Managing Automation - December 2007 - (Page 12) managingautomation FREE Online Membership Transform your business through technology news managingautomation.com maonline Go online for daily news updates in perspective the tough, competitive manufacturing world,” Tognoni said. “Mile-wide, inch-deep products aren’t the answer.” — Diane Himes Alliances, Executive Appointments, Mergers & Acquisitions, Products FREE Membership includes: • Award Winning Editorial • Web Exclusive Articles • Whitepapers & Webcasts • Improved Online Tools and Expert Forums • Product Comparison Engine • Targeted Newsletters • Special discounts for Executive Conferences • My “MA” which allows you to save products, comparisons and more directly connects you with vendors www.managingautomation.com Tognoni said in an interview with Managing Automation at the conference. Since Consona takes a strategic approach to acquisitions, the company is not as subject to derailment in the face of volatile debt markets as those that target struggling vendors at bargain-basement prices solely in the interest of gaining market share, he said. Several deals are in the pipeline for the short to mid-term, Tognoni noted, and officials hinted during the conference that next up is a deal that would build out chat and collaboration functionality in the company’s CRM business unit. Consona compares itself to CPG conglomerate Procter & Gamble, opting to maintain the well-established brands of its acquisitions — such as AXIS Computer Systems, a supplier of ERP software for metals, wire, and cable manufacturers; CRM vendor Onyx Software; and Cimnet Systems, an ERP provider for printed circuit board manufacturers — that customers have grown accustomed to, versus fusing products together and trying to blend functionality into a one-size-fits-all offering. (Consona does plan eventually to standardize on Microsoft’s services-oriented .NET framework.) Meanwhile, the product lines share administrative support services, including business process and implementation consulting, education, and IT support. “Consona’s customers have unique business processes that enable them to survive in SCHNEIDER TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARD SOLUTIONS chneider Electric’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of its first Automation and Control Innovation Center in North America was not as dramatic as breaking a champagne bottle on the bow of a boat, but it did signify a substantial step forward for the power and automation giant as it aims to transform from a product-based to a solutions-oriented business model. With the flip of a switch, Andy Gravitt, Schneider Electric’s vice president of industrial automation and control for North America, illuminated a showcase room filled with control, safety, and networking techAndy Gravitt nologies, signifying the official opening of a new center of excellence. A few years ago, Schneider Electric floated the idea of turning one of its defunct factories into a cutting-edge R&D and integration facility. S UPCOMING Asset Management Conference & Expo Jan. 22–23, 2008 Sheraton Atlanta Hotel Atlanta www.assetexpo.com ARC Advisory Group’s Winning Strategies and Best Practices for Global Manufacturers Forum USA 2008 Feb. 4–7, 2008 Rosen Centre Hotel Orlando, FL www.arcweb.com IDS Scheer’s ARIS ProcessWorld 2008 Americas Feb. 13–15, 2008 Orlando World Center Marriot Resort & Convention Center Orlando, FL www.processworld.com EVENTS 2008 International Lean and Six Sigma Conference March 5-6, 2008 Rosen Plaza Hotel, Orlando, FL www.iso9000conference.com SAS Global Forum 2008 March 16–19, 2008 Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center San Antonio, TX http://support.sas.com/events /sasglobalforum/2008/index.html Supply-Chain World North America 2008 March 17–19, 2008 Hilton Minneapolis Minneapolis www.supply-chain.org LogiCon 2008 March 25–28, 2008 JW Marriott, Las Vegas, NV www.wbresearch.com/logiconusa Visit Today! ® http://managingautomation.com http://www.assetexpo.com http://www.iso9000conference.com http://support.sas.com/events/sasglobalforum/2008/index.html http://www.arcweb.com http://www.supply-chain.org http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.processworld.com http://www.wbresearch.com/logiconusa
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