by Gary Mintchell | Sep 30, 2010 | Automation
I’ll be taking a break from Emerson Exchange from 1:30 to 3:00 EDT (12:30 to 2 CDT) to moderate another Webcast. You can still register and listen here. It’s titled “Creating Security Systems that allow Data Access and Protection.” I don’t know where marketing people come up with titles, but the Webcast, sponsored by Belden, focuses on building an Ethernet industrial network that serves the needs for both security and for access to the data. Should be interesting. We go live at 2 EDT, 1 CDT.
by Gary Mintchell | Sep 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
Here is the first part of my interview with former head of Emerson Process Management, John Berra. Today is his last day on the job after 41 years in the industry. I hope you’ll hear more from his perspective as an industry leader in the future. The interview went longer than that, and you’ll see more in a couple of days here and at Automation World.
by Gary Mintchell | Sep 29, 2010 | Automation
This is another good conference. Very well attended. Sessions are full and networking is in full speed. You can find our show daily coverage here.
Social media continues to increase at the Exchange. Here is the “Twitter Station” where new users sign up to Twitter and learn how to use it–especially to search on #EMRex.
As always, there is a large trade show / technology expo. Picture below. A hit feature of the Expo this year is the “Usability Experience.” This is an expansion upon the Human Centered Design idea introduced last year. In the Experience, users can give ideas (see I Have an Idea picture) about how products work, how they should, what they’d like to see in how software screens work and are presented. Then people can come through and vote for their favorites. A large monitor reflects the voting by size of dot. There’s even a game-like simulation to show the differences between maintenance trying to cover a plant and keep production up with few monitored pumps and every pump being monitored. Hint: it’s better to monitor them all.
by Gary Mintchell | Sep 27, 2010 | Events
The ballroom was a little dark, but I wanted to give a sense of a large, packed house.
Steve Sonnenberg, Emerson Vice President and Business Leader of Emerson Process Management, delivered the Emerson part of the keynotes this morning at Emerson Global Users Exchange 2010 to a packed ballroom with probably more than 3,000 in attendance. Reported registrations of end users, partners and the like total about 2,200. That is up from about 1,800 last year. Sonnenberg, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, produced a chart that showed Exchange as a leading indicator for the company’s business.
And speaking of business, Sonnenberg acknowledged coming through some tough economic times, but that company executives remain optimistic for the future. His first point of the talk was Focus Delivers Results. Emerson made many tough decisions in 2009 to weather the storm, but they helped keep the organization stable. 2010 is shaping up to be a good year, and the company is poised to go forward in 2011.
The company continued to invest during the downturn. Sonnenberg boasted having the largest research and development in the industry. R&D spending actually increased 4% in 2009 and 8% in 2010. Other investments were in acquisitions of Roxar, EIM, SI Industrial Instruments and epro. The Emerson Innovation Center in Marshalltown, Iowa gives the company industry leading ability to test valves and systems at high flow and pressure in larger pipe sizes than previously possible anywhere in the world.
In remarks that should give pause to those who think big companies cannot innovate, Sonnenberg took attendees through a list of technologies Emerson has championed over the years. The list begins with Hart, continues through Foundation Fieldbus, smart Safety Integrated Systems, Smart wireless, and then on to last year’s announcements of DeltaV I/O on demand, electronic marshalling and all the relevant technologies around Human Centered Design.
If focus gives clarity and intensity, collaboration creates purpose. A few years ago the industry was composed of product suppliers. But users said, “We need more.” So Emerson started building out global service centers, then started working more as a project partner as customers started building larger and more complex facilities. Even advances through Human Centered Design are contributing to advancing collaboration.
by Gary Mintchell | Sep 27, 2010 | Automation
I interview Rune Reppenhagen, Emerson Process Management DeltaV Brand Manager about DeltaV announcements and presentations at Emerson Exchange 2010 in San Antonio.
