The company says that a gap has developed between its original name – created when General Electric and Fanuc set up the joint venture more than 20 years ago – and what it now does. The new name is designed to close that gap.

Since the original JV, the company has grown and evolved, both organically and through acquisitions such as Total Control Products, CimWorks, DataViews Corporation, AFE Technologies, Computer Dynamics, VMIC, Intellution, SBS, Condor and Radstone. The business now spans activities ranging from naval weapons systems to tool and die machines.

GE Fanuc argues that these various activities are converging using common standards that define the basic building blocks of system design. By selecting the right hardware and software modules and combining them into a system, it assembles platforms to meet customers’ specific needs. This modular approach also reduces the need for custom hardware and software development

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms says that the modular architecture is allowing it to deliver electronic intelligence in custom-tuned "platforms", rather than isolated components.