The Margo initiative, hosted by the Linux Foundation, aims to enhance interoperability between applications, devices and orchestration software at the edge of industrial ecosystems.
This initiative, partner publication Automation World reported, is designed to facilitate the seamless integration and operation of applications across different hardware and runtime systems within the ecosystem.
By leveraging existing IT standards and augmenting them to meet specific OT requirements, Margo seeks to avoid the creation of new standards while ensuring that diverse industrial components can effectively communicate and work together. This approach is particularly significant for controls engineers who need to ensure that various machinery and systems within factories or plants can be integrated and operated cohesively, without the complexity of managing multiple incompatible standards.
ABB's chief technology officers, Florian Schneeberger and Bernhard Eschermann, explain the importance of interoperability in industrial digitalization in Automation World’s article. Schneeberger emphasizes that accessing data from diverse sources enhances decision-making, although it also presents challenges due to the heterogeneous nature of industrial ecosystems. He notes that interoperability is vital for scaling Industrial IoT solutions efficiently without extensive IT resources.
Eschermann adds that achieving efficiency, flexibility and quality in industrial operations hinges on a secure, interoperable framework at the edge, linking operations and information technologies. For ABB, participation in the Margo initiative aligns with their commitment to open automation systems and underscores the necessity of collaborative efforts to drive industrial digitalization forward.
Learn more about the initiative in Automation World’s report, available here.
