ISA - International Society of Automation

What ISA - International Society of Automation does

ISA (International Society of Automation) is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association founded in 1945 and headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. It is the globally recognized developer of consensus-based industrial automation standards—most notably the ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity series, ISA-95 enterprise-control integration, ISA-88 batch control, and more than 150 other standards series—and serves approximately 18,790 automation professionals across manufacturing, critical infrastructure, oil and gas, and adjacent industries. Beyond standards, ISA runs professional certifications (CAP, CCST), certificate programs in OT cybersecurity, automation project management, and an ISA Business Academy mini-MBA, supported by self-paced, instructor-led, and custom training delivered through its own channels, training resellers, and wholly-owned subsidiaries including ISAGCA, the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute, and ISASecure.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring membership dues ($158/year professional, $79 reduced-dues, $15 student), training enrollment, certification and credential fees, standards and publication sales (now distributed via a 2026 Wiley co-publishing partnership covering ~70 backlist titles and 5–8 new titles per year), event registrations and sponsorships (ISA Automation Summit & Expo, OT Cybersecurity Summit, webinars), and the ISASecure certification program. Distribution occurs through isa.org direct sales, the Wiley storefront, geographic sections, training resellers, and event channels, with content also reaching members via ISA Connect, InTech magazine, the Automation.com monthly publication, and the peer-reviewed ISA Transactions journal. Leadership for the 2026 term is headed by CEO Claire Fallon with President Ashley Weckwerth (Burns and McDonnell) and President-elect Secretary Francisco Diaz-Andreu (Repsol); a newly launched MimoSM AI chatbot delivers natural-language Q&A over ISA's content corpus as an emerging product surface.

Name

ISA - International Society of Automation

Legal name

International Society of Automation

Website

https://isa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISA (International Society of Automation) is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association, founded in 1945, that develops consensus-based industrial automation standards (including the ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity series) and serves roughly 18,790 members through certifications, training, publications, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Standards and Professional Certification

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Control System Cybersecurity for OT (ICS Security, Monitoring, Hardening) (IMAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

OT/ICS & Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Services (BPAKAHAN), PLC, HMI & SCADA Automation (EDAOAHAD)

Keywords

• Industrial automation standards
• Automation professional certification
• OT cybersecurity standards
• SCADA systems training
• Professional association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexander

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. Professional members pay $158/year (or $79 with reduced dues for eligible countries), students pay $15/year. Life members are exempt from dues after qualifying criteria.
2. Training Programs: ISA offers self-paced modular training, instructor-led courses, custom onsite training, and the ISA Business Academy (10-week virtual Mini-MBA certification course). Training discounts are provided to members.
3. Standards and Publications: Sale of ISA standards, technical reports, books, and publications. Book sales transitioned to Wiley as publishing partner in 2026. ISA maintains a backlist of approximately 70 titles with plans for 5-8 new books annually.
4. Certification Programs: CAP (Certified Automation Professional), CCST (Certified Control Systems Technician), and various certificate programs including ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity certificates. Fees charged for certification exams and credentials.
5. Events and Conferences: Registration fees for ISA Automation Summit & Expo, OT Cybersecurity Summit, webinars, and other events. Conference sponsorships and exhibition opportunities provide additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ISA develops and publishes over 150 consensus-based automation standards (including the globally adopted ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity series) and operates professional certifications (CAP, CCST, ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity, Automation Project Management, ISA Business Academy), multi-format training (self-paced, instructor-led, custom enterprise), technical publications (ISA Transactions journal, InTech magazine, books, position papers), and major events such as the ISA Automation Summit & Expo and OT Cybersecurity Summit. The organization serves a global membership of approximately 18,790 automation professionals across manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, water/wastewater, and other critical infrastructure sectors.

Product overview

ISA (International Society of Automation) is a non-profit professional association offering a comprehensive portfolio of standards, certifications, training, publications, and events for industrial automation professionals. The core offerings include ISA Standards (including the ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity standards), professional certifications (CAP, CCST), and certificate programs (ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity, Automation Project Management, ISA Business Academy). The organization provides training through multiple formats (self-paced, instructor-led, custom solutions) and publishes technical content through ISA Transactions journal, InTech magazine, books, and position papers. ISA organizes major events including the ISA Automation Summit & Expo and OT Cybersecurity Summit. Technical offerings include the ISASecure certification program, ISA100 Wireless standards, and ISA Connect community platform. An AI-powered service called MimoSM enables natural language queries about ISA content. The organization recently partnered with Wiley for publishing distribution and published new standards including ANSI/ISA-112 for SCADA systems lifecycle management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISA Standards Consensus-based automation and control systems standards developed by ISA, covering instrumentation symbols, enterprise-control integration, control systems, safety, and cybersecurity through series including ISA-5, ISA-18, ISA-67, ISA-75, ISA-77, ISA-84, ISA-88, ISA-95, ISA-96, ISA-99/62443, ISA-100, ISA-101, ISA-105, and ISA-106. Used by automation professionals and their employers as foundational technical references.
• ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards The world's only consensus-based series of automation and control systems cybersecurity standards, providing a comprehensive framework for industrial cybersecurity across operational technology environments.
• CAP (Certified Automation Professional) Professional certification program validating expertise in automation and control systems engineering and management for working automation professionals.
• CCST (Certified Control Systems Technician) Technician-level certification demonstrating proficiency in maintaining and troubleshooting control systems for industrial automation technicians.
• ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Certificate Program Certificate program covering industrial cybersecurity standards and implementation for operational technology environments, aligned to the ISA/IEC 62443 series.
• Automation Project Management Specialist Certificate Practical certificate program for executing automation projects with confidence, targeted at automation project leaders and engineers.
• ISA Business Academy A 10-week virtual Mini-MBA certification course focused on teaching fundamentals of organizational management and business finance to automation professionals.
• ISASecure Certification Program ISASecure validates conformance to the ISA/IEC 62443 series of internationally adopted standards for industrial security, offering product certification through accredited ISO/IEC 17065 certification bodies.
• ISA100 Wireless Wireless standards and compliance program for industrial automation and control systems, operated by the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute, with the ISA100 Wireless Excellence in Automation Award recognizing adopters of the technology.
• ISA Training Training courses covering automation and control topics offered in multiple formats including self-paced modular training, instructor-led courses, custom onsite and online training solutions, and the ISA Business Academy.
• ISA Publications Technical publications including ISA Transactions journal (top CiteScore in its category from Elsevier/ScienceDirect), InTech magazine, books, position papers, white papers, Automation.com monthly digital publication, and software resources for automation professionals.
• MimoSM AI-powered large-language model chatbot educated on ISA content including standards, training, reports, articles and presentations, enabling natural language Q&A about industrial automation topics.
• ISA Automation Summit & Expo Annual flagship conference featuring expert technical presentations, social functions and exhibit opportunities, scheduled for September 27-29, 2026 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
• ISA OT Cybersecurity Summit Industrial cybersecurity event featuring breakfast forums, expo, speaker sessions and training opportunities on operational technology security, held June 16-18, 2026 in Prague.
• ISA Connect Online community platform for engaging in technical discussions, networking with automation professionals, and accessing member resources, forums, and expert directories.

Quantifiable outcome

• ISA Transactions achieved top CiteScore in its category from Elsevier

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WileycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2026Wiley and ISA announced a co-publishing partnership in February 2026. Wiley manages ISA's backlist of approximately 70 titles and publishes 5-8 new books annually. Wiley leverages its global infrastructure and distribution channels while ISA maintains editorial independence. This partnership expands global access to automation content.
• Wiley (NYSE: WLY)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Strategic co-publishing partnership where Wiley assumes control of ISA's backlist and publishes new automation titles annually. Wiley strengthens its position in industrial automation while ISA gains expanded distribution channels and digital platforms. Editorial independence is preserved.
• AXA XLminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 December 2025AXA XL, the commercial property and casualty division of AXA SA, officially joined the ISASecure certification program in December 2025. The membership strengthens AXA XL's ability to provide operational technology cybersecurity risk consulting services by leveraging the ISASecure certification framework to help clients integrate cybersecurity more comprehensively.
• ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISAGCA is an ISA-affiliated organization focused on improving cybersecurity for operational technology and industrial control systems. It works with ISA to develop standards, resources, and programs for OT cybersecurity.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SANS Institute: SANS Institute is a leading cybersecurity training and GIAC certification provider that has expanded into OT/ICS cybersecurity content - directly overlapping ISA's ICS cybersecurity training and certificate programs with similar buyer profiles.
• (ISC)²: (ISC)² administers the CISSP and other globally recognized cybersecurity credentials, creating a parallel professional certification ecosystem that competes for the same industrial cybersecurity credentialing dollars that ISA targets via ISA/IEC 62443 certificates.

Direct peers

• Automation Federation: Automation Federation is an ISA-affiliated umbrella organization that promotes cross-society collaboration on automation standards and workforce development, directly overlapping ISA's mission and standards advocacy role.
• ODVA: ODVA develops CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) and EtherNet/IP standards for industrial networking. It is a peer standards body serving ISA's same automation engineer audience with overlapping technical scope.
• OPC Foundation: OPC Foundation maintains the OPC UA interoperability standard used across industrial automation, comparable to ISA as a standards-setting consortium with industry-wide adoption and certification programs.
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): IEC is the international standards body that co-publishes the ISA/IEC 62443 series with ISA and creates automation, electrical, and cybersecurity standards with global regulatory reach - making it the closest institutional peer.
• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology): NIST develops the Cybersecurity Framework and other operational technology security guidance that frequently references ISA/IEC 62443. It is a peer in OT/ICS cybersecurity standards authorship, with U.S. federal regulatory influence.
• MESA International: MESA International develops manufacturing operations management (MOM/MES) guidance and certifications for plant-floor professionals - a comparable professional society serving the same ISA-95 enterprise-control integration audience with overlapping education and certification offerings.

Others

• International Society of Automation Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA): ISAGCA is an ISA wholly owned affiliate focused on OT cybersecurity advocacy. It is included as an ecosystem subsidiary rather than an independent peer, illustrating how ISA extends its standards authority through dedicated consortium vehicles.

Broad incumbents

• IEEE Industrial Electronics Society: IEEE Industrial Electronics Society publishes peer-reviewed research, conferences, and standards touching automation and control. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping academic publications and standards activity versus ISA's niche focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISA_Interchange
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/isawebgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalSocietyOfAutomation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isa
• Instagraminstagram.com/isa_interchange
• Pinterestpinterest.com/IntlSocietyofAutomation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ISA - International Society of Automation