Replacing old equipment with newer equipment that is ready for the latest technologies is always an option. However, in some cases doing so can be cost prohibitive, time consuming, or otherwise generally wasteful. 

While certain equipment needs to be replaced on a regular basis, other industrial equipment can have a lifespan of many years or even decades. Replacing such equipment just to gain access to IoT or other features is wasteful and very often impractical. It also presents the problem of chasing technology. Equipment replaced today may still become outdated with regard to communications or other technologies.