Manufacturing Business Technology

• Secure read: LXE adds SAP NetWeaver mobile support to computer line
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 8, 2008
  LXE, a wireless logistics computing business of EMS Technologies, and Naurtech Corp. report the always-connected capability of SAP NetWeaver Mobile is now supported on LXE rugged mobile computers running Naurtech CETerm Industrial Web Browser.
  
• Iconics and Kepware partner for integrated OPC architecture
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 8, 2008
  Iconics, a supplier of Web-enabled, OPC-based, HMI/SCADA visualization and manufacturing intelligence software for Microsoft Windows operating systems, announces an agreement with Kepware to deliver what is said to be the first end-to-end OPC-Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) solution, integrating HMI/SCADA and visualization with a library of device connectivity from Kepware.
  
• Institute for Supply Management rolls out new credential
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 8, 2008
  The Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) credential is offered by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).
  
• Quality management specialist ranks top supplier challenges for 2008
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 8, 2008
  A lack of risk-based analysis and performance-based scoring tops the list of critical issues impacting global supplier efforts.
  
• Content connections: Interop/Software 2008 addresses distributed performance challenges inherent to PLM
  
  Kevin Parker, editorial director, May 7, 2008
  Large global enterprises as well as midsize manufacturing companies have been centralizing their IT resources for several years now. They do so not only for the possible economies of scale, but to ease compliance management across multiple fronts. At this year’s Interop/Software 2008 conference and expo, it was clear that at least several IT infrastructure providers have “felt the pain” of manufacturers and are offering distributed computing options.
  
• Gen 2 genius: Sporting goods leader to meet shipping mandates using Zebra solutions
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 7, 2008
  Amer Sports will use Zebra Technologies’ EPC Gen 2-standard labeling system in a RFID compliance labeling project for shipments of its Wilson Sporting Goods brand.
  
  
• SHOMI, Part 4: The Most Influential Technology Vendors in the Manufacturing Industry
  
  Bob Parker, VP Research, Manufacturing Insights, May 6, 2008
  Manufacturing Insights has dubbed SAP, HP, Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM "the most influential vendors in the manufacturing industry." The analyst firm also has agreed to let MBT print excerpts from its extensive report on these vendors' approach to the manufacturing space. This fourth article in a five-part series focuses on Microsoft.
  
• Next-generation DCS: Yokogawa says Centum VP doubles as control system and “information hub”
  
  Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor, May 6, 2008
  Yokogawa says the next generation of its Centum distributed control system (DCS) illustrates how the DCS is evolving from a single-purpose tool for managing production processes to take on the dual role of plant information hub.
  
• Open-source PLM: Aras introduces new version of its Innovator suite
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 5, 2008
  Aras, a supplier of open-source product life-cycle management (PLM) software for the Microsoft platform, has announced Version 9 of the Aras Innovator suite of model-based service-oriented architecture (SOA) solutions.
  
• SHOMI, Part3: The Most Influential Technology Vendors in the Manufacturing Industry
  
  Bob Parker, VP Research, Manufacturing Insights, May 5, 2008
  Manufacturing Insights has dubbed SAP, HP, Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM "the most influential vendors in the manufacturing industry." The analyst firm also has agreed to let MBT print excerpts from its extensive report on these vendors' approach to the manufacturing space. This third article in a five-part series focuses on Oracle.
  
• Application integration: TIBCO unveils new messaging appliance
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 5, 2008
  TIBCO Software has announced an addition to its messaging technology, unveiling a new hardware messaging appliance specifically designed to accelerate the capabilities and performance of its Rendezvous software. In the manufacturing sector, Rendezvous is frequently used to transmit data from production control systems to other applications or to move information between trading partners’ supply chain management applications.
  
  
• Deacom enhances document management system
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 5, 2008
  With the Document Linker, users can scan and import mass quantities of bar-coded documents into the Deacom ERP system.
  
• AMR advisory: IDS Scheer drives performance improvements in SAP environments
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 2, 2008
  The ARIS Solution for Process-Driven SAP Management supports companies throughout the entire SAP life cycle—from strategy and requirements analysis through blueprinting, configuration, testing, training, and rollout.
  
• BT byte: NetSuite partnership will deliver business apps to European SMEs
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 1, 2008
  NetSuite, a vendor of on-demand business software suites for small and midsize enterprises (SME), reports a partnership with British Telecommunications plc (BT) on the heels of the introduction of its new on-demand solution, called NetSuite OneWorld.
  
• Expert access: Merger unites two organizations devoted to product development
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 1, 2008
  The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), a resource for the profession of product development and innovation, has merged with the International Association for Product Development (IAPD), granting corporate members access to a significantly expanded network of thousands of experts.
  
• Freudenberg first: ARAS delivers enterprise open source on Microsoft to EMEA PLM market
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 1, 2008
  At Freudenberg FDS, a multinational rollout within FDS for advanced product quality planning (APQP) using the Aras enterprise PLM solution is the first time a companywide standard system has been implemented so quickly and easily.
  
  
• Eight O’Clock Coffee set to brew big forecasting improvements
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, May 1, 2008
  
  
• NetFlow-infused systems watch for trending, traffic patterns, network abnormalities
  
  By Karen Dilger (kadilger@comcast.net), May 1, 2008
  Supply chain visibility systems are essential for companies looking to do more than just track movement of supplies from point A to point B. The same can be said of network behavior analysis (NBA) systems, as they not only monitor IT network activity point to point, but allow users to identify and quickly resolve traffic issues.
  
• Nalco masters data governance with quality management tool
  
  By Frank O Smith (fosmith@thewritinggroup.com), May 1, 2008
  With operations around the globe and more than 70,000 customers in 130 countries, data quality ended up being the hot button in Nalco Company's migration to a single global instance of SAP. “Data governance is a critical issue for the company. Quality data is a key asset,” says Charlon Franklin, senior data steward analyst for the Naperville, Ill.
  
• Automotive SOA exchanges live information between plant floor, enterprise solutions
  
  By Jim Fulcher (jimfulcher@comcast.net), May 1, 2008
  The sticking point when trying to connect the top floor with the shop floor is they usually aren't on the same common platform or infrastructure, claims Fred Yentz, COO, ILS Technology LLC. “What makes matters worse,” he says, “is manufacturers don't want custom middleware.” But for some companies in the automotive industry, that's changing due to collaboration starting ...