SeQent acquires Open Automation Software

Key Takeaways

• SeQent now owns Open Automation Software (OAS), adding native edge‑to‑cloud connectivity and data‑historization to its alarm‑management suite.
• Universal Data Connector (UDC) in OAS moves data across any vendor’s PLC, Modbus device, OPC server, database, or cloud endpoint without lock‑in.
• The combined solution supports Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, Modbus, OPC‑UA, MQTT and SQL/NoSQL databases, handling up to 10 k tags/s and buffering across multiple sites.
• Customers gain a single auditable trail from sensor to notification, cutting integration layers and reducing latency.
• The integration expands SeQent’s reach from “alert‑only” to full‑stack data movement, historization, and visualization.

Overview of the Acquisition

SeQent, a long‑time provider of alarm notification and escalation for SCADA, MES, and PLC environments, announced the purchase of Open Automation Software (OAS), a specialist in industrial data connectivity. The deal brings OAS’s Universal Data Connector under SeQent’s umbrella, extending the company’s portfolio upstream— from merely routing alarms to handling raw data streams, edge‑to‑cloud transport, and long‑term storage.

What OAS Contributes

Native Device Drivers

• Allen‑Bradley (ControlLogix, CompactLogix) – direct Ethernet/IP communication.
• Siemens (S7‑1500, S7‑1200) – native S7 protocol support.
• Modbus RTU/TCP – up to 247 concurrent devices.
• OPC‑UA/DA servers – seamless integration with legacy HMI/SCADA stacks.

Edge Compute & Buffering

• Store‑and‑forward buffers can hold up to 48 h of data on local SSD, ensuring no loss during network outages.
• Data can be streamed to SQL, PostgreSQL, InfluxDB, or Azure IoT Hub with sub‑second latency (typical 150 ms end‑to‑end).

High‑Speed Logging

• OAS logs >10 k tags per second into customer‑owned databases, providing a raw, immutable record for compliance and analytics.

Integration Benefits for SeQent Customers

The merged platform now captures any event—whether a PLC fault, a temperature reading, or an MQTT telemetry spike—applies the same escalation rules, and delivers the alert to radios, smartphones, PA systems, or dashboards. Because the data and the alarm travel together on a single, auditable pipeline, plants can retire redundant middleware and reduce overall latency.

Core Advantages of the Combined Solution

1. Notification from Any Source

Legacy controllers, Modbus field devices, MQTT brokers, and enterprise databases can trigger the same routing logic that previously handled only SCADA alarms.

2. Single Auditable Record

Every trigger, the associated process data, the notification channel, and the acknowledgment status are logged in an open format directly to the customer’s own database—facilitating ISO 27001 and FDA 21‑CFR‑11 compliance.

3. Fewer Critical‑Path Components

Eliminating third‑party integration layers shortens the signal‑to‑action chain, typically shaving 30‑50 ms off alert delivery times.

4. End‑to‑End Signal‑to‑Action Flow

OAS handles connectivity and storage; SeQent handles routing, escalation, and response—delivering a single, coherent pathway from sensor to operator.

Bottom Line

SeQent’s acquisition of Open Automation Software transforms the company from an alarm‑centric notifier into a full‑stack industrial data platform. By embedding OAS’s vendor‑agnostic Universal Data Connector, SeQent now offers seamless edge‑to‑cloud data movement, robust buffering, and high‑speed historization—all while preserving its proven escalation engine. For manufacturers operating heterogeneous equipment across multiple generations, the unified solution delivers a single, auditable data path, reduces integration overhead, and accelerates response times—key ingredients for a resilient, future‑proof plant.