A look back, A look ahead

It may seem hard to believe, but yet another year is drawing to a close. For most, the end of the year marks a time of rich tradition– a time to reflect upon the year that has passed and look forward to the year ahead. Here at Control Engineering , we have a few proud traditions of our own. Take our annual Automation Integrator Guide, for example. Each December, we’re proud to deliver this outstanding resource, which defines who’s who among SIs of all sizes, skills and capabilities. This year’s edition, in print and online, is as information-packed as ever.

We’re also proud to bring you something of a new tradition for the magazine: the System Integrator of the Year Awards. Recognizing the best and brightest in three revenue categories, the awards seek to highlight those organizations that deliver exceptional value to the customers and communities they serve. You can read all about this year’s winners in the supplement accompanying this issue, plus you can visit controleng.com and check out last year’s winners as well. (Although SI of the Year award recipients cannot re-enter the competition for two years, their achievements certainly endure.)

One of the more polarizing end-of-year traditions is, of course, the New Year’s Resolution. One resolution which seems to be at or near the top of the list for industrial organizations is “deliver greater connectivity between the plant floor and business systems.” However, with the latest batch of solutions featuring greater reliance upon open standards and enhanced interoperability, this is one resolution that is not only readily attainable but an increasingly important way to gain and sustain a competitive advantage. For an inside look at some new trends and techniques– both domestically and internationally – be sure to check out this month’s cover story and see how production processes and business processes are becoming more tightly linked than ever before.

So as 2007 draws to a close, we at Control Engineering invite you to join us in looking forward to 2008. For a glimpse at what we’ll be covering, visit www.control-eng.com and review our editorial calendar. Addressing everything from the “skills gap” and green manufacturing practices to machine vision and embedded systems, we’ll continue to cover the trends and technologies that define the industrial automation landscape.

I hope that 2007 has been a year of prosperity, innovation and success for you and your organization, and may 2008 be even better. Happy Holidays and best wishes to you and yours.

marc.moschetto@reedbusiness.com

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