Industrial AI Starts with Better Data | Mike Tilman on Edge Computing & UNS - Ep. 073

In this episode of the Energy Tech Podcast, recorded live at ENTELEC 2026 in Galveston, Texas, Mike Flores sits down with Mike Tilman — an edge computing innovator and OT/IT integration expert with decades of experience in oil & gas communications, industrial networking, and data infrastructure.

Mike shares his journey from early IT consulting in the oilfield to supporting large-scale edge computing and data strategy initiatives for a major energy producer. The conversation dives deep into some of the biggest challenges facing industrial operators today:

Unified Namespace (UNS) and contextualized data

MQTT, Sparkplug B, and edge architectures

OT vs IT integration challenges

AI readiness in industrial operations

Why “garbage in, garbage out” matters for AI

Data lakes, semantic models, and predictive maintenance

Industrial cybersecurity and OT risk management

The role of ENTELEC as a true industry community

If you're involved in SCADA, automation, industrial networking, cybersecurity, AI, or digital transformation in energy — this episode is packed with practical insights from real-world deployments.

Topics Covered:

✅ Edge compute in oil & gas

✅ Unified Namespace (UNS) strategies

✅ MQTT & Sparkplug B architectures

✅ OT cybersecurity challenges

✅ AI and industrial data quality

✅ Predictive maintenance & analytics

✅ SCADA modernization

✅ ENTELEC community insights

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#EnergyTechPodcast #UNS #MQTT #IndustrialAI #SCADA #OilAndGas #EdgeComputing #ENTELEC #OperationalTechnology #Cybersecurity #DigitalTransformation #SparkplugB #IndustrialAutomation #OTSecurity #AI

00:00 – Introduction from ENTELEC 2026

00:42 – Meet Mike Tilman: Edge Computing Innovator

01:30 – Mike’s Background in Oil & Gas Technology

02:35 – Supporting Edge Compute & Data Strategy

03:10 – Bridging OT and IT Systems

03:53 – Challenges of Deploying Industrial PCs in OT

05:00 – Balancing Risk vs Value in New Technology

06:03 – Consulting for Operators, Vendors & Integrators

07:00 – Unified Namespace (UNS) Explained

07:47 – Why Contextualized Data Matters for AI

09:00 – Data Engineering vs Proper UNS Design

10:52 – MQTT, Sparkplug B & Report-by-Exception Models

11:44 – Avoiding Rip-and-Replace Architectures

12:40 – Predictive Maintenance & Collecting More Data

14:18 – Why AI Alone Won’t Fix Bad Data

15:21 – “Garbage In, Garbage Out” for AI

16:21 – AI as a Tool, Not the Solution

16:56 – Top 3 Requirements for Industrial AI

18:12 – Mike’s Role with ENTELEC Cybersecurity Committee

18:44 – What Makes ENTELEC Different from Other Conferences

19:29 – Upcoming OT Cybersecurity Webinar Initiative

21:20 – The Value of ENTELEC Membership & Training

22:01 – ENTELEC Fall Seminar in Odessa

23:05 – Closing Thoughts & Final Takeaways

Presented by Opsite Energy: www.opsitenergy.com

Music: Uygar Duzgun / “Fast Life” courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com