Automation services from the cloud

The paper deals with new trends in process control technology, particularly with the use of automation services from a cloud. After a short overview regarding the state of the art in the application of new ICT technologies in process control systems, a new architecture for automation systems based on web technologies is introduced. The architecture is designated as a Web-Oriented Automation System (WOAS), following the approach of a web-oriented architecture familiar from IT. The WOAS architecture allows the transfer of principles and methods from the standardized world of Internet technologies to the world of industrial automation in a systematic and structured manner.