Today's Automation News Headlines from Automation.com

August 22, 2011 – Honeywell added virtualization support for its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) for both Distributed Control System (DCS) and SCADA applications.

For many of today’s manufacturers, the process control environment requires separate servers to support different applications. Virtualization resolves this issue by allowing a single server to simultaneously run multiple operating systems and applications. It also improves reliability by insulating these operating systems from hardware changes and the net benefit to users results in lower operational costs.

HPS’ virtualization offerings are developed with VMware, the world’s largest supplier of virtualization products and solutions. These solutions help industrial plants reduce PC hardware requirements and minimize the frequency and impact of operating system and hardware changes while simplifying overall system management and improving availability, reliability and disaster recovery.

The popularity of virtualization is growing rapidly throughout the IT industry as a whole, with a recent study by Gartner showing that over 40% of servers are virtualized today and that figure will rise to 75% by 2015[1]. HPS’ holistic approach to industrial virtualization encompasses the delivery and support of virtualization infrastructure uniquely tailored to the needs of the process control industry. Additionally, Honeywell provides a full range of applications that can be supported through virtualization, providing end users with a complete solution right out of the box.
 

“As the broad shift in the IT industry towards virtualization extends to the industrial marketplace, it’s becoming more and more common to see applications and infrastructure deployed virtually rather than physically,” said Paul Hodge, Experion Infrastructure & HMI Product Manager, Honeywell Process Solutions. “Honeywell is the only company able to deliver total virtualization support for process automation environments. We see virtualization as game- changing, and our offerings have been developed as strategic, long-term automation tools.”

Honeywell International is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell’s shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com. Honeywell Process Solutions is part of Honeywell’s Automation and Control Solutions group, a global leader in providing product and service solutions that improve efficiency and profitability, support regulatory compliance, and maintain safe, comfortable environments in homes, buildings and industry.