News Briefs

News BriefsSAPAmerica is to acquire Sybase to bring the two information technology companies together to enable the offer of better-run "unwired enterprises." SAP will accelerate the reach of its solutions across mobile platforms and drive forward the realization of its in-memory computing vision. The Sybase mobile platform can connect all applications and data (SAP and non-SAP) and enable them on mobile devices. SIS-TECH's Diamond-SIS High Integrity Protective System (HIPS) is a low-cost stand-alone logic solver certified for use in applications up to SIL 3. The Diamond-SIS HIPS is used to provide overpressure protection for scenarios where the opening of the pressure relief valve poses unacceptable process safety risks, and has been approved as a new technology application for off-shore installations in the Gulf of Mexico.The SIL3 logic solver with 2oo3 voting provides the end user with a fault tolerant unit that is physically and functionally independent from the process control and unit safety instrumented system. Each vessel or pipeline is independently protected against overpressure such that no single HIPS failure results in simultaneous overpressure of multiple vessels or pipelines. By using an independent logic solver for each HIPS, the potential for common cause failure impacting multiple process units is significantly reduced. GE has joined the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute Governing Board. "From Smart Grid modernization to oil and gas and industrial automation applications, the ISA100 standards will help us in meeting our customers’ requirements," said Melanie Cook, communications general manager for GE’s Digital Energy business.Klaus Endress, CEO at Endress+Hauser, reported "one of the most difficult years in our history" referring to 2009, when for the first time ever sales declined, by almost 10% to €1.096 billion. Major affected market areas were the chemical industry and geographical regions like the United States, Germany and Japan. Sales in China maintained the same level as 2008, and there were positive developments in India, Korea, the Middle East and Latin America. Endress+Hauser claims to have fared better than the process automation industry as a whole, which was considered down by 16%. Through 2009 the E+H group remained profitable, and maintained a stable number of employees, at 8400: it also set up new offices in Qatar and Lithuania, and increased R&D spend by 6% to €94.1 million. Already in 2010 business in the United States and Germany has picked up, Russia is catching up fast, and China shows dynamic growth again. Only really the Scandinavian countries are reported to still be in deep recession.   R. Stahl has acquired Clifford & Snell, the British specialist in signalling devices for explosion-protected and industrial use, using optical, acoustic and combined signalling devices.PAS has appointed William Dennison as vice-president and general manager of Europe and Africa Operations. Dennison joined PAS from Honeywell International, bringing nearly 30 years of international business experience working on four different continents.     The rapidly growing market for HMI services will be driven by end-user and OEM needs for additional supplier-provided technical expertise to support HMI software and systems, as end users and OEMs will not fully replace the internal support personnel lost during this past recession, says a new ARC Group study. "Security issues presented by older operating systems will drive upgrades from legacy HMI software to the latest HMI platforms," according to Research Director Craig Resnick. In the traditional HMI software markets, growth is accelerating in the rapidly expanding process and infrastructure industries such as oil & gas, water & waste, electric power, food & beverage, and mining & metals. The Asia Pacific and Latin American HMI software and services markets will be the fastest growing regions: ARC believes that growth will be slower in North America and EMEA because a significant amount of HMI software has already been adopted in these mature markets. SKF has won a five year contract with Metso Lindemann, the global supplier of equipment, services and process solutions, to manage its worldwide wear and spare parts warehouse and distribution operations. The agreement will see SKF supplying Metso Lindemann’s customers in the mining, construction, power generation, oil and gas, recycling and pulp and paper industries across the globe, on a daily basis, from a state-of-the-art central distribution centre in Tongeren, Belgium. SKF has been supplying the Metso Group with bearing and lubrication services and technical support for more than 30 years and more recently began supplying Metso’s Mining and Construction division with integrated logistics solutions.   Stockport based Hima-Sella has opened new offices in Asby-de-la-Zouch and Aberdeen, to better serve its key rail and oil and gas customers. Hima-Sella managing director Ian Wright, who knows Ashby-de-la-Zouch well from his days at Transmitton, commented "Customers rely on Hima-Sella for its expertise in engineering safety, control and automation systems and moving closer geographically brings many benefits." The office in Aberdeen is located in the EIC’s Carden Place premises. Al Shaheen Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas have signed a strategic partnership agreement that will support the continued growth of Qatar’s oil and gas and energy industries and consolidate GE’s presence in the Middle East region. Under the agreement Al Shaheen Energy Services becomes a 50% strategic JV partner in the GE Oil & Gas PII Pipeline Solutions business. In addition to continuing to provide pipeline inspection and integrity services to its existing customers around the world, PII Pipeline Solutions will also establish a dedicated Integrity and Inspection center in Qatar, to support operators throughout the Middle East.