39 automation vendors, end-users, and engineering companies now support this important open interoperability initiative
In recent weeks, Honeywell Process Solutions, Saudi Aramco, Schneider Electric, and Shell Global Solutions have added their names and resources to the growing roster of major automation vendors, end-user companies, and global engineering organizations that support the advancement of FDT Technology through active membership in the recently formalized FDT Group. This follows on Yokogawa’s announcement last April that they too support FDT. As of October 2005, 39 global companies are official members of the FDT Group and membership remains open to all companies who wish to join.
“With the addition of Honeywell, Schneider Electric, and Yokogawa to the list of companies that support the FDT open interoperability initiative, the great majority of large global automation companies now belong to the FDT Group and we now have the critical mass required to bring this important interoperability standard into the mainstream,” said Scott Bump, a member of the FDT Group executive committee and Director of Fieldbus Technology at Invensys Process Systems.
“Of equal importance, leading global end-user companies and engineering organizations, such as Saudi Aramco and Shell Global Solutions have also joined the FDT Group. This will help ensure that – as FDT emerges as a formal international standard – it will continue to meet the needs of the user and engineering communities,” said Bump.
The mission of the FDT Group is to:
- Achieve international standardization status for the FDT specification
- Promote, enhance and support the usage of FDT open interoperability technology in process automation, factory automation, and hybrid applications
- Preserve the technology investments already made by end users, device manufacturers, and control systems
- Ensure stability, interoperability and compatibility of FDT-based products
- Continuously maintain the FDT standard consistent with leading-edge technology
- Ensure that all FDT products are certified
FDT Group member companies will be demonstrating the latest FDT-enabled interoperability solutions for FOUNDATION fieldbus, HART, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet and other devices and control systems at ISA EXPO 2005 Booth #1328 in Chicago, October 25-27, 2005.
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