Interoperability initiative announced to improve IIoT insights

ABB, along with ABB company B&R, Capgemini, Microsoft, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric (including AVEVA) has announced a new open standard initiative for interoperability, which the companies say will address key roadblocks to digital transformation.

Announced at the Hannover Messe and hosted by the Linux Foundation, the Margo initiative draws its name from the Latin word for ‘edge’ and will define mechanisms for interoperability between applications, devices and orchestration software at the edge of industrial ecosystems. In particular, Margo will make it easy to run and combine applications from any ecosystem member on top of the hardware and runtime system of any other member. Margo aims to deliver on its interoperability promise through a modern and agile open-source approach, which will bring industrial companies increased flexibility, simplicity and scalability as they undergo digital transition in complex, multi-vendor environments.

“Mastering efficiency, flexibility and quality faster than competitors is key to success in today’s industrial world,” said Bernhard Eschermann, CTO, ABB Process Automation. “Digitalisation can help deliver on these benefits, but digital ecosystems require a robust, secure and interoperable framework at the edge, connecting operations and information technologies. For ABB, a longstanding advocate of open automation systems, driving a forward-thinking collaborative initiative like Margo is key to achieving this goal.”

“The more sources you get data from, the better the decisions you can make,” explained Florian Schneeberger, CTO of ABB’s Machine Automation division (B&R). “Yet, while the benefits of digitalisation increase with scale, so do the challenges of navigating heterogeneous industrial ecosystems. That’s why interoperability is so crucial to unlocking the full potential of digitalisation. It empowers organisations to adopt and scale Industrial IoT solutions at full speed without large teams of IT specialists.”

In March 2024, ABB became a member of the Linux Foundation. This will enable the company to further enhance efforts in promoting open community collaboration, helping unlock innovation and enable better products and experiences for customers. The company says this further strengthens ABB’s commitment to open standard-based systems.

In a live panel discussion at the Hannover Messe, representatives from the six founding members met to present their vision for edge interoperability in the Industrial IoT and appeal to like-minded industry peers to join the community and contribute to building a meaningful and effective standard. A recording of the panel discussion will be available at www.margo.org.

Image credit: iStock.com/AndreyPopov