Articles and News

Honeywell will provide an advanced automated process control system with integrated wireless technology for Masteel, one of China's largest iron and steel manufacturers. The contract includes Honeywell's IntelaTrac PKS process control system, Uniformance PHD, LIMS. Digital Video Manager (DVM) system, and design, engineering, commissioning, testing and maintenance services.

In this capacity, Mr. Welch will help Invensys develop and deliver a new suite of comprehensive enterprise network and security solutions to Invensys' global customers. He has 24 years of experience in the services industry. This includes positions with companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation/Compaq Computers, Nortel Networks, and Unisys.

PTO is offering a free booklet that takes a fresh look at Industrial Ethernet and addresses some of the myths and facts about PROFINET. The booklet: "PROFINET or The Story of Pretty Polly, Sweet SUE and the White Knight," is available on request in hardcopy, or for download in.PDF format

Thr ISA-SP99 Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security committee plans to issue its first two standards and an updated guideline for committee voting -- while launching a new working group to develop another key standard in the ISA-99 series.

e-DMZ Security Managed Services provides co-managed firewall and intrusion detection services for high-risk financial services, pharmaceutical and industrial networks. As a result of this acquisition, Verano is launching Industrial Defender Co-Managed Security, a co-managed security service for the real-time SCADA and control environment.

ETL, the international testing laboratory, awarded UL-294 certification for ISONAS ClearNet IP Reader-Controllers®. Certification signifies that the ISONAS products have been tested and found to meet industry standards for electronic devices and physical access control.

Ship2Save and AAID Security Solutions have teamed up to provide the first step in an elaborate roll-out plan for a Canadian Crown Corporation. The unidentified company has been using the system over the course of the last several months to help address a variety of logistical inefficiencies related to their cross-docking operations.

PlantData Technologies announced it has completed more than 50 SCADA, EMS, and DCS Security assessments in the past five years. A division of Verano, Inc., the leading provider of security and SCADA solutions for mission-critical industries, PlantData continues its commitment to serving energy, utility, transmission and distribution, transportation and other critical infrastructure industries.

The Automation Federation is starting a new initiative aimed at creating a set of specifications and processes for the security testing and certification of critical control systems products. The Automation Federation will provide financial and personnel support for the initial feasibility study project.

The starting point for the alliance will be a joint trade fair stand at the Interkama+ “Secure Automation” (hall 7, stand A43), the international lead fair for process automation within the Hannover Messe. Both companies will present innovative solutions covering the fields of industrial security and Industrial Ethernet.

The ISA-99 Part 1 standard, "Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems: Concepts, Terminology and Models," will define the concepts, terminology, and models of industrial automation and control systems security, establishing the basis for the remaining standards in the ISA-99 series.

ISONAS Security Systems, the leading manufacturer of IP and Wireless IP Reader-Controllers for access control, has moved into new Corporate Offices in Boulder, Colorado. The 13,000+ square foot facility at 6325 Gunpark Drive now houses the Management Team and the Sales, Product Development and Shipping Departments under one roof.

The SANS citation declared that Invensys has demonstrated that vendors can take much of the pain, cost, and uncertainty out of securing process and SCADA systems. The award identified some Invensys practices, including rigorous pre-testing of operating system updates and software security patches, and additional enhancements such as providing anti-virus within its core distributed control system (DCS) product, that make security better, easier and less expensive for asset owners.

The flash demo “Going Panel-Free with ISONAS IP” illustrates how ISONAS IP Reader-Controllers function as network devices, providing direct connection to the company data network and real-time control of facility access. The second demo, “Going PoE with ISONAS IP”, shows how using Power over Ethernet in conjunction with ISONAS IP Readers can streamline and reduce the costs of installing access control. The demos are available now

Web store carries IP Access Control solutions, incluidng ClearNet IP and Wireless IP Reader-Controllers, RCI electronic locks, and PowerDSine Power over Ethernet supplies.

One of the industry’s largest process control and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) vendors, Honeywell was specifically recognized for rapidly qualifying Microsoft security updates, as well as for using built-in control firewalls. These measures have helped industrial facilities protect their SCADA systems from the growing threat of cyber terrorism.

Numerous exhibitors taking part in INTERKAMA+, one of the leading international trade shows that make up HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) April 24-28, 2006, are staging an information-packed event that examines the possibilities and limitations of Ethernet in industrial applications.

The PROFIBUS Trade Organization (PTO) and the PROFI Interface Center (PIC) announced two new courses as part of the PROFItech Certification Training Course program for 2006. The two new classes added to the program include a PROFIBUS Installer’s Class and a PROFINET Certified Network Engineering Class.

There is a growing challenge on the plant floor if you haven’t experienced it yet, I am sure you will soon. A study by ARC predicts that the number of factory floor devices with an IP address is going to TRIPLE in the next four years and those devices are pushing lower and lower into the controls architecture… from systems, to sub-systems down to sensors… so Ethernet equipment with an IP addresses are increasing rapidly.

Remaining an independent subsidiary of Verano, PlantData Technologies compliments all aspects of Verano's business from its market-leading security solution, Industrial Defender, to its mission-critical SCADA platform and integration services, offering customers a one-stop-shop for all their real-time control and security needs.