Service-oriented paradigms in industrial automation

This paper outlines opportunities and challenges in the development of next-generation embedded devices, applications, and services, resulting from their increasing intelligence-it plots envisioned future directions for intelligent device networking based on service-oriented high-level protocols, in particular as regards the industrial automation sector-and outlines the approach adopted by the Service Infrastructure for Real-Time Embedded Networked Applications project, as well as the business advantages this approach is expected to provide.