ABB has launched Automation Extended, a program designed to help industrial operators modernize distributed control systems without disrupting operations. The approach builds on ABB’s existing DCS platforms, allowing customers to protect prior investments while progressively introducing new automation capabilities.
The program is based on a modern, open, and modular automation architecture that supports advanced analytics, AI, and IoT integration. New technologies can be adopted at each customer’s pace, without exposing core operations to unnecessary risk. By separating core control functions from digital innovation layers, Automation Extended enables new capabilities to be deployed and scaled without interfering with mission-critical processes.
Industrial operations today face volatile markets, cybersecurity challenges, regulatory pressures and a rapidly changing workforce. ABB’s Automation Extended addresses these realities by enabling innovation with agility and pace without disruption to production, supporting advanced analytics and IoT integration, and simplifying operations for diverse skill levels.
Operators can continue to rely on trusted ABB systems such as ABB Ability System 800xA, ABB Ability Symphony Plus and ABB Freelance, while introducing technologies progressively and without operational interruption. This approach provides a structured, low-risk path to modernization, preserving continuity while enabling innovation.
“In industries we serve – many operating large and complex infrastructures that deliver essential resources – our customers rely on modernization without disruption,” said Peter Terwiesch, president of ABB’s Automation business area. “Automation Extended delivers exactly that: bringing future-ready capabilities into the systems they know and trust, with security and interoperability at the core.”
The Automation Extended program is implemented through a modern, open and modular environment designed for interoperability, scalability and seamless integration across industrial domains.
Based on separation of concerns principles, the automation ecosystem includes two distinct yet securely interconnected environments inclduing the control environment, a software‑defined domain that ensures robust, reliable and deterministic control for critical processes.
Secondly, the digital environment is securely connected to the control layer, enabling advanced applications, edge intelligence and real‑time analytics. This space leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for decision support without disturbing proven control structures.
A single, unified and comprehensive automation service approach for ecosystem lifecycle management and optimization is applied for managing and maintaining these diverse technological environments.
Industrial Cyber News Desk
Industrial Cyber News Desk