MONDAY, 3/15, MORNING:
Oracle Corp. today announced the pending availability of Oracle FastForward Process Manufacturing RPM, a preconfigured version of the Oracle 11 ERP package. Applications will be available on April 30 for a fixed price of $655,000 for 25 users. That price includes implementation that's guaranteed within 100 days, 15 days of onsite training, and a year of round-the-clock support from Oracle.
MONDAY, 3/15, AFTERNOON:
Fluor Daniel Inc., the engineering, construction, and maintenance subsidiary of Fluor Corp., has introduced TabWare Online, an enterprise asset management software service. The company says Tabware Online enables manufacturing companies to use the capabilities of CMMS over the Internet on a monthly, per-user basis.
The National Association of Manufacturers says that U.S. manufacturers are less optimistic than a year ago about the economy due to increased concerns over price erosion and economic health overseas. NAM said that 44.2% of 2,500 manufacturers surveyed said that prices of their final products are falling, compared to 28% last year.
In addition, when asked about factors most critical for productivity growth, 31% of survey respondents, the largest percentage, said a better trained workforce was the most critical factor. A total of 24% respondents said investment in plant and equipment, and only 3.4% said investment in computer technology, were critical factors.
Psipenta USA, a German-owned ERP vendor targeting engineer-to-order manufacturers with between $50 million and $500 million in annual revenue, today announced immediate availability of PSIPENTA 4.0. The new product launch is part of Psipenta's effort to step up its presence in the U.S. ERP market.
Rockwell Automation launched NetLinx networking technology that will extend plant-floor networks to the Internet. NetLinx uses the Producer/Consumer networking service available in DeviceNet, ControlNet, and Foundation Fieldbus networks to provide a common set of networking services regardless of networking media.
PC-based control vendor Steeplechase Software released version 4.0 of its Visual Logic Controller (VLC) software. Among the new features are an improved flowchart editor with Windows 98 look and feel and easier event and exception programming.
TUESDAY, 3/16, MORNING:
CTC Parker Automation has combined a PLC and PC-based control software solution. Called MLogic, the control software is a part of CTC's MachineShop suite of software for factory-floor automation. The controller works like a PLC but uses a compact PC platform built around solid-state flash technology.
Indus International, a leading vendor of EAM applications announced the availability of its PassPort 7.0 application. New features in this latest version include a Web-based client, Euro currency compliance, and enhanced language and translation support.
TUESDAY, 3/16, AFTERNOON:
Autodesk Inc. today unveiled two new CAD software packages that it will begin shipping this summer. The packages bundle what were disparate offerings. The first, AutoCAD Mechanical 2000, is an enhanced 2-D design automation/design productivity tool. Mechanical Desktop 4 combines 2-D and 3-D solid modeling capability. Autodesk will also sell Power Packs for each of these products. they include pre-drawn standard parts and do calculations commonly used by mechanical designers.
Smart Team has agreed to develop a Windows-based PDM system for another mid-range CAD software vendor. By year end, Smart Team expects to provide a PDM system for Visionary Design Systems Inc.'s NT-based solid modeling software. Smart Team already offers a similar PDM package for mid-range CAD systems offered by such vendors as Baystate Technologies, Dassault Systemes, and Unigraphics. It also has a pending deal to develop a similar PDM system for Bentley Systems Inc.
NetVendor Systems Inc. an e-commerce startup company focused on mid-size manufacturers of automotive and industrial parts, today announced the pending launch of AutoParts BIN, an Internet-based trading community. The site, which will go live in mid-May, will allow companies to buy and sell automotive excess stock, used parts, and odd lots.
MAPICS Inc. today announced the availability of MAPICS XA Wisdom, its advanced planning and scheduling software. MAPICS acquired the APS technology in July through a partnership with Symix Systems Inc.
Lilly Software Associates Inc. today announced the general availability of VISUAL APS, its advanced planning and scheduling system. Lilly, which obtained a patent for its concurrent scheduling technology late last year, will sell the APS system as a stand-alone product which can be integrated with any ERP system. In addition, Lilly today announced that customers can buy IBM's AS/400e servers pre-loaded with VISUAL MANUFACTURING, Lilly's flagship ERP system.
WEDNESDAY, 3/17, MORNING:
Lord Corp. debuted pneumatic motion control using its Rheonetic fluid technology, which changes the viscosity of the liquid when exposed to magnetic fields. The technology offers multiple-position control and velocity and acceleration control superior to normal two-position pneumatic devices.
Mincom Inc., a leading CMMS vendor, introduced software that allows manufacturers to quickly determine if maintenance for production equipment is adequate. The company's Open Enterprise MIMSVu software provides users a methodology to make that assessment. Users also can employ MIMSVu's online analytical processing tool that crunches operational data to pinpoint the cause of any maintenance-related problem.
Syspro Impact Software Inc., a developer of manufacturing, distribution, and financial accounting software, has released version 4 of its IMPACT Encore enterprise resource planning software. Improvements in the new version include field size increases for transaction values, prices, and costs; support for longer file names; extensive printing capabilities; support for the Euro; the ability to process multi-currency transactions and multi-currency general ledger in accordance with FASB 52; and the ability to translate standard reports into any language. The company said the new version also has a new product configurator function.
WEDNESDAY, 3/17, AFTERNOON:
Intellution has established an MES strategic alliance program aimed at supplying its customers with a choice of MES solutions based on specific industry needs. As part of its program, the company formed major strategic alliances with Camstar systems Inc., CIMNET, and Realtime Info Inc.
THURSDAY, 3/18:
IBM Corp. announced a new partner initiative that enables existing IBM CATIA resellers to also sell IBM's Enterprise File System, DFS. The CATIA/DFS integrated solution is used by worldwide automotive, aerospace, and other large-scale manufacturing customers to collaborate on the design and manufacturing process, leverage scarce engineering resources located in multiple sites, and manufacture products with faster time-to-market.
Digital Paper Corp., a 3-year-old startup based in Alexandria, VA, introduced DocQ Software. It distributes large digital engineering drawings over the Internet. DPC software automatically polls network directories for new, impressed documents that authorized users, either within the company or outside it, can view and print. A standard Web browser is required. The software is designed to help discrete manufacturers reduce the costly physical distribution of final engineering drawings.