In this Issue:

New xCoupler Enhancements

Many of you have asked for specific features to be added to our very easy solution for plant floor to business system bi-directional data communications. We’ve listened and will be introducing these new features at Automation Fair:

  • New ControlNet and Ethernet capabilities to communicate with multiple remote ControlLogix and CompactLogix PACs.
  • Automatic exporting via FTP or email of Audit and Exception logs.
  • Transaction logging of messages.
  • Additional timestamp formats.
  • MySQL and IBM AS/400 adapters.

We are also developing additional enterprise transaction modules (ETMs) and features that our customers have suggested for specific applications.

It's Time for the Plant Floor and IT to End the Feud

- Ron Monday, President & CEO, Online Development

Like the legendary Hatfields and McCoys, there hasn't been a lot of love lost between company plant and IT personnel over the years. The problem is that they don't understand, or sometimes appreciate, the pressures that each is under. They operate in separate worlds. For their companies to prosper, or even survive, they'd better get over their differences before their CFOs decide to find people who will work together. You see, they're the ones going to jail if the data doesn't add up under Sarbanes-Oxley.

Bi-directional data flow between plant manufacturing devices and controls and business systems is more critical today - even over and above the CFO going to jail. That valuable data can make the difference in jobs, sales growth, competitiveness and even whether a company stays in business. One only has to look at the unbridled success of WalMart over Kmart to see the power of effectively managed data.

As someone who grew up on the plant floor, I can appreciate those of you that see the intrusion of IT into your world as disruptive to getting your job done. You have the everyday pressures of getting specific quantities of finished goods out the door at the highest level of quality, while suffering through unforeseen changes and equipment breakdowns.

In my current role, I see the IT side as well. In their world, senior management has made significant financial commitments for initiatives such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other far-reaching data intensive programs to streamline the business and increase competitiveness. It's on their backs to implement these high profile and very costly initiatives.

The problem between the two areas all boils down to systems. On the plant side, great strides have been made to make various proprietary machines and systems act as one. The IT folks though, have systems that generally fit together, but are foreign to those on the plant floor. Bridging the gap between these two different systems is the hard part. Even though technologies exist to cross that bridge, the popular ones are time-consuming, complex, expensive to install and maintain - and equally frustrating.

Because I have seen both sides of the aisle, we began producing the xCoupler, the first of a family of Enterprise Transaction Modules (ETMs) to help our customers grow and prosper while making the lives of plant and IT personnel easier. In the 18 months since we introduced the first version of the xCoupler, we added many enhancements thanks to the comments from our customers. I invite you to tell us what more we can do to help make this data sharing appliance more valuable for your company.

xCoupler is Making a Difference in Industries Around the Globe

Industries from metal producing to food processing around the world are benefiting through the ease of setup and low maintenance of xCoupler modules for the transfer of secure and reliable data communications between plant floor devices and business systems. In upcoming issues of this newsletter we will provide specific information about how xCoupler modules are helping specific companies.

Online Development Joins with Systems Integrators

With the growing interest of control systems integrators in the xCoupler module, Online Development has joined CSIA (Control System Integrators Association). CSIA supports good business practices for control system integrators and the companies that rely on them to translate the promise of technology into performance on the manufacturing plant floor. Its member firms provide manufacturers with more than $1 billion annually in industrial automation systems, incorporating $400 million of hardware and software automation products.

Manufacturing Excellence Supported by Online Development

Online Development is a new member of MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association). It promotes the exchange of best practices, strategies and innovation in managing manufacturing operations, manufacturing quality and in achieving plant floor execution excellence.

MESA's industry events, symposiums, and publications help manufacturers, systems integrators and vendors achieve manufacturing leadership by deploying practical solutions that include a combination of information, business, manufacturing and supply chain technologies.

Tradeshow/Event Schedule

Please stop by our booth at any one of these events to see firsthand the benefits an xCoupler module can provide your company.

MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) Plant to Enterprise Conference

Join the leading manufacturers, solution providers, industry analysts, and application vendors for MESA International's 2nd Annual Plant-To-Enterprise Conference, P2E: Solving the Puzzle of Manufacturing Excellence.

October 9-12 - Orlando - Disney Coronado Springs Resort

For more information, follow this link:
http://www.mesa.org/conference/2006/index.asp

Automation Fair

Automation Fair, sponsored by Rockwell Automation, is the premier industry event focusing on advanced automation products, integrated control and information architecture, value-added services and solutions. Learn how to improve your product's time-to-market, increase your company's profitability, develop asset management and optimization strategies and manage manufacturing business risk.

October 25-26 - Baltimore - Convention Center

For more information, follow this link:
http://www.automationfair.com

Need to Know More about xCoupler?

For questions and more information about xCoupler enterprise transaction modules, or to schedule a live Webinar demonstration, contact Alex Cuningham via email at acuningham@oldi.com or call: 1-865-251-5238.