DCS has its origins in the regulation and control of operations at large-scale industrial plants such as oil refineries that require super reliability, continuous monitoring / control, and system continuity over the entire lifetime of the facility. As a result, DCS systems place more emphasis on reliability and continuity with legacy systems than on flexibility and openness. STARDOM has been expressly developed to target new niche markets which require more openness, connectivity, and flexibility. STARDOM uses the IEC61131-3 programming language, employs Ethernet as a standard bus, has a compact yet robust controller, and uses a thin HMI client. This promotes both system flexibility and openness. Furthermore, Internet and intranet connectivity is promoted with an embedded web function that provides several useful applications. Consequently, STARDOM is more suited than DCS for controlling and monitoring remotely located facilities or mid-sized facilities that can be run autonomously.