German embedded computing company Congatec has received an active patent for cybersecure communications between operational technology (OT) and IT infrastructure with its application-ready aReady.com modules.

The modules form application-ready embedded hardware and software building blocks, enabling companies to simplify and accelerate the integration of IoT connectivity, security, virtualisation and AI.

Patent number WO2025186118A1 describes the interaction between the Conga-Zones hypervisor and the Conga-Connect IoT software running on a computer-on-module (CoM). The hypervisor provides isolated system partitions, operating via a gateway to create strict data separation between the OT data acquisition side and the IT data transmission side.

A security barrier between these two virtual machines prevents direct data forwarding from the IT side to the OT side and vice versa. Furthermore, transmission via data projection prevents external access to the OT device via the IT infrastructure, as well as access to the IT infrastructure via the embedded device. This approach enables machine, application and communication functions to be combined within a single platform that is secure by design.

With aReady.com (www.congatec.com/en/aready/areadycom/), users can increase functionality on consolidated system architectures, shorten development times and optimise costs.

Congatec says the filing of this patent is a clear indication of its technical development capabilities and the potential of its aReady.com approach. It establishes that it thinks beyond CoMs as pure hardware, presenting them as pre-integrated, application-ready system building blocks for secure and connected industrial edge applications.

“With aReady.com, we address key challenges faced by our customers: developing market-ready systems and new digital services for new business models faster; integrating more functionality into their systems; and simultaneously reducing complexity, integration risks and operating costs,” said Andreas Bergbauer, a manager at Congatec (www.congatec.com). “The patent shows how Conga-Zones and Conga-Connect work together within aReady.com to provide secure data exchange as well as isolated functional domains, for example for AI, real-time control and user interfaces.”