ISA, MIMOSA, OAGi, OPC, and WBF join forces

The groups are the prinicipal members of OpenO&M, a cooperative forum where members can work together to solve automation challenges through standardization and harmonization of industry guidelines.

By Staff October 12, 2007

ISA, MIMOSA, the OPC Foundation, the Open Applications Group, Inc. and WBF have established OpenO&M, a cooperative forum where members can work together to solve automation challenges through standardization and harmonization of industry guidelines.
Through collaboration and communication about the development of manufacturing data exchange standards and implementation technologies, OpenO&M hopes to stimulate continuous improvement of specific standards and specifications overseen by participant organizations. The forum will facilitate end user input and direction, and provide a coordinating function to exchange insights, identify overlaps, and harmonize work.
“OpenO&M is not a new or separate standards body, and it is not an organization for the arbitration of technical questions. Instead, it’s a forum where organizations can come together to work on projects that benefit the industry,” said Alan Johnston, MIMOSA president.
The principal organizations will exchange non-voting memberships on a no-fee basis, enabling them to provide staff and officers to attend each other’s meetings and participate in standards development activities. The organizations will share the official minutes of their relevant work group meetings, committee rosters and draft documents. The principals will also work together to reconcile differences, duplications and inconsistencies in standards. The organizations will also team up to communicate the benefits of manufacturing standards and implementation technologies to manufacturing companies and their suppliers.
OpenO&M will be administered by a steering committee, composed of one representative from each of the principal organizations. For more information about OpenO&M or the principal organizations, visit www.openoandm.org .