The Modbus Organization is a group of independent users and suppliers of automation devices that drives and supports the adoption of the Modbus communication protocol suite, by providing the infrastructure to obtain and share information about the application and implementation of the protocol. The organization engages in a broad range of activities relating to the maintenance and proliferation of the Modbus protocol. This includes participation in standards activities worldwide, leading the evolution of the Modbus protocol and its variants, encouraging and assisting the use of Modbus across a broad spectrum of physical layers and transmission media. The organization maintains an extensive, searchable database of Modbus devices and suppliers; an active, dedicated online, global engineering discussion forum, and access to relevant educational materials and knowledge through its membership and website.