ISA Fellow

Peter Martin, Invensys VP and ISA Fellow

Here’s a shout out and congratulations to a respected member of our industry and someone who has provided invaluable advice to me over the years. Peter G. Martin, Invensys vice president of business value solutions, has been elevated to the distinguished grade of ISA Fellow. The honor was granted for Martin’s outstanding achievements in the fields of science and engineering, as recognize by the International Society of Automation. Thanks to ISA for recognizing his contributions.

Streamlined Licensing Model for OPC Client
Software Toolbox has announced changes to the licensing model for the OPC Data Client, an OPC client development toolkit. The new model provides all of the components of the OPC Data Client family in one easy installer and one license, significantly reducing the total cost of the components. Previously, the OPC Data Client components were all sold as separate products. These components included the OPC Data.NET, OPC Data-COM and OPC Data-UA.

The release of the latest version combines the earlier separate products into a single installation package and is sold as a single license. The product editions have now also been simplified and are no longer distinguished by the platforms or OPC specifications they support. Instead, the price list has been streamlined by unifying the different products into a single OPC Data Client product with just two editions: Standard and Ultimate.

Gary: I expect to see a continuation of these creative pricing solutions from a large variety of software solution providers. It only makes sense in this “app economy.”

The New SME

SME Logo

I am a member of both ISA and SME, so I try to keep up with both. (I gave up on IEEE–overloaded.) SME (formerly the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) has undergone one of those navel-gazing self assessments that all member organizations are doing lately and has evolved a new vision, mission statement, logo, purpose and the “whole nine yards.”

Vision: Enhance progress, prosperity and strong communities through manufacturing.

Mission: Inspire, prepare and support our stakeholders in the advancement of manufacturing.

Purpose: Advance manufacturing and attract future generations.

The official brand is SME, while the legal name remains Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Note the new logo.

Tagline Making the future. Together. Note play on words with “make”.