by Gary Mintchell | Dec 9, 2014 | Marketing
How do you get information about manufacturing/production and technology? Are you concerned with the influence of advertisers over editorial? Are you aware if the article you’re reading is from a supplier or “objective” reporter?
I have a friend who left traditional Business-To-Business (B2B) media to go out on his own (no, this isn’t about me in third person!). His mantra is “I don’t take advertising, so I can tell the truth.”
I have another friend in the business (as well as me) who says, “What? You think I don’t tell the ‘truth’ even though there is advertising on my site!?”
I say, “If you want to advertise, call me” 😉 But I’ll say what I want.
Oh, there’s a surprise at the bottom of the post.
Mixing Advertising and Reporting
The New Republic is a magazine with a 100-year heritage. It’s opinionated, but respected. It’s now disintegrating. Maybe.
The problem seems to be the new owner who suddenly wants to see a profit. When the sales department runs a magazine, a continuous tension between editors (who like to think they are independent observers and reporters of events) and sales (who think all articles should promote their clients) is inevitable.
The other issue is writing articles to generate online traffic. Utilize search engine optimization (SEO), the bosses say. Editors traditionally say, who cares. I’m writing the truth.
The New York Times has reported on the New Republic fiasco.
The quintessential social media mogul — Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard roommate — buys the ultimate symbol of the old media, a progressive opinion journal that dates back to the Woodrow Wilson administration. What could possibly go wrong?
And so what started out as a fairy tale turned into a cautionary one about this fraught moment in the history of the media, when news meetings at even the most respected publications are increasingly taken up with conversations about audience development and search engine optimization.
[One contributor] said that though the values of the magazine, and its focus on long, thoughtful stories, were paramount, “the media environment in which The New Republic operates has changed.”
I don’t believe SEO is necessarily all that bad. My Website designer (Jon DiPietro now of Authentia] and I looked at the keywords that would relate to what I write about, studied their Google strength, and then built in an SEO component in the Website.
The problem occurs especially for The New Republic when sales begins ordering a change in the entire format of the magazine from longer, more thoughtful articles to short snippets designed solely for maximizing page views therefore maximizing ad impressions therefore maximizing the dollar value of the banner ads.
This, by the way, is a short-term strategy. It’s the last gasp of a dying model. But change will require a total restructuring of the model, the role of sales, the role of writers, the problems of suppliers promoting their products and services.
Marketers’ dilemma
Actually, still another issue is that marketers increasingly want to write articles that look just like editorial but are actually advertising. The idea is to trick readers into reading the article as if it were written by an “objective” reporter. Perhaps then, people will read and believe.
I guess that marketers believe that readers will not read articles written by marketing managers—especially engineers—because they are expecting nothing more than a sales pitch. And, we’re all tired of constant sales pitches.
But marketing communications people exist to get their message out in whatever way they can. And why do they think that their message is so lacking in substance that they must resort to trickery?
Solution?
In our industry, technology comes from suppliers. We live on technology among other things. We need to know about the new technologies—what they are and how they are used. This comes from suppliers and early adopters.
I tell marketing professionals when I consult with them (either for free or for a fee) to start a blog. They can get their message out in their own way. But, I always say, ensure that the information is clear, relevant, devoid of “marketing speak”—superlatives and other overboard bragging, and above all technical.
I will read supplier information if it meets those criteria. To be honest, I don’t read supplier articles in trade magazines—haven’t for 30 years. I have higher expectations for the level of content in a magazine. But that’s just me—and old, former editor.
There are a few supplier blogs that I know (if there are others, let me know) and follow for useful information:
Advice for a reader
- In all your reading and television/movie watching, be alert for subtle messages designed to sway you
- Don’t fall for link bait
- Take care passing along information as fact when it hasn’t been verified
- Find your trusted sources and support them
And finally, if you don’t like click bait, don’t click
by Gary Mintchell | Dec 1, 2014 | Automation, Manufacturing IT, News, Operations Management, Security
Probably the number one response to any discussion of connected enterprise, Internet of Things, and networking at the conference I attended last week security. We are connecting all these devices, therefore we need to know we are doing all we can to assure industrial network security.
Here are some new products from Belden said to enhance industrial network security.
Belden Inc. has introduced the newest version of its Hirschmann Security Operating System known as HiSecOS. With theHiSecOS Version 2.0, customers now have greater levels of insight into network data, as well as the ability to more easily create network routes and connect to multiple secure sites.
The key new features available with the HiSecOS 2.0 software include:
◦ Simpler network configuration options through the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) dynamic routing protocol, which allow customers to set up network routes without any manual configuration required. The OSPF protocol also offers a seamless connection to the network’s backbone.
◦ Safer, more secure remote connections to the network via encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) communication. The VPN connection also makes it possible for customers to connect to two different secured sites using corporate networks.
◦ Protection against unwanted network traffic through an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), which enables customers to analyze ambiguous traffic, detect issues early and prevent those issues from replicating by identifying the root cause.
“The dynamic routing options, in combination with firewall functions, make this security operating system truly unique. Many firewalls do not provide them. The ability to connect seamlessly over VPN connection also enhances the security of the network,” said Product Manager Vinod Rana.
Similar to previous versions, HiSecOS 2.0 is exclusively developed with Hirschmann’s multi-port firewalls, theEAGLE20-0400 and EAGLE30-0402, in mind – to heighten overall network performance and offer more robust security features. These multi-port firewalls with router redundancy and wide area network (WAN) interface save significant time and costs, while helping achieve maximum network availability and reliability for industrial settings.
Due to robust design, EAGLE firewall products with HiSecOS 2.0 operate in various harsh industrial environments, including automotive, power transmission and distribution, oil and gas, and mining.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that security risks are present across all industrial settings. Our customers require networking equipment with reliable security features, so keeping our security product families up-to-date with the newest technology is key,” adds Rana. “HiSecOS 2.0’s new security and routing features not only improve uptime and reliability for customers, but also bring them enhanced ease-of-use and more understanding of the activity on their networks.”
by Gary Mintchell | Nov 13, 2014 | Internet of Things, Manufacturing IT, News, Operations Management
We have a continuing supply of Internet of Things product offerings. This is on the data aggregation and analysis side of the system. SAP recently held its TechEd &d-code conference in Berlin (Germany) where it unveiled three new products (solutions) and a partnership.
The three new products are SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service solution, SAP Connected Logistics software and the SAP Manufacturing Execution application. According to the release, the new SAP solutions for the IoT are envisioned to leverage the SAP HANA Cloud Platform for application enablement and advanced capabilities such as in-memory computing, predictive analytics and complex event processing. As part of its continued commitment to enable innovation in this space, SAP has announced the addition of 500 incremental dedicated developers to support various IoT initiatives.
“The Internet of Things will be the key enabler of industry scenarios and of innovations in the digital economy,” said Bernd Leukert, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, Products & Innovation. “It is converging our digital and physical worlds, which will spur new products and services, and even change business models. The Internet of Things has the potential to dramatically improve responsiveness of businesses, reimagine customer experience and open up new opportunities and brand new business models such as move from sell-to-service based models. SAP customers that have already implemented Internet of Things solutions have seen considerable improvement in asset utilization and higher business process efficiency and helped address operational costs.”
SAP solutions for the IoT are powered by SAP HANA Cloud Platform, which is the core application development and enablement platform and provides the ability to generate real-time insights from sensor data and advanced capabilities such as in-memory computing, geo-spatial, telematics, predictive analytics and complex event processing. In addition, SAP HANA Cloud Platform offers open APIs that allow third-party providers to develop IoT applications.
SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service
Predictive Maintenance and Service is planned to deliver deep unified insight by integrating operations and analytics on a single platform. The solution intends to help assess historic and sensor data to assist users in predicting a malfunction before it occurs to help prevent a negative impact on profits.
SAP Connected Logistics
Connected Logistics is planned to allow logistics hub operators and others to monitor traffic toward and within a hub and facilitate communication between involved parties including those that do not have a direct business relationship. Furthermore, the software is planned to offer integration to backend transportation management systems, and lean dispatching capabilities for logistics service providers that do not have a sophisticated backend solution in place. SAP Connected Logistics customers can also use the recently announced AR warehouse picker mobile app that leverages wearable technology such as smart glass devices for a complete hands free operation, helping to eliminate the need for handheld scanners.
“For Hamburg Port Authority, the advantage is smooth traffic at the port and increased container turnover,” said Sascha Westermann, Operational IT Traffic Management, Hamburg Port Authority.
Connected Manufacturing from SAP
SAP Manufacturing Execution version 15.0 is envisioned to enable the Internet of Things for manufacturing operations. By integrating manufacturing results with real-time feeds into the SAP HANA platform, companies are expected to take advantage of the cloud for orchestrating and optimizing global operations — beyond a single production plant, use predictive analytics to drive cost efficiencies and achieve higher asset utilization. The new release includes support for SAP HANA, enhanced user experience, extended mobility and end-to-end enterprise integration for deeper manufacturing transparency. Leveraging SAP Manufacturing Execution with SAP HANA helps accelerate the promise of Industry 4.0 for innovative manufacturers.
SAP, Shell and Volkswagen Co-Innovate to Lay Foundations for Connected Vehicle
SAP also announced a co-innovation pilot program with Shell and Volkswagen AG to investigate how connected vehicles would interact with the world around them. The ongoing pilot in Hannover, Germany, aims to lay the foundations for a range of services including an integrated system for connected fueling.
“We believe the combination of simplicity, functionality and innovation is needed to create a seamless consumer experience. No company alone can deliver such an end-to-end experience,” said Bernd Leukert, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, Products & Innovation. “Our collaboration with Volkswagen and Shell is a great showcase for the power of collaboration and innovation within a networked economy, with SAP HANA Cloud Platform, to simplify daily complexity.”
“We consider the connected car important in the development of our customers’ experience at Shell retail stations and will help us continue to provide outstanding customer service,” said Rene Honig, vice president, Strategy, Portfolio and Innovation at Shell’s Technical and Competitive IT division.
“The successful cross-industry pilot project demonstrates potential implementations of future mobility concepts and their utility and convenience for our customers,” said Dr. Volkmar Tanneberger, head of Electric and Electronic Development of Volkswagen. “Customer feedback on this pilot project is important to us as it helps us consider how to increase the use of mobility concepts in the future.”
The goal is to deliver drivers a hosted cloud-based solution that saves time and can deliver new customer offers through connected vehicles that could not be delivered by the three companies individually. The pilot forms the bases of discussion for further collaborations for connected vehicles between the three companies and others.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 22, 2014 | Automation, News, Security
Wurldtech Security Technologies released its Achilles Industrial Next Gen Firewall (NGFW) for operational technology (OT) environments.
This purpose-built OT industrial cyber security solution monitors network traffic and blocks unexpected and malicious activity to help ensure maximum uptime and secure productivity for industrial operations.
“Network disruptions can often result in substantial downtime and productivity loss,” said Neil McDonnell, Wurldtech CEO. “System operators need specific protection to safeguard their industrial and SCADA operations, especially in markets like oil and gas, electric power, nuclear, chemical, manufacturing and water treatment. This
latest addition to our broad portfolio of offerings delivers customers industry-leading threat intelligence to protect them from the persistent threat of cyber attack.”
The Achilles Industrial NGFW inspects, secures and tracks industrial protocol traffic by combining the protection of a stateful firewall with intrusion prevention and application visibility and control. It offers an easy-to-use graphical interface with drag-and-drop virtual zoning to simplify the management of security policy, the configuration of protection profiles, and the segmentation of the OT network. The solution also offers comprehensive industrial protocol analysis to provide industrial security visibility.
Achilles Industrial NGFW is a key addition to Wurldtech’s portfolio of products and services that assess, protect, and certify critical infrastructure. This approach guides Wurldtech customers through three key steps for managing their cyber security lifecycle:
- Assess – Through Achilles Test products and professional services, these solutions discover anomalies, then identify and assess the root cause of the associated vulnerability
- Protect – Through Achilles Industrial NGFW and Achilles Threat Intelligence Software, these solutions deliver industry-leading protection that quickly and seamlessly protects networks of unpatched devices against specific industrial vulnerabilities
- Certify – Through Achilles Communications and Practices Certifications and Professional Services, these certifications help ensure that best practices are being followed for device security and development
The Achilles Industrial Next Gen Firewall is available as a Perimeter unit suitable for deployments at the IT/OT boundary, as well as environmentally hardened Field units to secure remote assets.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 7, 2014 | Automation, Data Management, Internet of Things, News, Operations Management, Technology, Wireless
A large gathering, hinted at around 6,000, crowded the ballrooms to hear the first two days of keynotes. This is always an eclectic gathering of engineers and scientists and academics from a variety of industries, specialties, and interests. Contrary to the emphasis of many trade journal pieces you read about age and gender of engineers, there was an amazing number of females in attendance. They were engineers and scientists, not PR and admins. The age range of attendees was gratifying. And the geographical diversity was apparent–although they were all introduced to Texas food.
The keystone of the first day’s general session is always Dr. T’s talk (James Truchard, president, CEO and co-founder). He didn’t sound as evangelical about virtual instruments and the like this year, but he introduced an interesting idea about timing (in programming). Later I heard a talk on cellular data communications where the speaker noted that the issue was becoming less bandwidth and more about 1 msec response. Timing issue. Interesting.
NI Week (this is my 17th) is always a great conference filled with much energy, passionate (for engineers) hallway conversations about technologies and applications and sessions full of curious attendees. And, Texas BBQ.
IoT, Cyber-physical Systems, Bid Analog Data
The foundation idea of The Manufacturing Connection is the idea of a connected manufacturing enterprise. Note the latest posts about the Internet of Things and its application to manufacturing. So imagine my delight about the conference theme of (Industrial) Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Systems and Big (Analog) Data.
I have been trying to get my mind around integrating the ideas from Industry 4.0 in Germany, the US Smart Manufacturing Coalition, and now what NI is talking about–especially relating to cyber-physical systems.
Unlike what I’m hearing from Germany, NI’s emphasis this year on cyber-physical systems involved the relationship of physical devices, computation and communication. Wireless as the foundation communication platform was evident everywhere. (I noted that the ballroom where the keynotes were held was ringed by WiFi access points. Thank you very much, NI.) Most of the talk was cellular, especially what will define 5G systems. One major NI interest is improving speed and lowering cost of test for the semiconductor manufacturers in the wireless space.
NI’s emphasis on Big Data, which it calls Big Analog Data, is in the process. Although the process can be geographically dispersed, such as an application by CIH (Case International Harvester to us old farming people) who instrument Case combines (the machines that harvest corn and wheat and soy beans), send the data to the cloud and then analyze that data to help farmers and their own product development.
Another interesting application story was that of Airbus where engineers are researching some far out ways to integrate technology and humans in the building of aircraft. Hopefully I can get a deeper dive on that. They are using video feedback from instrumented tools and looking at virtual reality tools for better control of robots that extend the work of humans into areas difficult for human reach.
My prejudice coming in about Big Data relate to integrating into the MES/MOM Layer 3 and the enterprise layer. Not much talk of that–yet–at NI Week. But I bet in the future we start to see more of this.
I am not going to list all the new products. LabView has been upgraded, there is a CompactRIO with an Intel Atom processor, reconfigurable oscilloscope, faster data acquisition (naturally). You can read the press releases online here.
