Knowledge Lens rolls out Made-in-India Data Diode at 1/5th the cost; eyes exports

Addressing concerns over rising ransomware attacks across industries, home-grown technology solution provider Knowledge Lens has rolled out Data Diode in the Indian market. Believed to be a backbone for IT across industries, Data Diode is one of the critical solutions for IT-OT(operational technology) security. It guarantees physical isolation from the IT and OT networks and ensures a uni-directional flow of information without relying on Firewalls and other software-based controls.

"While many manufacturers now understand the relevance of Cloud & Digital transformation initiatives, there is not enough awareness about security issues. So that's where Data Diode comes into place to make sure that the entire IT-OT security is taken care of. Our Data Diode is the 4th gen version -- we have been working for 3 years behind the scenes to improve and test implementation. Now we have launched officially, as we see more industries need it now and are ready for implementation," says Sudheesh Narayanan, founder and chief executive officer, Knowledge Lens.

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Data Diode isn't a new technology and companies in India have been importing it from abroad, primarily Israel and the US, which is an expensive process (Rs 2.5 lakh upwards per unit). Knowledge Lens, on the other hand, claims to offer iLens Data Diode at one-fifth the cost. "It was very cost-prohibitive for an Indian company. They would not implement Diode unless they really feel that it's the most important part of the puzzle," adds Narayanan.

Claiming to be the first one to launch Data Diode in the country, Narayanan said it will give the company a good advantage.

Knowledge Lens rolled out its iLens Data Diode almost two months ago, and, since then, has installed 500 units. The company is working with many large manufacturers in the country across cement, fertilisers, chemical companies, and the government, and has installed its iLens Data Diode at some of the big names including Dalmia, Welspun, Jubilant and Orient Cement. And as OT systems are usually isolated at large plants, the company suggests using multiple Data Diodes -- so each unit has its local diode and security will not become a concern at any point. This way, the risk also remains isolated. Given the potential in the country as well as outside markets, Narayanan hopes to cross 500,000 units per month.

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"We are trying to market in many of the developing countries and in fact, the developed countries as well because price becomes a definite barrier. Right now, we are establishing something in the US. We are already operating out of Middle East. We already have a presence in Southeast Asia, which is another big market for us. We already have a presence in these areas and we just need to accelerate the push," adds Narayanan.

Knowledge Lens' iLens Data Diode is a completely made in India project. Although the chips are sourced from outside, the design, fabrication, assembly etc, is done by the company locally with the help of local suppliers in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Bengaluru-headquartered Knowledge Lens delivers technology areas such as Big Data Analytics, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, and Blockchain to enterprises.

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