FRANKFURT, Germany, 10 June 2024 (FieldComm Group release) — FieldComm Group, a leading figure in global industrial automation standards, today announces that is has completed the acquisition of FDT Group's assets including the FDT/DTM technology standards. This significant transaction underscores FieldComm Group's dedication to addressing industrial device management challenges across the entire industrial automation market, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency for vendors and end users.
With a comprehensive suite of technologies including Information Models, the Field Device Integration (FDI) standard, and well-established communication protocols like HART, HART-IP, WirelessHART, and Foundation Fieldbus, FieldComm Group's market offerings serve the entire process automation sector. The addition of FDT/DTM technology, a widely deployed device integration standard across process and factory automation markets, adds new technologies to the portfolio, completely addressing the industrial automation hierarchy.
“As digitalization transforms the automation industry by breaking down barriers between operation technology and information technology, the integration of factory and process automation devices becomes both more important and more difficult. Our aim as a standards organization is to add intelligence to the device integration process, with an ultimate goal of making it simpler,” stated Ted Masters, President and CEO of FIeldComm Group. “Ends users and suppliers will benefit greatly from this acquisition by having a single standards development organization responsible for the full spectrum of device integration from the simplest sensor to the most complex field instrument.”
Millions of already installed devices in the field use both FDI and FDT technology for intelligent device management. Leveraging combined resources and expertise, FieldComm Group is now better-positioned to address the industry's evolving needs, improve interoperability, and streamline integration and lifecycle management procedures for the future.
As part of the acquisition, FieldComm Group announces the formation of a Strategic Integration Committee (SIC), under the leadership of industry expert Steve Biegacki, former Managing Director of the FDT Group. The SIC will drive advancement of integration standards, including FDT/DTM and FDI, ensuring proactive management and maintenance of these technologies. The committee will initially be composed of FieldComm Group Board-level company representatives, with planned expansion to include representatives from other Standards Development Organizations (SDOs). The SIC aims to collaboratively work to preserve the existing installed base and chart a standardization roadmap for a unified device management platform, ensuring interoperability across existing protocols as well as future technology evolution, including OPC UA FX.
Our focus is on unified device configuration and a migration path to the future," said Steve Biegacki. "At FieldComm Group, we are committed to seamless integration and enhanced operational efficiency for the entire automation industry."
"We are thrilled to welcome FDT/DTM technology into the FieldComm family," continued Ted Masters, "This acquisition marks a significant leap towards a unified integration standard for the industry. With Steve Biegacki leading the SIC, we are ready to steer the industry towards a more integrated and efficient future."
For further details, please visit www.fieldcommgroup.org.
About FieldComm Group
FieldComm Group is a global standards-based organization consisting of leading process automation end users, manufacturers, universities, and research organizations that work together to direct the development, incorporation, and implementation of new and overlapping technologies and serves as the source for FDI (Field Device Integration) technology. FieldComm Group’s mission is to develop, manage, and promote global standards for integrating digital devices to on-site, mobile, and cloud-based systems; provide services for standards conformance and implementation of process automation devices and systems that enable and improve reliability and multi-vendor interoperability; lead the development of a unified information model of process automation field devices while building upon industry investment in the HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and FDI standards. Membership is open to anyone interested in the use of the technologies.
