Fieldcomm Group and FDT Group announced in April the completion of a term sheet outlining a plan to create a single business. The collaboration is aimed at advancing integration technology and harmonising control system applications across multiple protocol topologies supporting both process and factory automation. Subject to the completion of a definitive agreement, the new business will continue to support all existing Fieldcomm Group and FDT Group technologies, including Field Device Integration (FDI), Field Device Tool / Device Type Manager (FDT/DTM), Process Automation Device Information Model (PA-DIM), HART, and Foundation Fieldbus. Fieldcomm Group will acquire all FDT technology and resources, and an independent Strategic Integration Committee will be formed to guide future directions for protocol-independent device integration technologies.
This strengthened relationship represents a significant step forward in streamlining process automation and factory manufacturing device management, enhancing interoperability throughout the industry, the organizations say.
The new Strategic Integration Committee, focused on a protocol-agnostic device integration approach, will foster alliances with major field protocol organizations, including CC-Link Partner Association, EtherCAT Technology Group, FieldComm Group, ODVA, OPC Foundation, Modbus, Profibus/Profinet International, and others, spearheading innovations to improve engineering efficiency, plant uptime, and user satisfaction across various industrial automation fields. Within this strategic committee, cutting-edge technologies, tools, and certifications will streamline cost-effective adoption for members while providing a single device package compatible with any operating system that will enable effortless data access from field devices to cloud, edge, and mobile applications. This initiative promotes comprehensive integration between IT and OT systems, the organizations say.
