TAG, Carlson partnership expands machine control integration options

Solutions encompass machine guidance and monitoring software, rugged ultra-mobile PCs, and NEMA rated enclosures.

By Renee Robbins April 7, 2010

Dulles, VA and Maysville, KY – Technology Advancement Group Inc. (TAG), and Carlson Software Inc. announce an exclusive strategic partnership agreement designed to better serve mining, construction,landfill and precision agriculture customers globally. The partnershipwill create major components vital to producing a total machine controland supervising management solution for a variety of machines. Solutionsencompass machine guidance and monitoring software, rugged ultra-mobilePCs, and National Electronic Manufacturers Association (NEMA) rated enclosures.

"Our partnership benefits combine leading technology and services," says TAG CEO Jim McEwan. "TAG and Carlson each offer over 25 years of experience. Working together, we can supply our customers with one of the largest user-based field survey software suites, and the most scalable, flexible, and powerful handheld rugged systems in the machine control and heavy equipment positioning markets."

TAG resolves its customers’ IT challenges with world-class engineering, manufacturing and integration, and lifecycle management. Each TAG solution has a strong foundation in electrical, mechanical, and thermal engineering disciplines. This allows TAG to design systems that withstand harsh environments. Carlson specializes in CAD design software, field data collection, and machine control products for the land surveying, civil engineering, construction, and mining industries worldwide, providing one-source technology solutions from data collection to design to construction.

Randy Noland, Carlson’s vice president of business development and director of machine control, said Carlson is "excited about our partnership with TAG, [with them] bringing their military hardware manufacturing expertise to the mining, construction, landfill and precision agricultural positioning markets."

Noland says that after several years of evaluation and "a barrage of hardware vendors, we partnered with TAG over two years ago and began specifying product requirements that meet our customers’ needs." TAG and Carlson have already rolled out solutions to a number of customers, he added.

Both companies are highly experienced in COTS obsolescence and transition planning, component level upgrades and replacements, and are proactive at producing extended product end-of-life (EOL) awareness roadmaps. A dedicated staff oversees each step of the process throughout the entire product lifecycle and logistics management.

Steps include identifying the customer’s exact specifications and requirements, configuration and change management, coordination of delivery and installation, and providing a commitment to a seamless operation throughout the life of the program.

– Edited by Renee Robbins, senior editor
Control Engineering News Desk
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