First blast from Honeywell User Group

David Otto, co-chair of the Honeywell User Group, introduced the event by interacting with a Arnold-sounding Max Headroom character who noted that people had come from everywhere to be here, "even Houston." Following Otto, who I will be interviewing later today for a video podcast, was Jack Bolick, president of Honeywell. "I want to talk about four basic things I've been thinking about," he said. "Four key things that I've seen evolving since we are moving away from the proprietary TDS systems to the more open Experion PKS systems." We need to start with the customer's required outcome, not the hardware. The customer's outcome requires a global enterprise solution, which is enabled by an Open System Architecture. We see process control networks being expanded by economical wireless technology to access needed data. Wireless is in my view, Bolick said, a true inflection, and it is coming. We are going to get the cost per node of developing that data down to where we can produce real changes, Bolick said. This calls for filtering of data-to-decision for the individual. We are going to have to make the interoperability of systems work. Traditionally we've looked at automation with the Purdue model. We believe that we are expanding the standard Purdue model through Open Systems. Instead of the pyramidal structure of the model, we see three circles interconnecting and overlapping: Control Systems, Advanced Applications and Business Applications (MES). We believe that the  process knowledge system (PKS) we envisioned years ago is coming to fruition. "Many of you have told me, 'we don't want SAP-- very complex...we want TurboTax!' and that's what we believe we are moving toward." Again, Bolick refered to the four axes of the Honeywell Experion X. People, Assets, etc. Honeywell One Wireless will be introduced. It is the only wireless network you will ever need, he said. Orders will be taken this week for starter systems that will be $7500. He was going to play a video for us to see, "One Wireless Can Do That." Technical difficulties prevented it. You will all be able to see this video on ControlGlobal.com this evening and later. Jack also introduced VersaFlow flow meters...Honeywell's step back into the process industries for field instrumentation. There are more than 1500 Industry Experts under one roof. More than 80 customer presentations, and the largest demo center in HUG history with expanded hours and more partners than ever before, and the largest group of customers attending from overseas. Then the techies figured out how to run the video, so we got to see it.