Chicago, IL—As a further indication that the integration of plant and business information systems is becoming a greater imperative for manufacturers, Rockwell Automation has announced plans to extend its manufacturing execution system (MES) offerings via a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and bring the company's software product offerings into a single integrated suite referred to as Rockwell Software FactoryTalk.

Over the past few years, FactoryTalk has been the name used to refer to Rockwell Automation's MES level of software designed to enable companies to share manufacturing data and common services to reduce the time required to design, deploy, and maintain integrated automation systems.

According to Kevin Roach, vice president of Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk is the name now used to refer to the company's integrated suite of scalable, modular, and standards-based production performance software applications with tight integration to the Logix control platform, as well as connectivity to third-party and legacy systems. At present, plans for the FactoryTalk Suite will include:

• View—real-time SCADA and visibility software;
• Logix 5000—automation design and control;
• Historian—enterprise-wide data collection;
• Quality—enterprise quality and compliance;
• Tracker—production execution; and
• Simulation—planning, simulation and optimization.

In the first quarter of 2006, a new version of Rockwell Software RSMACC asset management software (change control, security, and compliance) and FactoryTalk Integrator (business system connectivity) will be available. As the company releases new versions of its Rockwell Software, Propack Data, and Arena offerings, those products also will be incorporated into the Rockwell Software FactoryTalk suite.

"Through the Logix control platform, Rockwell Automation demonstrated its ability to bring together multiple control disciplines, such as process control, batch control, drive systems, motion control, discrete control, and safety, under a common architecture," Roach said.

For more information, visit http://www.rockwellsoftware.com.