OMAC changes the meaning of its name to Organisation for Machine Automation and Control.
When formed in 1994, the OMAC acronym was defined as Open Modular Architecture Control. At that time, the OMAC Users Group was focused on influencing the industry to move to a more open technology and leverage the benefits of the evolving personal computer industry into manufacturing automation and away from proprietary hardware and software solutions.
Since then, the OMAC mission has evolved to promotion of industry standards/guidelines that promote more “plug and play” manufacturing automation systems.
Today, with more than 500 members, OMAC is ready to take the next step and evolve as an organisation to better meet the needs of its current members as well as those of new groups that did not previously have a
natural connection with the original meaning of OMAC.
The new name was proposed at the OMAC Board Meeting at the ARC Forum in Orlando, FL and was just recently approved by the OMAC Board of Directors along with a new mission statement. The changes reflect the vision and value-added proposition the new OMAC has to offer. As the new name implies, the potential membership base has dramatically increased to include a broader audience.
“These changes to OMAC validate the importance of the new OMAC as an expertise organsation in our industries. We will continue to build OMAC and offer our members an extensive network of expertise areas across a broader spectrum. As a corporate member, you have the opportunity to directly shape the future of OMAC, that’s an opportunity you can’t put a price on,” said Sid Venkatesh, OMAC Chairman, about the
new OMAC.