In 1999, Ian Verhappen and I floated a proposal to the ISA Executive Board that we establish a testing organization to deal with, first, Y2K compliance, and then compliance with ISA standards. Boy, were we obviously ahead of our time.
This announcement just came in from ISA, and all I can say is that it is about damn time.
ISA Announces Creation of Automation Standards Compliance Institute
ISA announced today the creation of the Automation Standards Compliance Institute. The
Automation Standards Compliance Institute is an ISA-owned non-profit
organizational entity that will assess automation-related standards
compliance. The institute's charter includes a wide range of standards
compliance assessments including, software or hardware products,
implementation methods, solutions, companies and individuals.
"We are widely recognized as the source for unbiased, authoritative
standards," said 2007 ISA President Steve Huffman. "This initiative will
provide a vital link between the standards we develop and the
implementation of those standards. We will also have the opportunity to
partner with other organizations and assess conformity of their
standards."
A feasibility study, market study, and a legal assessment have all been
performed, and results indicated that ISA is in a strong position to
launch this initiative. Two-thirds of respondents to the market survey
believed that a standards conformity program is needed to provide a
useful link between ISA standards and the products, services, processes
and systems that use them.
"Automation users have increasingly recognized the value of adopting
true industry standards. The next step in this evolution is to ensure
that the solutions selected in fact adhere to these standards," said Wil
Chin, Director of Field Systems, ARC Advisory Group. "We are encouraged
by this announcement indicating that ISA is stepping up to fill this
need. The Automation Standards Compliance Institute will educate users
and help suppliers transform standards into real interoperable
products."
A Board of Directors will govern the organization and is expected to
include senior ISA officers, ISA staff, and directors not necessarily
associated with ISA who are appointed for their business experience with
standards conformity programs. A managing director will be hired in the
coming months to develop and implement the business and operational
aspects of the Automation Standards Compliance Institute.
"We will work with the managing director to develop business plans for
specific compliance assessment programs, based on market opportunity and
the needs of the industry," said ISA Director of Publishing Services
Chip Lee.
"Initially, we expect to consider developing compliance programs in
areas like safety, security and wireless, where asset owners,
consultants, contractors, and suppliers are all striving to reduce risks
and optimize performance," Lee said. "All of these topics are critical
to industry where assistance on how best to implement industry standards
in an effective and efficient manner is critical. The Automation
Standards Compliance Institute will be in a unique position to evaluate
compliance in these areas and facilitate development of ancillary
services that assist asset owners, integrators and consultants, and
suppliers in understanding and implementing standards."
Many in the automation community have indicated that compliance
evaluation testing methodologies may be needed to support ongoing
security standards work. The ISA-SP99 committee is focused on the
security of industrial automation and control systems. Compromise of
these systems could result in endangerment of public or employee safety,
loss of public confidence, violation of regulatory requirements, loss of
proprietary or confidential information, economic loss, and an adverse
impact on the integrity of national, or international security.
"Standards and compliance assurance activities need to go hand-in-hand.
Creating security standards, without having a means to verify they are
being followed correctly, limits their effectiveness and puts industry
at risk. On the other hand, the existence of an ISA-facilitated
organization like the Automation Standards Compliance Institute to
manage and deliver security standards compliance programs will greatly
enhance the use of the security standards and increase both safety and
security," said Eric Byres, CEO, Byres Security Inc.
The ISA-SP100 Committee, Wireless Systems for Automation, addresses
wireless manufacturing and control systems in the areas of the
environment in which the wireless technology is deployed, the technology
life cycle for wireless equipment and systems, and the application of
wireless technology. The committee's focus is to improve the confidence,
integrity, and availability of components or systems used for
manufacturing or control, and provides criteria for procuring and
implementing wireless technology in the control system environment.
"As the standard is developed, it will be critical for the Automation
Standards Compliance Institute to work with the committee to ensure that
criteria are established that can result in future compliance testing,"
said Wayne Manges, co-chair of ISA-SP100 and Program Manager with Oak
Ridge National Laboratory. "Compliance with the committee's guidance
will improve manufacturing and control system deployment, and will help
identify vulnerabilities and address them, thereby reducing the risk of
compromising or causing manufacturing control systems degradation or
failure."
