Bosch Rexroth signs to ODVA and EtherNet/IP

The drives and controls firm joins industrial digital communications and automation suppliers ranging from Cisco Systems to Rockwell Automation, Omron and Schneider Electric. ODVA executive director Katherine Voss says that Bosch Rexroth's increased participation builds on its long-term support of the organisation, and suggests that users will realise significant benefits in increased availability of ODVA-compliant products – especially those implementing EtherNet/IP. "Their engagement as a principal member will significantly increase ODVA's ability to drive a holistic and integrated view of the industrial enterprise," says Voss. "Our customers demand open, interoperable solutions for … drives and controls, and our ability to do so will be enhanced by our increased integration of ODVA technologies into our solutions," adds Dr Bernd-Josef Schäfer, senior vice president, Technical Electric Drives and Controls at Bosch Rexroth. "Through our increased collaboration inside ODVA with other market leaders in industrial automation, Bosch Rexroth looks forward to helping industry achieve integration from device level up to enterprise business systems that is possible with industrial Ethernet and Internet technologies," he adds. ODVA, which has seen steady growth in fostering device level integration for industrial automation and control systems, now has even greater critical mass to drive through global interoperability standards. The organisation has considerable pedigree and has already enabled and coordinated substantial development and user acceptance of automation systems communications. As its core membership grows, users can expect to benefit from reduced risk, through lower cost of ownership and global, multi-vendor solutions for their automation systems, but also preconfigured interoperability up to business systems.