Is it really all over?

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD A RECESSION, and now it's passed? I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps there never was a recession. What's clear is that the hunger for automation is still out there and this industry is still working hard to find new angles so that opportunities can be turned into sales. Probably that greatest change that's going to occur in the near future is that industrial networks are going to lose some of their 'black art' status, which can only be a good thing. Invariably black art technologies end up being expensive, and not long after the one engineer who can fix a critical installation can't be found when required, that technology gets replaced, which makes commercial sense. So maybe it's black art technologies that are all over.

One of the business areas that controls and integration companies continue to move into is building management systems, and in this issue we have our second Building Control Supplement. There are networks in building control, and there are also a variety of established disciplines and protocols which have been created to satisfy specific needs, which on the whole work well. But most companies involved with networking are in a position to look at getting those networks and associated systems into buildings, rather than process plant or machinery. It doesn't require too much extra work, although the requirements are different, and the nature of the purchasers is different. Building management using data networks gives building owners the opportunity to improve the quality of their product and make it more saleable and more efficient to operate.

A major problem remains that buying decisions are often made within the building industry itself, and skipping the cabling and ducting for a building management system can improve an already slim profit margin - so if you're not careful your opportunity might disappear. When a control system is the only way to do a job, then you won't have a problem, as you'll have the architects, surveyors, engineers and client on your side. But when a control system is an extra that's going to make an improvement - for example so that services can be maintained by a facilities management group - then the control system may disappear. Getting the right people involved at the right time is crucial.

Another question: is it really all over for protocols that don't operate within an Ethernet framework? I don't think so, but I do think there's going to be a serious rationalisation out in the industrial networking world. For now it looks as though Ethernet is going to become the de facto carrier standard, but there's a lot more to a successful industrial network than the way you connect your devices. It's the data you carry that really does the work. Multiple protocols will survive since they're already a fixture in the industrial information environment thanks to International Standards. But look out for new ways of doing things. It's not going to be long before devices are going to be talking in XML, and that's going to raise the industrial game to another level as we all seek bandwidth.

Lastly, Industrial Networking and Open Control will be sponsoring a lounge at this year's Computers in Manufacturing (CIM) show, part of the new TEAM event. There will be an opportunity to speak with experts about integration headaches, and you'll also be able to explore new ideas with them.

Use feedback to let us know your views: It couldn't be easier.

Geoff Lock
Editor