Analysts estimate that 60-73% of enterprise data goes unused.¹ In industrial environments, the statistics are even more astounding: Studies suggest that roughly 90% of sensor-generated data is never analyzed.²

That’s the paradox of automation. Organizations are flooded with information, yet much of the data never leaves the plant floor.

Fortunately, there’s an antidote to the chaos of industrial data: the OPC UA protocol.

By adding structure and context, OPC UA can cut through siloed protocols, reduce wasted “dark” data, and simplify reporting – helping transform raw data into business intelligence that may improve efficiency, compliance, and decision-making.

The Problem: Data Without Context

It’s no secret that industrial systems generate staggering amounts of data. The problem?  Without context, big data is simply noise.

For example, take a Modbus register of “Value = 84.” It has little to no meaning as a stand-alone value. Does it refer to temperature? Maybe. It could indicate pressure, flow rate, or something else entirely. Without a consistent naming convention, metadata, and hierarchy, the value “84” is essentially unusable.

And the problem doesn’t stop there. Multiply it across a data center, hospital system, or factory floor filled with hundreds or even thousands of devices, and it’s easy to see why organizations can struggle to extract value from their infrastructure data.

This is precisely the information gap that OPC UA was designed to fill. Unlike older protocols that simply move numbers from point A to point B, OPC UA adds structure. It standardizes naming, applies hierarchies, and attaches metadata so that every data point has contextual reference and relevancy.

Suddenly, “84” isn’t just a number – it’s return air temperature from a data center CRAC unit, negative pressure from a hospital isolation room, or kilowatt-hours from a campus building meter.

That’s the difference between raw data and actionable insight.

The Hidden ROI of OPC UA

Because OPC UA gives structure and meaning to industrial data, it unlocks benefits that go far beyond interoperability.

Here’s where the ROI becomes clear.

Predictive Maintenance

Raw vibration readings from a motor don’t mean much until they’re contextualized. OPC UA provides that context, making it easier to feed data into analytics platforms that can flag issues before they cause downtime.

Result: Teams may shift from reactive to proactive maintenance, helping reduce unplanned downtime and control costs.

Energy Efficiency

Most facilities know their energy spend. What they don’t always know is where to optimize. OPC UA normalizes data across diverse devices and sites, enabling more precise comparisons.

Result: Facility managers can identify underperforming assets and target efficiency upgrades where they’ll have the most significant impact.

Compliance Reporting

For industries bound by safety codes, environmental regulations, or audit requirements, reporting is a time-consuming task. OPC UA’s structured data simplifies compliance by delivering standardized outputs.

Result: Manual data gathering and formatting time can be reduced significantly, potentially turning weeks of work into days or even hours.

Operational Agility

When Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) are aligned on data, organizations can pivot faster.

Result: Teams may integrate new cloud tools, scale across sites, or adapt to changing regulations with far less friction.

3 Reasons Why Many Organizations Struggle to Capture the Value

If OPC UA offers so much value, why isn’t every organization already taking advantage of it? The answer is simple: Getting there isn’t always easy.

Older protocols, isolated systems, and limited resources often stand in the way, slowing down OPC UA adoption and limiting outcomes.

Here are three of the biggest obstacles to unlocking the full value of OPC UA:

1. Legacy Systems Dominate

In almost any facility, it’s easy to find Modbus, BACnet, and other long-standing protocols at work. They’ve proven themselves reliable, but they weren’t built with today’s needs in mind, such as cloud visibility, enterprise reporting, or integration with modern analytics.

2. Lots of Protocols, Little Compatibility

Industrial networks are rarely uniform. One piece of equipment speaks Modbus, another uses BACnet, and a third relies on a proprietary protocol. With no common framework, tying it all together is slow and resource-intensive.

3. Deployment Challenges

Even when OPC UA is the right call, putting it into practice can be harder than it looks. Custom code, middleware, and specialized expertise which may add time and expense, delaying projects and limiting how quickly things can scale.

Still, unlocking the value of OPC UA doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. FieldServer gateways are built to cut through the complexity, connecting legacy systems with modern requirements in a way that’s practical, secure, and scalable.

How FieldServer Simplifies OPC UA Deployment

We’ve been building protocol gateways for more than 25 years with a single mission: to remove the barriers to integration so organizations can focus on results.

That philosophy carries through to our approach with OPC UA. Instead of requiring teams to rewrite code or replace hardware, FieldServer gateways make it simple to bring legacy devices into an OPC UA architecture, so organizations can start realizing value sooner.

FieldServer does this by combining four strengths that matter most in the field:

• Protocol flexibility that translates Modbus and MQTT,  into OPC UA so every part of the environment speaks the same structured language.
• Enterprise integration that pushes OPC UA data into BMS, SCADA, cloud platforms, or enterprise dashboards without complex middleware.
• Security by design with FieldSafe features, such as TLS/SSL encryption, role-based access, and firewall options, helping ensure protection is built in.
• Scalability that makes it practical to connect one facility or roll out across multiple sites.

And the story doesn’t stop there.

Our next-generation FieldServer Modbus IoT Gateway is now here, extending everything we’ve learned about Modbus and OPC UA into a cloud-first era. It supports both Modbus RTU (serial) and Modbus TCP/IP, publishes data via OPC UA and MQTT, and bridges legacy devices into structured, usable data flows – without the need for replacements or risky code modifications.

OPC UA in Action

Talking about OPC UA is one thing. Seeing its impact in real-world settings is where the value becomes clear.

From data centers to university campuses to OEM equipment, FieldServer gateways turn the promise of OPC UA into practical results that teams can measure.

• Data centers can use FieldServer gateways to normalize data from chillers, CRAC units, UPS systems, and fire panels into OPC UA, feeding enterprise dashboards with secure, contextualized information. The result may include faster incident response, improved capacity planning, and simpler compliance reporting.
• University campuses with dozens of buildings rely on FieldServer gateways to translate legacy systems into OPC UA. With normalized data, facility managers can compare energy use across buildings, identify retrofit opportunities, and capture measurable cost savings.
• OEMs can embed FieldServer gateways into their equipment, delivering OPC UA connectivity right out of the box. That means easier enterprise integration for their customers and fewer support demands for the manufacturer.

Conclusion

OPC UA is more than an interoperability protocol. It’s a way to transform raw industrial data into structured, contextualized information that drives predictive maintenance, energy efficiency, compliance, and agility.

FieldServer gateways bridge legacy systems into OPC UA without adding complexity, while built-in FieldSafe helps support security by default.

Organizations that treat OPC UA as “just another protocol” miss out on its broader value. Those who embrace it as foundational for actionable insights can gain an edge that extends far beyond the control room.

With FieldServer gateways, OPC UA doesn’t have to be complicated or risky. Ready to unlock more value with your data? Contact us today to talk with a FieldServer expert.

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Sources:

¹ AIMultiple. (2025, June 16). Top 50 big data statistics in 2025: Market size & benefits. AIMultiple. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://research.aimultiple.com/big-data-stats/

² Dark data. (2025, August 15). In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_data