Headquartered in Irvine, Calif. Wonderware was established to develop and market human-machine interface software products for use on IBM PC and compatible computers.

A pioneer in the use of Windows in industrial automation, Wonderware offered object oriented, graphical tools, adhering strictly to the Microsoft® Windows® standard. Soon, Wonderware set new standards and from a single HMI product company, became a supplier of a broad range of products compatible to the industrial environment.

In 1997, with the launch of FactorySuite, a first integrated suite of products was available on the market. Its unique range of functionality included:

• Human Machine Interface (HMI)

• Resource Management and Tracking

• Batch Management

• PC-Based Control

• Real Time Data Management

• Remote Application Viewing

• I/O Servers

In April 1998, Wonderware became a wholly owned subsidiary of Siebe plc one of Great Britain's largest diversified engineering and electronics groups.