Milwaukee, Wis.— Rockwell International Corp. announced July 18 that Rockwell Automation's five Control Systems business groups will be replaced immediately by three global operating groups.

The company says its restructuring is needed to "sharpen focus on the marketplace, preserve and enhance long-term global growth, better respond to customer needs, simplify decision making, and better leverage core competencies." Rockwell's realignment also includes changes to its sales organization to accelerate growth in all markets and regions. No changes are planned for Rockwell's Power Systems business. The three new groups are:

• Software and Services, which will focus on delivering automation software, services, and support to customers;
• Components and Packaged Applications, which will combine Rockwell's industrial control and drive products portfolio along with packaged applications and drive systems; and
• Automation Control and Information, which will concentrate on securing global adoption of Rockwell's open architecture by integrating information and the architecture's multiple control disciplines, including Logix, NetLinx, and ViewAnyWare.

"This new structure will provide the focus and speed required to deliver Complete Automation solutions to customers, globally," says Don Davis, Rockwell International chairman and ceo. "It builds on our base of world-class components, and positions us to better sell integrated architecture products, software, and services to our customers. We will be able to respond even faster to changing market dynamics and increasing customer demands for interoperable automation solutions. Additionally, we will be better able to capitalize on a number of opportunities to grow this business even faster."

Keith Nosbusch will continue to lead these three groups as Control Systems president. The company also announced several senior vp appointments. Reporting to Mr. Nosbusch will be Ted Crandall as Components and Packaged Applications' vp, Steve Eisenbrown as Automation Control and Information's vp, and Ron Wichter as Software and Services' vp.