Automationtechies.com e-News

Has anyone else noticed an incredible slow-down in activity the past two weeks? It's almost like everyone decided to go on vacation. Ever since Memorial Day weekend, the amount of e-mails and phone calls has decreased significantly. I hope that only means people are starting to kick back and enjoy the summer. I'm not going to complain because I've finally had an opportunity to get caught up on a few things. Plus, our site traffic hasn't decreased at all, so that's always a good thing.

I'm featuring .NET in Industrial Automation in this issue. So, if you've wanted to learn more about .NET, you can review the three featured articles just below this introduction.

Last week, I forgot to mention that we are highlighting a number of new products in our Featured Product section this month. Two of those products are highlighted in the Product Showcase section of this week's e-news issue. Be sure to check out our Home Page or our Featured Products page for all of this month's featured products.

And, as usual, don't forget to review the News and Job Postings added to our site in the last week.

On to the good stuff...Enjoy the rest of this e-news!

Rick Zabel

.NET in Industrial Automation

Microsoft introduced .NET technology more than two years ago. Many of the industrial automation software suppliers like Siemens, Citect, Wonderware, Rockwell and Iconics adopted the technology early and have incorporated it into many of their software products. Chances are if you are using a product supplied by one of these manufacturers, you are probably using .NET technology. You may not realize it because the supplier has made it transparent to the user. By making software easily configurable, suppliers have taken the development pain away from users. As a result, most automation and control professionals do not have much (if any) real experience with .NET. Only if you've developed your own HMI software using Visual Basic or some other programming language, would you have "real" experience with .NET.

As many of you know, Automationtechies has offered recruiting services for over three years. But not until about two months ago did we start receiving requests for automation and controls engineers with .NET experience. Some manufacturers and systems integrators are hoping to better leverage the benefits of .NET and apply it to more areas of the plant floor and enterprise. So far, it has been difficult to find individuals with the right combination of skills. We've recently added .NET to the Software Development section of our Job Skills Checklist. If you have .NET experience, please take a minute to Update Your Profile and select .NET as a skill so that we and other companies can contact you regarding job opportunities.

So what is .NET anyway? Microsoft simply defines .NET as "a set of software technologies for connecting information, people, systems, and devices. This new generation of technology is based on Web services�small building-block applications that can connect to each other as well as to other, larger applications over the Internet." Citect has written a white paper that provides a brief overview of .NET from a developers perspective, .NET - Putting Software Developers in the Picture.

For those of you looking for more information on .NET as it relates to industrial automation software, I thought it would be best if we referred you to a couple white papers written by software suppliers.

Wonderware offers a white paper, Understanding Microsoft's .NET Technology & Its Impact on Automation Application Development, that takes a high altitude look at .NET technology, and helps industrial automation users understand the context and future uses of .NET.

Citect offers a white paper, Why Industrial Information Management (IIM) and .NET is the Answer, that considers how using Microsoft .NET systems can help manufacturers enhance competitive advantages by sharing information in real time to maximize collective resources and deliver superior value to customers.

Other links for your reference:

Microsoft .NET Information: http://www.microsoft.com/net/

Microsoft .NET Basics - What is .NET?: http://www.microsoft.com/net/basics

Subscription Referral Promotion
Between now and June 30, 2004, we are running a subscription referral promotion. Here's how it works...Refer five colleagues to subscribe to our web site and your name will go in a drawing for the $500 gift certificate from www.webcertificate.com. This gift certificate functions just like a MasterCard and can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted on the Web.

Enter as many times as you like. But, for each entry you will be required to submit the 5 e-mail addresses of colleagues that have subscribed during the promotion period. And yes, the colleagues must be industrial automation, process control or instrumentation professionals (we'll verify them).

The following link is where your colleagues can subscribe:

http://www.automation.com/jobs/default.php?page=add

To get your name entered in the drawing for the $500.00 certificate, you must complete and submit the following simple form:

http://www.automation.com/sitepages/pid1570.php

Featured Articles

.NET - Putting Software Developers in the Picture

We have heard that .NET is a bold new initiative from Microsoft. We've seen Microsoft wield .NET as part of its diversification into enterprise applications markets. We are aware that where current COM/DCOM technologies have faltered, .NET has succeeded in delivering integrated, web-enabled applications. But, what lies beneath all the hype and buzz? What supplies the foundation for this new generation of software products? And, how can developers leverage this initiative to produce software solutions for enterprise wide collaboration and information sharing?

Read full article by Citect.

Understanding Microsoft's .NET Technology & Its Impact on Automation Application Development

Technology is an evolution, not a revolution. Sometimes we see advancements take place quickly, but when viewed from a high altitude vantage point, it's often easier to see and understand the thread of technological evolution rather than the discrete events related to specific advancements. This article takes a high altitude look at the development of Microsoft's .NET technology with the intent of helping industrial automation users understand the context of .NET and what it might be able to do for users in the future.

Read full article by Wonderware.

Why Industrial Information Management (IIM) and .NET is the Answer

Using Microsoft .NET systems can help manufacturers enhance competitive advantages by sharing information in real time to maximize collective resources and deliver superior value to customers. Industrial Information Management, (IIM) leverages the .NET capabilities by enriching data into valuable information through downtime, quality, reporting and other analysis modules, and making it available for decision-makers throughout the enterprise.

Read full article by Citect.

Other articles and white papers on various automation topics

Other application stories using various automation products

Automation & Process Control News

News Headlines - Automation, Process Control & Instrumentation News

Hear all about it! We publish industry news on our site as soon as we hear about it. Check out our Daily News Headlines page frequently to stay up-to-date on the industry events. Here are news headlines since our last e-news. Use the following links to read the complete news release:

Product News Headlines:

Company News Headlines:

Application News Headlines:

Microwave Data Systems Provides Upgrades to Louisiana Water Treatment Plant 6/15/04

These are just a few of the news items published on our website. Our Automation News section provides you up-to-date news of what is happening with product and services suppliers in the industry. Users can search for releases by company or by date. View Daily News Headlines Here. Send your automation news releases to press@automationtechies.com. Please provide press releases in electronic format (pictures can be provided in .JPG or .GIF format).

Application Tools, Guides, Demos & Literature

Siemens Automation & Drives Interactive CD Catalog
The interactive catalog of Siemens Automation and Drives Business (CA01) gives you information on more than 80,000 products and systems used for industrial automation and control. This intuitive directory provides overview, application, design, technical, and ordering information on a wide range of product categories, including:

Automation Systems
Communication Networks
Safety Systems
Drive Technology
Process Automation
Controlgear and Low Voltage Switchgear
etc.

Request your Siemens electronic catalog today!

Other available application tools.

Other available demo software.

Other available product catalogs.

Product Showcase

AutomationDirect DURApulse Series of sensorless vector AC Drives from 1 to 100 hp.

More Information on AutomationDirect DURAPulse Drives

Opto 22 Nvio is an all-inclusive portal-based system offering the quickest and easiest way to Machine-to-Machine applications.

More Information on Opto 22 Nvio M2M Portal

Other Featured Products for June

Browse Products by Category

Find a Manufacturer/Supplier

New Job Opportunities

New Jobs Posted on Automationtechies.com

Here's a list of new job opportunities posted on Automationtechies.com since our last newsletter:

To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function.

Training & Seminars

Understanding Motion Control Systems

This practical 3-day course introduces engineering concepts of motors and drives that can be easily understood by both engineers and technicians unfamiliar with the technology and not accustomed to complex theory and mathematics.

More Information on Understanding Motion Control Systems

Other Training Courses & Seminars

Browse for training courses, seminars, web-seminars and workshops offered by various training organizations, product manufacturers and suppliers in industrial automation, process control and instrumentation. For information on specific training courses and seminars, please use the following links:

Trade Publications

EE Times

Qualify for Your Free Subscription!

EE Times provides direct access to 160,067 high-level professionals involved in design/development engineering and management. EE Times is consistently chosen as the best-read and most preferred publication in the industry.

EE Times delivers business and technology news every week to engineers and technical managers in the electronics industry. Besides reporting the news, editors analyze key industry trends and developments, put the news into perspective and predict what is likely to happen next. Opinion from leaders of government and industry is also part of the editorial fiber of the paper.

Geographic Eligibility: USA, Canada

Publisher: CMP Media LLC

Subscribe to EE Times

Other Free Trade Publication Subscriptions

As a valued Automationtechies.com member, we would like to extend the opportunity to receive leading industry publications.

Browse from the list of titles and be sure to check back often for new titles.

Automation Auctions

New eBay Listings

eBay hosts over 4000 auctions for industrial automation and control products. From PLCs to sensors and from motor controls to robotics...Now you can browse new, used and surplus automation and control products right from Automationtechies.com. We added a new page in the "Classifieds" section of our web site called eBay Listings.

Use the links below to browse auctions and classified ads by product category:

On a Humorous Note...

Rick's Dilbert Comic Pick

Could that be a young intellectual blasting their music?

Automationtechies' Services

Automationtechies.com Advertising Opportunities - Generate leads and promote your company and products with one of the fastest growing industrial automation and control communities on the web. Review our Media Kit or Contact Rick Zabel.

Article & White Paper Publication - To have your industry-related articles or white papers published on Automationtechies.com, please Contact Rick Zabel for more information.

News Release Publication - To have your company or product news published on Automationtechies.com, please send your press releases to press@automationtechies.com.

Job Posting - Post your job openings on Automationtechies.com and find out why we're the industry's preferred resource for posting automation, process control and instrumentation job opportunities. Post Your Job.

Direct-hire Recruiting - Our industry experts will seek out and pre-screen the top performers. If your resources are limited or if time is a factor, we'll find the talent you need. Contact Alan Carty today for more information at 1-877-300-6792 or Send a message

Contract Recruiting, Employer of Record Services - Need engineers, programmers, or technicians, but can't hire full-time employees? Consider contract employees! Let us handle your administrative headaches including Employer of Record, payroll, and other functions. Find a Contract Employee

Give Us Your Feedback...

- What kind of articles would you like to see?

- What content additions would you like to see on our website?

- What would you like to know about other members?

- Suggest a new poll question.
- Are there any other services you think we should offer?

I would like to hear from you. Send me a message.

I hope you enjoyed this e-news update!

Rick Zabel

Vice President

Automationtechies.com

6455 City West Parkway

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Phone: 952-563-5444

Fax: 952-563-5449