The leap in a new direction of innovation requires an unbiased multi-vendor approach that can only be accomplished in the form of a foundation. We can break from the past Vertical and horizontal integration is not a new or unique aspiration to the IDA group. Most industry leaders have made this their goal as well. The IDA group is using a combination of technologies that are just recently maturing. These technologies make it possible for the first time to break from the proprietary protocols that have stifled integration.
Commercial pressures keep driving prices down too.
Everyone can have a computer at the fingers and share data and processing resources with others in the next office and around the world. The new technologies let developers extend the office network down to the factory and use the Web services to access data without expensive custom applications or gateways to bridge office and control networks. Middleware lets smart devices use the company network. However, it's not designed to optimize for real-time data delivery. Real-time network programming is a daunting task that adds 1000s of lines of code and months of development.