A cloud-compatible industrial device is provided. The industrial device generates or collects raw industrial data in connection with monitoring and/or controlling an automation system, and includes a cloud interface that couples the industrial device to one or more cloud-based services running on a cloud platform. To reduce consumption of cloud-based resources such as bandwidth and storage utilization, the industrial device can transform the raw industrial data into refined data that is amenable for cloud-based storage, computing, or analysis. Exemplary transformations include filtering, pruning, re-formatting, compressing, summarizing. In one or more embodiments, the industrial device can also add contextual metadata to the raw data prior to delivery to the cloud.