Global industrial technology leader ABB today announced the launch of Automation Extended, a strategic platform designed to enable modernisation of legacy Distributed Control Systems (DCS) while industrial operations remain live and undisturbed.
Automation Extended enables companies to undertake step-by-step upgrades, from hardware and software to user interfaces and analytics, while the plant stays fully operational. ABB’s approach minimizes risk and preserves output, a critical consideration for facilities where shutdowns equate to significant financial loss.
According to ABB, Automation Extended harmonizes existing control systems with advanced automation architectures and digital services. Key features include:
- Incremental modernization paths tailored to each facility’s operational priorities;
- Seamless integration of new and legacy assets through modular interfaces;
- Enhanced diagnostics, monitoring, and predictive capabilities that unlock data value without full system replacement; and
- Built-in continuity safeguards to eliminate production interruptions during upgrades.
“In industries we serve – many operating large and complex infrastructures that deliver essential resources – our customers rely on modernization without disruption,” said Peter Terwiesch, President, ABB’s Automation business area. “Automation Extended delivers exactly that: bringing future-ready capabilities into the systems they know and trust, with security and interoperability at the core.”
With this launch, ABB seeks to help industrial operators turn technology modernization from a high-risk project into a practical, phased evolution.
As industrial ecosystems continue to integrate automation, Artificial Intelligence, and edge computing, platforms like Automation Extended could become central to how legacy facilities are repositioned for the future.
Source: ABB
