I am in Monaco at the 2008 edition of Schneider Electric Initi@tive. This one has a focus on OEMs (machine builders)--and about 700 were attracted to this tiny principality on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea close to Nice, Cannes and Italy. By the way, it is chilly here. Temps are in the low 50s (F) or about 12 (C). Today is beautiful.
There is another change in focus. Exactly 5 years ago I was in Belgium at the first Initi@tive. As executives Michel Crochon (executive vice president for automation business) and Elie Belbel (senior vice president for OEM Solutions in the automation business unit) explained in several presentations, the focus of the first Initi@tive was on products. This week's focus is on product solutions (not in a marketing hype way), services and new technology.
I'm working on a longer news piece that I'll reproduce here and at Automation World. The important announcement involves the unveiling of the result of a couple of years of effort to leapfrog the current state of automation technology in the OEM sector. Schneider has developed a software platform that will be used across all the new hardware platforms. This platform is based upon some of the latest computer engineering standards (I'll learn more in about an hour). Included in the software are custom "application function blocks" developed, tested, validated and documented by Schneider for use in specific machine applications. The software allows engineers at OEMs to "configure" rather than "program" automation programs. I put this in quotes not to be pejorative, but merely to reflect the importance at a time when many OEMs have trouble recruiting thoroughly trained engineers and need to update their machines.
This software comes with the various hardware platforms. Some terminology discussion is also needed (at to explain to myself what they are getting at). Schneider has four automation platforms: Logic (aka PLC), Motion, Drives and HMI (actually not classic HMI that is just pretty operator interface, but an embedded computer that drives the graphic interface while also capable of doing limited logic control). The same software works on all platforms. All programs are transferrable (within the limits of the hardware).
This is a significant advance. More to come.
8:42:10 AM 
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