Global technology and software leader Emerson announced the first of a series of new technology releases that build upon its Boundless Automation vision and serve as the foundation of its next-generation, software-centric industrial automation architecture.

The new technology releases will transcend a traditional control system, creating a more advanced automation platform that contextualizes and democratizes data for both people and the artificial intelligence (AI) engines that shape the way the world operates.

"Boundless Automation is a big vision, but also a real one grounded in exciting new technologies available today, and more coming in the next two to three years," said Nathan Pettus, President of Emerson's Process Systems and Solutions Business. "The solutions bringing our vision to life will have a tangible impact on projects our customers are developing right now. These innovations will break down silos of data in areas like sensing, analytics, reliability and control by creating a single ecosystem of seamlessly connected technologies that move contextualized data from the intelligent field, through the edge, and into the cloud."

The company shared its new DeltaV Edge Environment at its Emerson Exchange Immerse event, convening industrial technology leaders from across the globe to collaborate on industry challenges, such as disparate software systems creating a barrier to connectivity across the value chain. Emerson's DeltaV Edge Environment will provide more secure ways to move data from the automation platform to wherever it is needed – data lakes, data scientists, analytics applications in the cloud, enterprise resource planning systems, etc. – without losing valuable operational context.

Emerson’s DeltaV PK Flex Controller allows users to leverage subscription-based services to use only the technologies they need, with the flexibility to add functionality at any time.

Emerson has also added new software-as-a-service, cloud-hosted solutions to bring data from the edge into the cloud, helping combine cloud data with AI tools to upskill personnel and offset experienced worker shortages. Those AI analytics tools, including AMS Optics and Aspen Mtell, will help teams build models for predictive and prescriptive maintenance strategies that unlock the autonomous plant, while simultaneously creating a new paradigm of centralized operations where highly skilled personnel work in tandem with AI.

"These new technologies from Emerson are available for inclusion in capital project planning today and will help companies better prepare for the rapidly approaching future of automation, driven by a shift to more efficient, sustainable production," Pettus said.