Waltham, Mass. —To speed deployment of Ethernet and Internet-based networks on factory floors, the 21-member Industrial Automation Open Networking Alliance (IAONA) on Nov. 24 announced its designation as an independent, self-governing entity operating under California law as a nonprofit corporation. Official founding of IAONA will help accomplish its open networking mission identifying and resolving issues; hosting forums; organizing technical and marketing committees; sponsoring educational programs; publicizing issues and developments; and making recommendations to standards groups.

IAONA defined its mission and elected board members in October 1999 at its first organizational meeting during ISA Tech/99 in Philadelphia. Organizers there decided IAONA wasn't a standards organization, and that it would act in the role of a discussion and pre-standards activity group for industrial applications of Ethernet and TCP/IP.

Newly elected board members include: Chairman Cornelius "Pete" Peterson, president, founder, and ceo of NETsilicon; secretary/treasurer Richard Caro, vp of ARC Advisory Group; marketing committee chairman Mark Taylor, vp of corporate marketing at NETsilicon, and executive director Chip Stockton, ceo of Conference Concepts Inc.

For more information, visit www.iaona.com or www.controleng.com/freeinfo .