Get help from OMAC with corporate membership

-- Control Engineering, 2/19/2008

Research Triangle Park, NC – Automation and controls might be getting more open and easy to work with since OMAC (Open, Modular, Architecture Control User Group) announced an OMAC Corporate Membership Program. The program is expected to enable, promote, and facilitate:

• Collective derivation of common solutions for technical and non-technical issues in development, implementation, and commercialization of open, modular architecture control (OMAC) technologies;
• OMAC development among control technology providers and OMAC adoption among users, OEMs, and system integrators;
• Collective derivation and capture of OMAC requirements and operating experience from users, software developers, hardware builders, and OEMs in manufacturing applications;
• Accelerated development and convergence of industry- and government-developed technology guidelines to one set that satisfies common use requirements; and
• Collaboration with user groups worldwide in pursuit of common international technology guidelines.

Related membership categories include:
• Large and Small End Users and Original Equipment Manufacturers (companies and organizations that purchase OMAC-based automation equipment to produce commercial and/or military products and that supply automation, manufacturing, assembly, and process equipment with integrated OMAC compliant technologies);
• Large and Small Technology Providers (companies and organizations that seek to develop, integrate, and/or supply OMAC-compliant systems and components, and/or gather, analyze, and disseminate business and technology information on OMAC technologies);
• Non-Profit and Government Organizations; and Academia Groups.

In general, benefits of membership include:
•    Use of the OMAC and OMAC Working Group logos;
•    Access to OMAC Working Groups via direct introduction to Working Group Chairs;
•    Company member discount to OMAC conferences and symposiums;
•    Company logo and link to company website listed on OMAC website;
•    One seat on the OMAC Technical Advisory Board (TAB);
•    Opportunity to post an organizational article in the OMAC Update, quarterly newsletter;
•    Access to OMAC best practices and technical guidelines (e.g., OPW Packaging Guidelines,
     MUGSecure Best Practices);
•    Priority as a demo sponsor/participant for OMAC demonstrations (i.e., Pack Expo Packaging
     Line Integration demonstration); and
•    Listing as an OMAC Corporate Member on OMAC mailings and promotions, where applicable, such as the OMAC Technical Conference (Call for Papers, Preliminary Program, & Final Program); OMAC organizational brochure, and OMAC Update, quarterly newsletter.

A key benefit members receive is a seat on the OMAC Technical Advisory Board, which advises the Board of Directors on technical direction, strategy, objectives, and goals. Each will be an appointed representative for each of the OMAC Corporate Member companies. This opportunity is a Corporate Member benefit only, and will last the term of one year or the length of time the company remains a paid Corporate Member of OMAC.

For its first two years of operation (2008-2010), the three co-chairs of TAB will be appointed by the board of directors. Two have already been named: Doug Gray of Coors, and Bob Tain of Okuma. In subsequent years, co-chairs will be one-year term elected positions, with nominations coming from TAB members.

Tasks to be performed by TAB include conducting quarterly meetings to address OMAC initiatives, providing reports to the Board of Directors on the status progress of OMAC initiatives, promoting and supporting OMAC programs and initiatives, and serving as the technical voice and conduit between membership and leadership.

According to Bruno Kisala, managing director of the Automation Federation, "The TAB will serve as the voice of our Corporate Members, a mechanism that never existed in the past. It will give our Corporate Members the ability to identify common industry issues and challenges, allow them to articulate their thoughts to the OMAC leadership for evaluation and action, and serve as a conduit for greater industry collaboration in developing solutions. The members of the TAB are in an excellent position to influence change and shape the technical direction and future of OMAC."

Also read, from Control Engineering: 
OMAC: Open technologies, sharing best practices help integrate discrete, process manufacturing

Standard profits: Make2Pack and ISA88 blog

– Control Engineering News Desk
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