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Press Room
Online
Development and ILS Technology
Alliance Focuses on
The new xCoupler line of information appliances will enable factories to connect directly to, and extract data from, PLCs (i.e., sensor readings, alarms, equipment control commands, etc.), sending the data to multiple factory enterprise systems simultaneously. This will enable decision support and operational efficiency, and optimize Real-time Performance Management (RPM). Today, in typical manufacturing applications using PLCs, data has to travel through multiple proprietary and open architecture gateways and be translated multiple times before it actually gets to its final destination at the enterprise level. This information flow gap between factory floor operations and enterprise IT, or what is commonly known as the information DMZ (demilitarized zone), is currently filled with a patchwork of various systems and drivers that are often expensive and cumbersome to install and maintain. “OLDI is excited to add ILS Technology’s enterprise connectivity technology to its growing family of embedded IT connectivity solutions for traditional PLCs. We think this is a premier solution for low cost and highly effective real-time plant floor connectivity. Our strategy is to bring best-of-breed solutions to facilitate IT and plant floor communications. We are doing this with the xCoupler family of DMZ information appliances embedded in traditional factory floor control systems. This solution will provide seamless controls connectivity with point and click configuration between IT and the factory floor,” said Ron Monday, president of OLDI. According to Craig Resnick, ARC's Research Director of Manufacturing Advisory Services, "The Online Development Inc. agreement with ILS Technology will address the integration issues confronting OEMs and end users by extending the domain expertise of automation systems from the factory floor to the collaborative manufacturing environment, resulting in real-time performance management (RPM), increased return on assets, reduced lifecycle costs, and a lower total cost of ownership for manufacturers." “The first segment of the xCoupler product line was launched in June,” said Joe Cestari, president of ILS Technology. “This turnkey hardware-and-software solution enables the capture of manufacturing data more efficiently and make it accessible to production engineers, operations managers and any other computer in the enterprise that needs factory data. Our immediate application is in the automotive industry where most manufacturers are driving the consolidation of their IT infrastructure from multi-tier to two-tier configurations. Beyond this, we intend to propagate the solution across all factory controllers and all industrial markets.” Under the alliance agreement, OLDI is responsible for the integration and testing of the ILS Technology software within the OLDI platform and any and all modifications required to the OLDI platform to make the integrated package fully functional. OLDI will provide all fulfillment and support services with its world class Siebel® CRM and Primus® knowledgebase enterprise infrastructure. ILS Technology is responsible for the development and testing of all necessary software. ILS Technology is known for its e-manufacturing solutions in the semiconductor and other industries. “The agreement and work with OLDI strengthens our offerings for industrial applications. It will enable and expedite a paradigm shift on factory floors to enterprise integration strategies,” said Cestari. “We anticipate that our joint efforts will help factories reduce their IT and production control systems’ infrastructure by $15,000 to $50,000 per controller-enterprise connection.” About Online Development Online Development is a “fast track” developer of factory automation hardware and software for OEM products in the industrial market space. Since its founding in 1989, the company has focused on developing the technologies needed to enable various leading brands of PLCs to communicate with either field devices or other brands of PLCs, as well as PCs. These technologies provide connectivity between various proprietary factory automation controls, barcode scanners, modems, printers, HMI, sensors, popular factory/warehouse network systems, and PC-based enterprise systems to provide real-time communications throughout the enterprise. About ILS Technology ILS Technology LLC, a subsidiary of Park-Ohio Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:PKOH), is a highly specialized software development organization that develops and installs applications and software tools to help semiconductor manufacturers of devices and equipment and automotive manufacturers to achieve greater production efficiencies through the use of technology. The e-Centre product addresses access, security and safety issues with a fab-wide governance model that provides a secure, scaleable platform for e-diagnostics processes. e-Centre data is protected by user authentication using passwords, and other verification techniques. This unique offering enables fab-wide user authorization and control, data and file transfer, tool monitoring, engineering collaboration, and most importantly, secure and safe remote tool-take-over. ILS Technology also offers consulting services in a variety of industries, with emphasis on device support and tool connectivity. –30– Press Contacts |