Well, Rockwell Automation did not go outside the company for a new leader for its software business, but it didn't promote a career Rockwell person, either. The new president of Rockwell Software is Ralph Carter. He was president and CEO of Pavilion Technologies at the time it was acquired by Rockwell. He also had experience with asset management supplier Datastream (now part of Infor). Interestingly, the announcement states "president of Rockwell Software"--a title that never exactly was settled upon the former occupant of that office, Kevin Roach.
The announcement continues to state, "Carter will be responsible for executing the companyâo[dot accent]s vision to accelerate growth and development of its FactoryTalk Integrated Production and Performance Suite, and to extend the company's leadership position in plant-wide information solutions."
"Our recent software company acquisitions, including Pavilion Technologies, not only brought us great products, they are providing a rich bench of great talent. Ralph's proven track record of leading software companies to successful growth, coupled with his extensive experience in sales, services and operational management, make him an ideal candidate for this position," said Steve Eisenbrown, senior vice president, Architecture & Software, Rockwell Automation. "His knowledge and leadership in the information solutions space will be critical as we continue to execute on our plant-wide information solutions strategy and drive the growth of the Rockwell Software organization."
This appointment does not seem to signal any new directions for Rockwell Software but that it will stick to manufacturing performance products. He will also be the "outsider" in a leadership team composed mostly of career Rockwell people. It will be telling to see how he fares. But by openly differentiating Rockwell Software, maybe management is realizing that the software business is different from the hardware business.
12:03:30 PM 
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