Abstract
The capabilities offered by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and business process have changed the paradigm of industrial practices. These ICTs have potential to create new type of industrial engineering. The chapter presents fundamental concepts and issues in industrial informatics along with the communication technologies. The authors also present discussion on design process and requirement of communications in industrial settings. The chapter also explores opportunities for research problems in the fields of wireless fieldbus systems and wireless industrial communications. In the discussion, the authors mention differences between theoretical and practical data rates. Therefore, opportunity involves the search for new protocol techniques to improve real-time capabilities in industrial settings.