A gateway device, comprising: a control system interface component that is operable to provide a bidirectional communication between at least one external control system and said gateway device ; a field device interface component that is operable to provide a communication between at least one external field device and said gateway device ; a direct data channel that is operable to exchange data between the control system interface component and the field device interface component ; a communication interface component that is operable to provide a bidirectional communication between at least one external communication device and said gateway device ; a splitting unit that is connected to the communication interface component and the direct data channel , wherein said splitting unit is operable to receive first data from the field device , the field device interface component , the control system interface component , or the control system via the direct data channel and send the first data via a non-time critical channel to the communication interface component ; and characterized in that: said communication interface component comprises a processing unit that is operable to validate, sort, summarize, aggregate, compress, filter, reformat, contextualize, and/or classify the first data to yield a set of processed data, and the splitting unit is further operable to receive second data from the communication interface component via the non-time critical channel and send the second data via the direct data channel to the control system interface component , the control system , the field device interface component , or the field device . a control system interface component that is operable to provide a bidirectional communication between at least one external control system and said gateway device ; a field device interface component that is operable to provide a communication between at least one external field device and said gateway device ; a direct data channel that is operable to exchange data between the control system interface component and the field device interface component ; a communication interface component that is operable to provide a bidirectional communication between at least one external communication device and said gateway device ; a splitting unit that is connected to the communication interface component and the direct data channel , wherein said splitting unit is operable to receive first data from the field device , the field device interface component , the control system interface component , or the control system via the direct data channel and send the first data via a non-time critical channel to the communication interface component ; and characterized in that: said communication interface component comprises a processing unit that is operable to validate, sort, summarize, aggregate, compress, filter, reformat, contextualize, and/or classify the first data to yield a set of processed data, and the splitting unit is further operable to receive second data from the communication interface component via the non-time critical channel and send the second data via the direct data channel to the control system interface component , the control system , the field device interface component , or the field device . said communication interface component comprises a processing unit that is operable to validate, sort, summarize, aggregate, compress, filter, reformat, contextualize, and/or classify the first data to yield a set of processed data, and the splitting unit is further operable to receive second data from the communication interface component via the non-time critical channel and send the second data via the direct data channel to the control system interface component , the control system , the field device interface component , or the field device . <EOS>