by Gary Mintchell | Aug 22, 2025 | Software, Technology
I have written about alternative technologies several times over the past 20 years. I’ve speculated about the power of Raspberry Pi for various control projects. Open source and standards-based programming tools. Some projects have become public using alternatives to big-name tools.
Can a company switch to different technologies?
David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of 37 Signals, explained a major change at the company moving from Apple-technology-based software development to a Linux-based one.
37 Signals developed the popular collaborative work tool Basecamp. Also the email client I use, HEY. Heinemeier Hansson co-wrote with partner Jason Fried the books Remote: Office Not Required, It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work, and Rework.
When the company released HEY, Apple gave them a lot of App Store grief. 37 Signals had been an almost exclusive Apple shop. The fallout from the hassle Apple gave them caused Heinemeier Hansson disenchantment with Apple. He immediately switched from iPhone to Android. Found out he didn’t lose anything in the transition. Then he explored Linux on the desktop. He didn’t think that would ever work, but he found a way around.
I should mention that he is a major force behind the programming language and IDE Ruby on Rails. He began this journey with Ubundu and Omakub on a less complex computer than the Mac. He then worked on his own open source Linux distribution called Omarchy with Hybrland windowing built on the Arch Linux distribution.
This worked so well for his own development work that he is transitioning all the company’s software development work to that platform.
Can you develop with new technologies?
Yes, if you have the talent and will to change.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 14, 2025 | News, Security
While I’m on a report kick, this cybersecurity research report is a month old (I’ve been busy and traveling). Most of the news I receive from security firms concerns research reports. If you’re not already aware that many threats are in the wild threatening your operations, then really there isn’t a lot of we can do for you.
This report from GuidePoint Security reveals a 45% year-over-year rise in active ransomware groups. The company has released its quarterly Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report from the GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT).
Covering the second quarter of 2025, the new GRIT Q2 2025 Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report offers exclusive in-depth analysis of the evolving Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) ecosystem, threat actor behaviors and emerging cybercrime trends—including a 45% year-over-year increase in the number of active ransomware groups.
The Q2 2025 Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report also investigates Iranian cyber threat activity, the growing momentum of the RaaS group DragonForce and law enforcement’s impact on Lumma Stealer, a prolific information-stealing malware favored by cyber criminals.
Key findings include:
- A 45% year-over-year increase in active ransomware groups, climbing from 45 in Q2 2024 to 71 in Q2 2025.
- Ransomware victim numbers remain elevated year-over-year (+43%), but a 23% decline in Q2 2025 hints at changing attacker patterns beyond seasonal norms.
- An 85% increase in activity from Qilin, the most active threat group of this quarter.
- 52% of observed ransomware victims in Q2 2025 were based in The United States, followed by Singapore (23%) and Canada (5%).
- The manufacturing, technology and legal industries were most heavily impacted by ransomware. Notably, the healthcare sector dropped out of the top five most targeted industries for the first time since Q2 2022.
The Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report is based on data obtained from publicly available resources, including threat groups themselves, as well as threat analyst insights into the ransomware threat landscape.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 12, 2025 | Networking
I received this item from Endress+Hauser regarding Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (APL). Companies have been working on this standard for some time. Appears to be ready for prime time according to this testing.
Ethernet-APL has moved beyond readiness. The instrumentation manufacturer Endress+Hauser successfully conducted another set of load tests of a realistic PROFINET over Ethernet-APL setup. Two years after the last successful multi-vendor tests, the technology has proven its strength again in a realistic simulation.
The load tests were tailored to meet customer-specific requirements, demonstrating that components from various manufacturers can seamlessly work together to build a robust and reliable system based on PROFINET over Ethernet-APL. Requirements were defined from the end-user perspective by the global chemical company BASF. On the supplier side, devices from Endress+Hauser, Pepperl+Fuchs, R. Stahl, Phoenix Contact, and Samson were integrated into an Emerson control system and their interoperability was confirmed.
Ethernet-APL proves consistently high performance
Two years after the first set of successful tests with other automation systems, Emerson DeltaV was in scope of the mass load test with nearly 240 Endress+Hauser measuring devices, including flow, pressure, temperature and level sensors, as well as positioners from Samson. They were tested in a ring topology consisting of Ethernet-APL field switches from Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact and R. Stahl. Emerson provided the control system DeltaV DCS including PROFINET System Redundancy (S2) support as well as the AMS Device Manager System.
The results spoke for themselves: Ethernet-APL performs reliably under full-scale conditions. The test scenarios on a network with the maximum number of devices successfully verified both, performance and reliability with the Pepperl+Fuchs switches. Key performance metrics – such as total net load and redundancy switchover times – met and even surpassed the required standards.
The field switches from Phoenix Contact were subsequently subjected to similar tests and were able to demonstrate their performance. The pre-series switches from R. Stahl were tested as well and based on the valuable results, the optimized devices will be now available for the market launch.
Gerd Niedermayer, Senior Expert Emerging Automation Technologies at BASF extends his gratitude: “Thank you to Endress+Hauser for the opportunity to conduct the scalability tests with our PROFINET-APL partners. With the help of their digital field devices, we are able to optimize diverse topics centering around engineering, commissioning and lifecycle in BASF plants and save CAPEX and OPEX costs.”
A technology with a bright future ahead
“With the success of the recent scalability test, the cooperating companies have again proven that the multi-vendor infrastructure is open, future-proof and ready for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)”, emphasizes Harald Müller, technical lead of Ethernet-APL and director technology at Endress+Hauser Temperature+System Products. This gives planners and end users further evidence that Ethernet-APL is an enabler to create more flexible, efficient and cost-effective industrial automation systems, leveraging the full scale of benefits through digitalization.
Karl Büttner, expert product manager system integration and marketing lead of Ethernet-APL at Endress+Hauser Flow, is proud and excited about the proven success of this technology: “Since 2023 we provide instrumentation for Ethernet-APL projects worldwide. Endress+Hauser is pleased with the successful launch of the technology, which helps our customers to digitalize their process plants.”
Endress+Hauser’s PROFINET support for Netilion is an additional step to support the Ethernet-based communication. It ensures remote access for example to process values and health diagnostics for all native and PROFINET-APL devices, ensuring high plant availability.
Ethernet-APL, already backed by a wide ecosystem, sees even more devices and manufacturers coming on board. The high market demand and worldwide successful implementations in the first medium-sized and large projects prove that Ethernet-based field communication in process automation has a bright future.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 7, 2025 | Networking, Wireless
I told Mehmet Yavuz, co-founder and CTO of Celona, that my contacts on LinkedIn had been discussing how 5G private networks had been a non-starter. And he was supposed to explain to me the benefits of a new private 5G solution.
He did.
The Celona solution, in brief, eliminates the cost and complexity of a cellular server-based private network. The Celona solution is an access point, similar to your WiFi access point, that plugs into the existing network switch. Think—5G field devices—>access point—>separate carrier from data—>data flows through existing network through a switch.
I like the idea. Since I can’t play with it, I can’t vouch for things like reliability. But to me a slimmer network approach should yield better performance.
From the press release:
Breakthrough architecture eliminates deployment complexity—without compromising security, performance or control
Yavuz explained that the company leadership came from a mix of cellular and industrial networking backgrounds. That shows in the structure of the solution.
Celona announced the launch and immediate availability of AerFlex—the industry’s first cloud-controlled, access point (AP)-only private 5G solution. Purpose-built to simplify and accelerate enterprise adoption, AerFlex eliminates the need for on-site servers and complex integrations, making it dramatically easier and more cost-effective to deploy high-performance, secure wireless networks. With Celona AerFlex, enterprises of all sizes can now leverage private 5G to unlock the full potential of industrial intelligence—empowering advanced automation, real-time decision-making and physical AI use cases.
No press release these days can avoid mentioning AI.
As AI-driven operations gain momentum across industrial sectors, the demand for reliable, high-performance wireless connectivity is accelerating. Private 5G is rapidly emerging as the preferred solution in environments such as refineries, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and mining operations—where traditional Wi-Fi often falls short.
With its game-changing architecture and cloud-native design, Celona AerFlex is the ideal foundation for industrial AI. By combining simplicity, speed and security in a fully integrated platform, AerFlex sets a new standard for enterprise connectivity—enabling faster deployments, lower total cost of ownership and unmatched operational agility.
Beta customer testamonial.
Celona beta customer Cargill, a global leader in food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services, is testing Celona AerFlex to connect 20 satellite offices with its warehousing operations to streamline manufacturing processes, improve supply chain efficiency and automate forklifts used on its warehouse floor.
“Cargill operates over a thousand locations worldwide, many in remote or space-constrained environments where traditional infrastructure just doesn’t work,” said Robert Greiner, Director Platform Engineering for Customer, Commercial & Business Operations Digital Technology at Cargill. “Celona AerFlex gives us a secure, scalable private 5G solution that supports the growing role of AI and automation across our operations. Its innovative design and cloud-based management simplify deployment by eliminating the need for dedicated IT personnel at each location.”
Celona AerFlex is redefining private 5G by eliminating the complexity of traditional deployments. With an AP-only architecture, secure local data breakout, and cloud-based orchestration, AerFlex enables rapid rollouts—often in hours, not weeks. With its cloud-based control, AerFlex delivers centralized orchestration, built-in resiliency and scalability.
Unlike legacy telco solutions that retrofit complex infrastructure for enterprise use—or fragmented small cell systems that require multi-vendor integration—Celona AerFlex introduces a fundamentally different approach. By intelligently splitting network functions between Celona access points and the cloud and leveraging CelonaOS—the industry’s only unified private 5G operating system—AerFlex delivers seamless integration across radio, core and AI-powered management.
“Celona AerFlex marks a major leap forward in making private 5G truly accessible and operationally efficient for enterprises of all sizes,” said Rajeev Shah, CEO and co-founder of Celona. “By combining innovation with radical simplicity, we’re removing the traditional barriers to private 5G adoption—enabling more organizations to harness its performance, reliability, and security at a time when AI is transforming every industry.”
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 31, 2025 | Robots
In further AMR news, this from ABB. Notably, much news in this market emanates from a geographical axis of Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland.
As ABB explains:
- ABB extends leadership in AI-powered autonomous mobile robots with ultra-compact, high payload Flexley Mover P603 platform AMR
- AI-driven Visual SLAM and integrated load sensing enable stable and autonomous navigation, including in challenging conditions
- AMR Studio 4.0 version simplifies deployment with no-code programming and real-time fleet management
My previous blog post was about Siemens who also claimed the “most compact” AMR to handle 1500 kg.
ABB launched Flexley Mover P603 platform AMR, the most compact model in its class to handle payloads of up to 1500 kg. Designed to boost intralogistics efficiency, the P603 combines compact design with AI-driven Visual SLAM navigation and the latest version of AMR Studio software that maximizes flexibility by enabling different modules to be integrated into the AMR.
Features and benefits
The AMR P603 is part of ABB’s new era of Autonomous Versatile Robotics, where robots can seamlessly switch between tasks, in real time and with minimal effort. With its AI-driven Visual SLAM navigation, the AMR P603 is smarter, faster and safer (meeting ISO 3691-4 and ANSI 56.5 standards) while delivering industry-leading agility and positioning accuracy of ±5 mm, with no need for reflectors or change in infrastructure. Its differential bidirectional drive system enables smooth movement in tight production and warehouse layouts, while its integrated load detection capabilities optimize stability and safety during transport.
The P603’s agility and compact design makes it ideal for intralogistics applications, including end of line, goods to robot, line supply, inter-process connection, and kitting. It supports a wide range of load types and dimensions, including open and closed pallets, containers, racks, and trolleys, all handled with a single AMR and flexible top model configuration.
Designed with modularity in mind, the AMR P603 can be easily adapted with various ‘top modules’ to handle different load types. Combined with the AMR Studio upgrade, it enables rapid setup and seamless customization, with system integrators and end users able to build and modify applications using drag-and-drop tools. With this and other features such as intuitive no-code mission programming, AMR Studio reduces commissioning time by up to 20 percent. ABB’s Fleet Manager software is also integrated, allowing users to coordinate multiple AMRs in real time across large and dynamic production environments.
Future vision
ABB will continue to focus on fusing its precision hardware with artificial intelligence and software, towards further autonomy and versatility.
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 31, 2025 | Robots
This post and the next are Autonomous Guided Vehicle news items from June’s automatica show in Germany. First up, Siemens.
The news in brief:
- Operations Copilot to interact with physical AI agents
- Vision: Multi-agent systems with physical and virtual AI agents for autonomous transport systems and mobile robots
- New software-based safety solution Safe Velocity
Robots and autonomous vehicles come in a wide variety of form factors and use cases. Companies continue to reveal new innovations. This news from Siemens.
Siemens is announcing plans to integrate its Operations Copilot into driverless transport systems and mobile robots. The Operations Copilot is an industrial copilot for machine operation and maintenance. As mobile transport robots increasingly operate as autonomous physical agents powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the Operations Copilot will serve as a user interface for humans. Through this agent-based interface, users will be able to configure autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), assigning them tasks like transporting materials and goods across the shop floor. This is yet another building block for automating automation in a factory with the help of generative AI.
Future Plans
Siemens plans to expand the capabilities of the Operations Copilot by introducing AI agents specifically developed for use with AMRs and AGVs. These agents support both the commissioning and operation of individual vehicles and entire fleets. Commissioning in particular is a complex and time-intensive process: AGVs need to be integrated into the factory’s existing IT and OT infrastructure and configured for specific conditions like routes and transfer stations. To streamline this task, engineers can rely on the Operations Copilot: It leverages AGV sensors and cameras to generate a detailed understanding of their environment. The Operations Copilot can access all relevant technical documentation of the installed components and retrieve real-time system data through its agent interface. This enables commissioning engineers and operators to work more efficiently, resolve issues faster, and ensure rapid deployment.
Safe Velocity
AGVs are equipped with navigation and sensor technologies, that allow them to move safely and reliably through production and intralogistics environments – with no direct human intervention. When people or objects appear in their path, AGVs automatically slow down, stop, or navigate around these obstacles. Siemens’ new software solution, Safe Velocity, enables the fail-safe monitoring of vehicle speed, which permits the protective fields of safety laser scanners to be dynamically adjusted in real time. The TÜV-certified software is compatible with the hardware and software from a variety of AGV manufacturers and enhances existing safety systems to meet stringent industrial safety standards. Safe Velocity reduces the need for additional safety hardware. This simplifies system architecture, saves valuable vehicle space, lowers engineering complexity, and minimizes cabling requirements – without compromising functional safety.
In the future, the Operations Copilot will interact with AI agents such as Safe Velocity to analyze targeted data from safety laser scanners and monitor the speed of AGVs. The virtual Safe Velocity agent supervises autonomous vehicles and can cooperate with other agents designed for AGV and AMR applications. This way, Siemens is building a multi-agent system where the Operations Copilot orchestrates both physical and virtual AI agents, enabling seamless interactions and deeper integration between the real and the digital worlds.
