Linux Foundation has announced a new open standard initiative called Margo for interoperability at the edge of industrial automation ecosystems. The open standard promises to bring much needed flexibility, simplicity, and scalability – unlocking barriers to innovation in complex, multi-vendor environments and accelerating digital transformation for organizations of all sizes.

Hosted by the Joint Development Foundation, a part of the Linux Foundation family, the initiative is supported by some of the largest automation ecosystem providers globally, including founding members ABB (including B&R), Capgemini, Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric (including AVEVA) and Siemens. The group invites like-minded industry peers to join the collaboration and contribute to building a meaningful and effective interoperability standard that will help customers achieve their digital transformation goals with greater speed and efficiency.

“At the core of Margo development is a commitment to delivering interoperability in a modern and agile way,” said Bart Nieuwborg, Chair of the Margo Initiative and Senior Program Manager, Rockwell Automation. “A comprehensive open-source reference implementation aims to facilitate the adoption, and the associated compliance test toolkit will ensure the trust in Margo’s interoperability promise, paving the way for the industry to tap the full potential of, for example, data and AI at the edge.”

“The idea that users should be free to create the best solution for their needs without unnecessary constraints, costs, or delays embodies the spirit of open-source collaboration,” said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of the Linux Foundation. “Open interoperability among a wide selection of apps and devices will reduce the need for specialized resources and streamline the deployment, scaling and operation of multi-vendor ecosystems.”