Although plant operations and maintenance typically generate vast quantities of data – both structured and unstructured – operations and maintenance can only leverage a small percentage of these data to make better decisions. Most process data from plant systems is stored process historians archives and represent a challenge to make predictions about process conditions or the assets that may perform poorly and impact the process bottom line.

The OPC Foundation, focused on ensuring interoperability in automation by creating and maintaining open specifications, and the AutomationML association, targeting the lossless exchange of engineering information along the engineering tool chain, announced the release of the companion specification "AutomationML for OPC UA" to help increase interoperability within smarter factories of the future.

A DNV GL-led joint industry project (JIP) to standardize subsea processing systems is under way with industry partners Petrobras, Shell, Statoil, and Woodside.

Siemens and Intel Security are expanding their collaboration to help protect industrial automation systems from increased cyberthreats. Siemens' experts leverage Intel Security solutions, such as anti-virus software, whitelisting, and SIEM within the framework of plant security services. These tools are designed to help detect security incidents promptly, enabling Siemens' experts to notify plant operators without undue delay and allowing them to implement countermeasures.

NetSuite Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP and omnichannel commerce software suites, announced that it has acquired IQity's cloud business. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Cisco announced the intent to acquire CliQr Technologies Inc., a privately held company based in San Jose, California. CliQr provides an application-defined cloud orchestration platform to model, deploy, and manage applications across bare metal, virtualized and container environments. This acquisition will help Cisco customers simplify and accelerate their private, public and hybrid cloud deployments.

Representatives of Plattform Industrie 4.0 and the Industrial Internet Consortium met in Zurich, Switzerland to explore the potential alignment of their two architecture efforts - respectively, the Reference Architecture Model for Industrie 4.0 (RAMI4.0) and the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA).

IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announces that it has signed an agreement with the owners of MainIoT Software Oy ("MainIoT") to purchase 100 percent of the company's shares. The purchase price will be paid in cash.

MainIoT provides software solutions for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM) as well as related master data management solutions to companies operating in the energy, process, manufacturing and service industries.

NI,  a global provider of platform-based systems. announced a collaboration with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) and Bosch Rexroth, Cisco, Intel, KUKA, Schneider Electric, and TTTech to develop a Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) testbed. The goal of this collaboration is to help advance network infrastructure to better support the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0.

MKS Instruments, Inc., a global provider of technologies that enable advanced processes and improve productivity, and Newport Corporation, a global provider of photonics solutions, announced that they have entered into an agreement for MKS Instruments to acquire Newport Corporation for $23.00 per share. The all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $980 million.