A method for providing an expanded name service for an industrial automation system, wherein name-address assignments between device names and communication network addresses are registered in a name service system to provide an expanded name service for an industrial automation system, where device names registered in the name service system have a hierarchical structure represented by a tree structure, where assignments between device names and plant identification codes are additionally registered in the name service system, where the plant identification codes are registered within the same tree structure as the device names, and where end nodes that are respectively assigned to the plant identification codes in the tree structure comprise either a reference to end nodes which are respectively assigned to the device names or intermediate nodes for plant identification codes comprise a reference to intermediate nodes that are respectively assigned to plant units.