Running head: Marketing Connecting the factory floor to the intranet/internet Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Connecting the factory floor to the intranet/internet Over the last years, a lot of information has been made available to convince managers and business executives on the benefits of integrating the plant floor equipments to the intranet or internet. Web-enabled automation has several benefits and different parts and equipments are required to ensure that the technology is effective. To start with, web enabled automation gives a company a competitive advantage over other businesses since solutions such as WebView, WebLink, and WebOIT are simple and cost effective. These technologies can be implemented by organizations to promote performance and productivity, efficient dissemination of information, enhance the way problems are solved and increase customer satisfaction (Pinto, 2006). Internet connectivity is essential especially when a company deals with automation products and compatibility of application layers is required to guarantee that all the industrial networks are working. When Ethernet was first developed, its application in an industrial setting was dismissed but its usage in an industrial environment has increased rapidly. Apart from the fact that it is cheaper and readily available, it is easy to install and maintain. Moreover, industrial networking operations standardize the whole organization from the corpor...