So why do I think we are potentially on the cusp of a integration breakthrough in manufacturing?

Today almost all of the major control systems suppliers are making massive investments in software.  The question is whether these investments will actually allow the control systems vendors to compete against software intensive firms like SAP, Microsoft, Google or Oracle?  Digital technology has embedded itself in all aspects of machinery.  From the blender on the kitchen counter to the Boeing 787, microprocessor technology is the brains behind most every device in our daily lives.  So i

Mourning the loss Friday of Greg Wilkinson, supremely capable and enthusiastic business associate through many years at GrowthPoint, Microsoft and Rockwell Automation. The automation marketing community lost one of the good ones. We'll miss you, Greg. Be at peace.  

Wilkinson, Greg

ChemRA. Sounds a bit like a Saturday a.m. kiddie cartoon superhero, but it's not. It's the new initiative from Microsoft to "provide solutions for the chemical and oil refining industries," according to the press release. ChemRA, aka, Chemical Reference Architecture Initiative, Microsoft describes it as "a reference architecture framework that will help address business and technological needs for cutomers in the industry."

According to the Channel Insider blog, Microsoft has released an out-of-band patch (MS10-046) that attempts to repair the .LNK vulnerability that has been used to attack Siemens S7, PCS7 and WinCC-based HMI systems.

OK, faced with the Siemens vulnerability, which could have been anybody else's vulnerability just as easily, what should we do?

I've been accused of being an apologist for vendors, but that's not what I am. As long as end-users are accepting (and many cases, specifying) software that runs on Microsoft Windows and Windows Server versions, these vulnerabilities will show up. I am a realist who's had a career in product marketing, sales, and new product development, and I know from the inside what it is like.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE ON VIRUS AFFECTING SIMATIC WINCC SCADA SYSTEMS

After much trepidation and waiting I FINALLY made the leap and migrated to Windows 7 yesterday. Having been warned by others, including the installation instructions from HP (I have an HP laptop purchased a year ago so received a complimentary update in Q4 last year), to back up all my data I spent the first 1 – 2 hours being sure that was done several ways. In addition to Norton Backup, I also copied my data directories and Application Data directories manually as well to my local LaCie USB drive.

The December issue of Control Magazine contained an article http://www.controlglobal.com/articles/2009/ProcessAnalyzersPlay0912.html of interest to automation professionals involved in data integration and as the title of this blog implies, that is Xi (pronounced “X-EYE”) as a new version of OPC.   As a process analyser professional, it interested me to see that this technology is initially believed to have significant impact to the PAT initiative and then two “minor” items in the associated sidebar explaining the technology a bit further caught my attention.

According to many news channels, including the New York Times, Microsoft has finally reached a deal with Yahoo to provide the search capability from Microsoft's new Bing! support software to Yahoo. This is the best deal Microsoft's Steve Balmer could salvage from his aborted attempt to acquire Yahoo.