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Thursday, November 20, 2008 |
I just saw several news items announcing the demise of PC Magazine. I read it for about 20 years and between it and Byte, I garnered most of my computer knowledge. Byte went to a Web-only publication several years ago, and I quit reading it. PC Magazine became mostly a product magazine and was supplanted by blog-type Web sites Gizmodo and Engadget. I dropped my PC Mag subscription last year when all my favorite columnists were dropped and there just wasn't a compelling reason to get it when I could get the latest product news quickly via RSS feed from Engadget. PC Magazine is going to try the Web-based, blog style model. But being fourth to the party may be too late.
7:27:22 PM 
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It will take me a long time to compile all my notes from Rockwell Automation's various events this week. At the Process Systems Users Group, the entire process leadership team was featured (and they took extra effort to make sure that I made lots of contacts with the group--much appreciated). I knew it had built up a large force following Keith Nosbusch's emphasis on getting serious about process control. With the acquisitions of the past year or so, Rockwell can now talk seriously about expanding presence far beyond consumer packaged goods and the like. Metals, mining, pulp and paper, oil and gas, chemicals and more are seriously targeted with technologies and domain expertise acquired over the past few years. Sales were up, and that brought a smile to Nosbusch when we discussed business during a private interview.
Given the current climate of doom and gloom in the automotive industry, three things are helping Rockwell. First would be the growth in process. Then there is the success of the OEM team in penetrating that market over the past six years or so. Finally, Rockwell has achieved a 50-50 split in sales North America to overseas. The goal is to grow to 40-60.
Doug Burns has left the OEM team and is now poised to replicate his success with the new Sustainability team. The short version of sustainability is that it includes Energy, Environment and Safety. When I sort through my notes, I'll add some detail. Right now the team is focused on assembling the expertise and technology areas needed and then working with customers on a variety of assessments to help them figutre out what solutions will benefit them.
This year, the meaning of term "convergence" has been greatly expanded beyond just Cicso switches. Previously they talked of manufacturing/IT convergence by using a common set of Ethernet infrastructure provided by Cisco. The company has been bringing its parts together to talk more broadly about more technologies. Cisco Vice President Paul McNabb discussed converging voice, data and video on the network. Rockwell Vice President of Information Technologies Bob Honor discussed convergence in Information, Communications, Control and Power.
Safety is another important initiative. Automation World hosted a Safety Automation Forum on Tuesday that was well attended with an attentive audience that appreciated the speakers. Standards, risk assessments and practical tips were the topics of the day with the audience asking so many questions we couldn't get through them. Nosbusch reinforced the importance of the safety initiative to me in our interview for the future growth of the company.
It suddenly dawned on me that one of my most common questions over many years when I meet Rockwell people I've known for a while is "what are you doing these days?" Sometimes immediate news forces brain numbness and you forget that people moving around has be the norm for Rockwell. It's also interesting to see how people have grown into new positions.
7:18:19 PM
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Siemens has had to cancel it's ExiderDome exhibit in Charlotte scheduled for December 8-12 due to a dispute with a trucking firm. It will try to reschedule for late May, early June after its stop in Houston. So far, the rest of the tour is on.
A few people misunderstood my post on Obama's campaign. Wish I were smart enough for the comments, but they came from retired GE CEO Jack Welch and his wife Suzy. I thought the management lesson was worth pondering. I'll learn from anywhere possible.
Looks as if everyone is leaving Nashville tonight. I'm at the airport after four full days at Automation Fair. Speaking of AF, the announced registration / attendance was 11,000. As is customary at events, that includes everyone. A rule of thumb is that customers / users number would be around 6,000 or more. Location and economy probably reduced the numbers a little, but that's still a big number. Our Safety Automation Forum was a huge success. I hope we can do it again. That is an important topic.
Sorry about the people who find my sense of humor a little off the wall, but it is what it is.
6:35:59 PM
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© Copyright 2008 Gary Mintchell.
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