ABB Releases Next Version of Industrial IT Extended Automation System 800xA


Wickliffe, Ohio, November 8, 2006 -- ABB announced today that it has released the newest version of its IndustrialIT Extended Automation System 800xA. Major system enhancements include features that help customers add applications to running processes without requiring costly system downtime, and collaborate on engineering changes in an environment that is separate from running production.

"As many of our customers must run their operations continuously, 24/7, to remain profitable and meet their targets, system downtime is not an option. These enhancements allow them to add programs, modify configurations, and implement software upgrades while production is running, and then simulate the impact these changes will have on running production before they are executed. This capability greatly reduces the risks commonly associated with system modifications and additions," said Alicia Bauer, Director of Systems Marketing, ABB Inc. "With these enhancements, System 800xA sets the new standard for corporate-wide productivity and efficiency."

System 800xA provides new and existing ABB customers with a better way to achieve measurable productivity and profitability improvements. It extends the scope of traditional control systems to include all automation functions in a single operations and engineering environment so that plants/mills can run smarter and better at substantial cost savings.

System 800xA's unique integration capability allows Customers to combine data from traditionally disparate automation-related applications into a single integrated information view in real-time to facilitate business impactful decisions and actions to maximize productivity. It provides the capability to tailor information content and format to the user's job function facilitating faster navigation, assimilation, and decision-making. The newest System 800xA functions significantly expand this capability across multiple manufacturing facilities, as well as provide a way to implement system changes without requiring costly production stops or system downtime.

Load-Evaluate-GO lets customers modify, download and evaluate a new or "revised" application, without interfering with the running "current" application. They can see how the new application will work with their controllers and I/O and how it will affect the production process, while continuing the run the current application. After evaluation, the customer may choose to put the new application on-line, modify it, or discard it. The capability significantly reduces the risks associated with making application changes in the running process, and improves overall efficiency by avoiding production stops, missed or delayed product deliveries, and costly downtime.

Load-Evaluate-GO is a result of the ongoing collaboration between ABB and the Dow Chemical Company. This combination of Dow and ABB expertise and experience will help the entire process manufacturing industry operate more efficiently and safely.

Multi-User and Distributed Engineering provides an even more flexible engineering environment to move, copy and reuse configuration data between different systems, and to make engineering changes in an environment that is separate from running production. In this collaborative "engineering sandbox," engineering teams from multiple locations work together on a project, and synchronize their results for implementation when appropriate after completion. These engineering changes do not immediately impact the version of the application running the process; when the customer is ready to make these changes, they are deployed to the production environment in one single transaction.

System 800xA significantly extends process control and enterprise visibility well beyond the realm of essential process control to include production management, safety, smart instrumentation, smart drives and motor control, information management, asset optimization, simulation and documentation. System 800xA integrates these areas so that information can be viewed, accessed, and appropriately modified from its single operations environment so that plants/mills can run more efficiently and achieve substantial cost savings. Its unique engineering environment manages one set of consistent data, for single-point entry, single-point change, and re-use across the plant to help users extend and repeat their most successful engineering strategies and best practices. System 800xA Extended Automation was chosen by Control Engineering magazine to receive an Editors' Choice Award as one of the best products introduced in 2004.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 107,000 people.

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