Redefining Leadership in the Field of Industrial Control Automation
•Downfall of the Proprietary Elite
• Recognized Leaders Have Dominated the Total Automation Controls Sector
•Accelerated Life-Cycles for Control Technology
•Skipping a Generation in PC-Based Control Evolution
•RTX: The NT-Enabling Technology
•Four Levels of Market Competition
•Low-Priced/High Volume
•Mid-to-High-Priced/Focused Applications
•Traditional Property Vendors
•Neotraditional Specialty-Niched Vendors
•Four Major Positioning Strategies
Downfall of the Proprietary Elite
It has all happened too fast. The proprietary elite foresaw a gradual migration from isolative systems to some form of interim technology mix. Openness would not be truly open. Industrial PCs providing HMI would stave off pure softlogic. Standards would remain regional and company-specific. Change would be slow. Interoperability was a promise to be achieved in the foreseeable future. Proprietary vendors could rely on the migration problems that would exist in legacy systems. Problems would arise with scalability to commercial technologies in the automation environment. One hardware platform and operating system would be replaced with another. Progress would occur, but at a manageable pace. And Windows NT, with all its advancements, would still not be a 'critical' controls operating system, and represent only a marginal threat to the proprietary industrial marketing landscape. This scenario would, however, break from traditional thought faster than anyone in the industry could have predicted.
Recognized Leaders Have Dominated the Total Automation Controls Sector
Leaders in the field of industrial control automation include Siemens in Europe, and Allen Bradley/Rockwell Automation in North America. Globally, Groupe Schneider (now Schneider Electric) is fourth, with Siemens, at double the size of Allen Bradley/Rockwell Automation, in first place. GE Fanuc, dominating CNC controls, is a probable third behind Mitsubishi as second over-all in the total automation controls sector.
Relative leadership positions grow increasingly less defined, however, when considering logic functionality from leading companies like Rexroth Indramat, (Mannesmann), where softlogic is not being marketed on its own, but as part of a machine control solution. The traditional leadership names of Siemens, Mitsubishi, GE Fanuc, Rockwell Automation, and Groupe Schneider change front runner positions considerably, once the observer steps away from the total control automation picture and considers specific, softlogic PC-based control applications.
Entrepreneurial software companies accelerated the timeline beyond the expectations of traditional controls builders by supplying off-the-shelf, low cost software controls at low prices. Companies like Think & Do, a high volume leader in the U.S., is now one of the fastest growing suppliers of PC-based control software, providing a package which includes an HMI with 2200 symbol graphics library, integrated motion control, loop control, all I/O drivers, flowchart logic, and a copy of Windows NT for $1,295. ISaGraf, CJ International's softlogic product, is also a strong contender in the lower priced off-the-shelf category from a global standpoint. CJ International, a global softlogic systems leader, is the engineering and development organization for ISaGraf in Grenoble, France. ISaGraph, marketed and supported by Transysoft, Inc. in the U.S., runs on industry standard IEC 61131-3, and fully supports all five of the PLC languages plus flowchart, and is also offered in a moderate price range.
Accelerated Life-Cycles for Control Technology
Life cycles for control technology have accelerated from five or more years for new controls technology that had to last up to 10 years in 1980, to software-driven solutions that, today, can emerge in as little as four months. And this is where the fulcrum of leadership has been most severely challenged.
More and more, we begin to see names like Steeplechase, and Think & Do, along with Wonderware and VMIC. The controls world is hearing about Nematron and Intrinsyc, Intellution, and Xycom. Names like VenturCom seem to appear in every application, and Microsoft is totally pervasive. For PC-based controls, it is a surprisingly vibrant, fast-paced, and promising era.
Skipping a Generation in PC-Based Control Evolution
Several technological leaps have occurred in the past several years accelerating controls migration to the point where, seemingly, a generation has been skipped. This is a second driver clearly responsible for a shift in controls industry leadership. Enabling technologies such as RTX (Real Time Extension), component integrators, imbedded computer technology and Internet-friendly languages like Java have accelerated the evolution toward the opening of closed systems. Open systems is no longer in the wings. It has arrived. NT can now do 'hard' real time. And traditional, proprietary technology leaders are, suddenly, at risk.
RTX: The NT-Enabling Technology
RTX has been the 'X-factor' that has accelerated Windows NT into the proprietary arena. RTX is the enabling technology that has allowed Windows NT to break the time barrier, bringing NT from being a nonthreatening, general-purpose commercial operating system into the real-time OS market. With RTX, Windows NT is now employed in the highest 'time-critical' applications not just on the factory floor, but across the enterprise. It is VenturCom's RTX technology that has provided this subsystem, real-time environment.
The technology that decomposes Windows NT into a hierarchy of individually selectable components with which to design systems configurations is called a ‘Component Integrator'. VenturCom's Component Integrator provides the benefits of Windows NT to dedicated, embedded, and real-time control markets. The Component Integrator engineers and deploys embedded Windows NT products.
To put it more simply, Windows NT, which is the definitive operating system for PC-based controls, is not deterministic or real-time. VenturCom is the software that is added to Windows NT to make it suitable for PC-based control. Unlike object-oriented development tools (OOT) used by WonderWare and Intellution as high-end, fill-in-the-blank solutions, VenturCom's real-time technology is 'invisible' to the user. It can be described as the 'glue behind the scenes that make the NT system work, just as the user is not aware that, when using a word processor, Microsoft Win32 is making the calls that make the word processor work. This construction remains invisible. VenturCom RTX is the core technology that is added to Windows NT that allows a product like Intellution's Paradigm 31 to be built with deterministic and real-time capabilities.
Four Levels of Market Competition
This new study shows marketing position by installed units. Market leaders are divided into 'Low-Priced/High Volume', 'Mid-to-High-Priced/Focused', 'Traditional', and Neotraditional, for PC-based control.
Leadership for Low-Priced/High Volume is spread among two major vendors: Think & Do Software, a top volume supplier in U.S., and CJ International. Think & Do may be the fastest growing supplier of PC-based control software and, with systems inventor Ron Lavallee on board, sells flowchart logic development tools in the low-priced market category. CJI is a large seller of PLC embedded controls and only recently turning to PC-based control software. What is bringing CJ International into the control market is that they have developed an OS kernel for the PC. A kernel provides basic process or thread management services in interrupt processing required by real-time services. Now CJI can run the result of their development tools to a Windows-based control system. CJ International enjoys a 'sister' relationship with their America-based Transysoft Inc., while maintaining distributor ties outside the U.S. with Komatsu of Japan, Komatsu Asia & Pacific in Singapore, Openware Technologies in Taiwan, and Fieldbus Specialists in Australia. CJ International sells ISaGRAF, a complete industrial software package consisting of Soft Logic Programming Tools, and a new product ISaGRAF Pro, for distributed control application.
Another vendor in the embedded market is K&W (Klopper & Wiege) a German company likely to follow suit. Opto 22 is, basically, a hardware company, offering generous lots of software at modest prices in support of its hardware sales.
SoftPLC, formerly Teledenken, occupies a low-priced, high volume position and provides factory automation software and hardware solutions in thousands of manufacturing plants globally and claims to be one of the leading PC-based control software vendors in this category. The off-the-shelf package includes the 'kernel', drivers for different I/O cards, on-line, off-line editor, and the offering is unique in that Windows NT is not used. Their software boots from DOS and takes over the machine similar to old Novell configurations. SoftPLC has its own, independent OS within the kernel, considering NT as a 'dangerous' way to operate. SoftPLC has the full capacity to link to TCP/IP for full intranet/Internet connectivity. SoftPLC offers low-cost packaged software and hardware solutions including a full line of I/O devices for complete PC-based control installation.
Mid-to-High-Priced/Focused Applications
Mid-to-High-Priced products with more focused offerings are coming from Steeplechase, Intellution, and Wonderware, VMIC and others. Xycom has acquired ASAP, a software company with exports to Asia, Australia, Eastern Eurpoe and Western Europe. Steeplechase Software, the first to sell a hard real-time Windows NT controller is, today, considered a 'best of breed' business model for PC-based controls, working with Radisys in developing INtime, and EDS in the continuous development of services. Steeplechase has revolutionized flow chart programming by providing innovations that have decreased design time and installation cycles, lowering machine down time and increasing productivity. Recently Steeplechase expanded its capabilities, by acquiring Ann Arbor Automation, offering a complete tool set based in a deterministic, real-time NT environment.
PC-based controls may include both hardware and software and is application-dependant. This requires the skills of programmers, systems integrators, systems analysts and designers. The application requirement incurs expenses beyond the actual cost of the software itself. Systems users employ the Mid-to-High Priced vendors for their focused services.
ICONICS, although listed in the Mid-To-High Priced market position category, actually straddles this and the lower priced software product positions. ICONICS is unique in that it is the only company, to date, that has fully scalable software deliverables from NT down through CE, spanning both price classifications. ICONICS sells shrink-wrapped OTS software packages in HMI, SCADA, Data Historian, and control software for PC platforms. Since the mid-eighties, the company was one of the pioneers, in the days of DOS, of first having control capabilities through a software environment. ICONICS offers a mid-range priced NT, 95, or 98 platform product, and also has the same product available in a low-priced Windows CE platform.
Windows CE tends to be more of an OEM market, based on high volume, replacing embedded control systems, where the control may be embedded in any number of 'intelligent' functions upwards from the device level.
Traditional Proprietary Vendors
The Traditional group is led by Allen Bradley, with SoftLogics, GE with TCP, and Siemens with WinAC. Modicon is not yet in the PC-based control business but soon may be. The traditional companies tend to be the large, global conglomerates that can continue to offer proprietary PLCs as well as qualified PC-based control product solutions. These are the legacy systems groups who are defending market share. Many of these companies have bought emerging software firms to strengthen their exposed softlogic flank and further service their customers now interested in the flexibility and cost savings offered by new control software technology.
Neotraditional Specialty-Niched Vendors
Neotraditionals are those modern, specialty-niched companies who are, through strategic planning, making the migration to softlogic running on PCs. VenturCom's RTX technology plays in integral role in Wizdom Paradym-32 product. VenturCom offers Windows NT its real-time capability and is a core catalyst for moving the market away from the proprietary world although it is not a software seller.
Neotraditionals can occupy specialized fields of expertise in biotechnology, medical research, pharmacology, aerospace, alternate energy sources, and environmental sciences. These companies bring newly developed software to the marketplace and provide the specialized application services.
Four Major Positioning Strategies
Traditionals are defending market share. Neotraditionals are building on evolving markets. Companies like Think & Do and Intellution, as low and upwardly-priced players respectively, are looking for the technology advantages over the more traditional companies like Allen Bradley and GE Fanuc. The four positioning strategies for companies in the marketplace noted are:
- Low-Priced/High Volume: These software companies sell an off-the-shelf packaged product with minimal after sale support. Think & Do is the overall market leader in the PC software category. CJ International is a giant global operation, but only now coming into the PC-based control market. Opto 22, a high volume hardware seller, has developed software for its products. The OPTO software, however, is limited in application to the hardware they sell, which severely limits their market reach. Think & Do excels in providing off-the-shelf solutions with sales by Internet, and a sales force that actively promotes its software products.
- Mid-To-High-Priced / Focused: Higher prices reflect the dedicated services provided with software products. These second tier companies tend to specialize in specified, focused control segments. VMIC offers VenturCom's RTX added to their IOWorks PC-based Soft Logic Control software package for integrated real-time mechanisms with Windows NT. These vendors fill the void left by Low-Priced vendors who lack the programming and network integration services required by the majority of users during the earlier phases of market maturation. They actively promote software sales as a primary solution.
- Traditional: Siemens and Allen Bradley are the key, protectionistic traditionals. They argue that a better idea does not necessarily translate into customer benefit. Young software companies emerge in the marketplace with better, faster-to-market ideas and, more than any other aspect, need to sell their product. Industries with older legacy controllers and heterogeneous environments want to quickly ride the cost curve of commercial computer technology. But the risks can be high. These companies still have all their intellectual property on the programs that run in the PLCs. Traditionals argue their position toward caution, suggesting clear, 'safe-choice' consideration of all alternatives, and warning against moving too 'soft' too soon. Sales force does not actively promote the software solution and recommends proprietary alternatives.
- Neotraditional: Schneider has found a way to 'information-enable' the factory automation infrastructure with embedded server modules, and Ethernet TCP/IP communications. National Instruments and their LabVIEW development software, for example, provide a product that is intrinsic to scientific applications and virtual instrumentation. These nontraditional companies, or Neotraditionals, compete from a fast-growth industry base, using new age technological advantages in science and research to compete against higher-priced or upstart software companies. The software alternative is integrated into what product/service their sales force promotes. Sales force actively promotes software products with consultation and service.