Virtualization is the answer for many questions like - getting remote access, collect the data from device and managing the whole network.
All automatization is based on virtualization technology. If we speak about the cloud database or infrastructure - virtualizaed connections may give the advantage of accessing the right device.
Different PLCs and HMI are also based on the virtualized connections of the equipment.
Here is the technology https://www.eltima.com/eltima-port-virtualization-technology/