, MES, quality systems or data observability and governance platforms.

Another important point is that SUSE intends to convert Losant's technology into open source and actively work with like-minded communities to study how its platform can accelerate interface standardization, strengthen interoperability, and enhance process automation capabilities on a global scale. This commitment aligns with SUSE's historical philosophy and with industry initiatives seeking to prevent fragmentation in the IIoT field.

In fact, Losant has been recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant by 2025 for global industrial IoT platforms, which represents a significant endorsement in terms of product maturity and market relevance. Following the acquisition, this technology will be integrated into a company with a long track record in enterprise environments, which should strengthen the confidence of customers seeking a stable IIoT platform with enterprise-level support and a clear roadmap for openness and collaboration.

Specific advantages for industrial customers

For end users, the combination of SUSE Edge and Losant translates into a number of very concrete benefits. First, it accelerates the IIoT project implementation and reduces the time needed to recoup the investment. Losant's visual workflow engine and configurable dashboards allow OT and engineering teams to design and refine use cases without constantly relying on external development or overloaded internal software teams.

Secondly, the integration of infrastructure data, business logic, and enterprise systems offers a unified operational visionThis means that plant managers, maintenance teams, operations management, and IT departments can work on the same data reality, seeing in one place the status of machines, sensors, alarms, performance indicators, and automated actions in progress.

Another key aspect is freedom from the vendor lock inThe joint solution's architecture is aligned with open standards and based on open-source technologies, enabling organizations to modernize their IIoT environment without being tied to a single proprietary platform. This not only allows for the architecture to evolve over time but also reduces long-term risks related to costs, support, and integration with other systems.

In sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, smart infrastructure, or process industries, the platform enables modernize operations Through process optimization, improved asset performance, and the creation of new operational efficiencies directly at the edge, the result is a more flexible production network with more real-time information and a greater capacity to react to changes in demand, incidents, or quality requirements.

From the perspective of partners, consultants, and industrial equipment manufacturers, SUSE's acquisition of Losant opens the door to building more cohesive solutions on a unified base designed specifically for industrial environmentsThis is according to Keith Gamble, director of software engineering at Barry-Wehmiller Design Group, who believes that the combination of Losant's IIoT platform with SUSE's Edge infrastructure creates an ideal environment for connecting physical plant operations with enterprise data analytics and governance systems.

Impact on security and IT/OT convergence

The rise of the IIoT and the progressive incorporation of AI into operational environments brings with it a profound change in the security perimeterBy promoting architectures where the industrial edge becomes a strategic execution layer, with operational data and intelligent automation, the attack surface is also expanded. The convergence between IT and OT implies that organizations must improve their visibility. network segmentation and risk governance in environments where availability is critical.

In this context, Losant's platform, now under the SUSE umbrella, takes on special relevance. By coordinating devices, integrating real-time data, and activating automated workflows at the EdgeThe solution is positioned precisely at the point of contact between machines, sensors, and enterprise systems. It is there that security can no longer be an afterthought, but rather a design element from the outset, with device identity controls, distributed data protection, and continuous monitoring of automated processes.

SUSE's decision to bring Losant's technology to the open source world also has an interesting security angle. By collaborating with specialized communities and industrial initiativesIt facilitates code review, early detection of vulnerabilities, and the building of shared standards that improve interoperability without sacrificing the protection of critical assets.

It's important to remember that the layer closest to the devices, the Tiny Edge, is often found in particularly sensitive environments: chemical plants, high-value factories, healthcare facilities, energy infrastructure, or advanced data centers. In all these cases, data availability and integrity are as important as cybersecurity itself. A failure in a poorly protected automation system can lead to significant physical impactsHence the need to integrate security at every level of the Edge architecture.

SUSE's strategy focuses on making security part of that execution layer from the very beginning, aligning the design of Edge deployments with governance, regulatory compliance and business continuity objectives, something that is of particular concern to infrastructure operators and IT managers who manage critical industrial environments.

Collaborations and role in the open source ecosystem

The acquisition of Losant also strengthens SUSE's role within various initiatives and ecosystems focused on interoperability and open industrial automationA good example is Margo, an organization focused on driving interoperability in industrial automation and ensuring that innovation remains collaborative and standards-based. Its president, Bart Nieuwborg, highlighted SUSE's contribution as a member of the steering committee and its interest in exploring how the Losant platform and SUSE Edge orchestration technologies can accelerate interface standardization and strengthen the ecosystem across multiple sectors.

Another voice that has shown enthusiasm is that of Mattias Åström, CEO of evroc, a company that aims to create the world's most sustainable hyperscale cloudAccording to Åström, incorporating Losant's technology into the open source sphere can become a catalyst for generating greener and smarter data centers in Europe, aligning digital sovereignty and cutting-edge technology in the field of IIoT.

These collaborations reflect that SUSE's strategy goes beyond mere technological integration. The intention is to position itself as a key player in the debate on how should industrial systems interoperateHow can good practices, frameworks, and standards be shared to prevent the industry from becoming fragmented into closed and incompatible solutions?

Furthermore, Losant's presence in industry benchmark analyses, such as Gartner's reports on global IIoT platforms, provides a solid foundation upon which SUSE can build to scale its offering. While Gartner always clarifies that it does not endorse specific vendors or recommend selecting only those best positioned in its quadrants, these studies do offer insight into the maturity and adoption level of each platform, something highly valued by technology investment managers.

All this movement fits with SUSE's trajectory as world leader in enterprise open source softwareSUSE has a strong presence in Linux operating systems, Kubernetes container management, Edge solutions, and AI infrastructure. Many Fortune 500 companies already rely on SUSE to support their critical infrastructure, and the addition of Losant expands that offering into the IIoT world without abandoning the open and collaborative philosophy that has characterized the company for decades.

In light of all these elements, SUSE's acquisition of Losant is solidified as an important step towards a more open, intelligent, and automated industrial edge, where data, AI, and physical processes work in a coordinated manner to improve efficiency, strengthen operational resilience and reduce dependence on closed solutions, while laying the foundations for new forms of collaboration between manufacturers, integrators, operators and free software communities.

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Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.