Author: Tom Jordan

Marketing Lead for ThinManager - A Rockwell Automation Technology

Cybertrol Uses ThinManager to Centralize Management, Reduce Downtime of Large Facility

Tom Jordan

Cybertrol Engineering has used ThinManager across numerous sites ranging from installations of less than five clients to more than 50. When setting up plants with the best possible solution, ThinManager is the go-to solution for managing thin clients. Here is an example of a large-scale facility that has benefited from the use of centralized technologies and uses ThinManager managed clients every day.

One of our customers has a plant that has been around for over 20 years, and they have seen the evolution of technology on the factory floor—from Windows NT 4 workstations and NT 4 servers to highly available datacenters and 50+ thin clients. From its humble beginnings as a small meal replacement beverage manufacturing operation to what has morphed into one of the largest ice cream manufacturing operations in the nation, the growth pace has been nothing short of astounding. In the midst of this ever-changing operational climate, they’ve also had to manage the never-ending evolution of technology and its impact on their ways of working. [...]

Rockwell Automation acquired Automation Control Products (ACP)

Tom Jordan

Rockwell Automation Acquires Automation Control Products to Deliver Simple and Secure Centralized Visualization and Mobility Solutions

September 12, 2016

MILWAUKEE–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) today acquired Automation Control Products (ACP), a leading provider in centralized thin client, remote desktop and server management software. ACP’s two core products, ThinManager® and Relevance®, provide manufacturing and industrial leaders with visual display and software solutions to manage information and streamline workflows for a more connected manufacturing environment.

This acquisition supports the Rockwell Automation growth strategy to help customers increase global competitiveness through The Connected Enterprise – a vision that connects information across the plant floor to the rest of the enterprise. It is accelerated by the Industrial Internet of Things and advances in technologies, such as data analytics, remote monitoring, and mobility. [...]

Dairy Farmers of America Reduces Downtime with Resilient Thin Client Tech

Tom Jordan

When you think of Dairy Farmers of America you probably think of milk. While you wouldn’t be wrong to have such a thought, milk processors do a lot more than you think with the raw milk that comes from the cow.

Dairy Farmers of America is a co-op owned by over 14,000 dairy farmers. With 2015 net sales over $13.8 billion you can see that dairy production is serious business. It’s more than milk though. This particular plant takes in over 160 trucks full of raw milk every day. The material skimmed from the raw milk is turned into milk powder that is used in all manner of food production. [...]

New Bluetooth Proximity Beacon

Tom Jordan

Please note that ACP is no longer able to order and or stock the GELO.01 Bluetooth beacons.

Effective immediately, we will inventory and endorse a Bluetooth proximity beacon from a company called Radius Networks. Their ‘RadBeacon X4’ is a rugged, weatherproof (NEMA 4X), and temperature resistant beacon powered by four AA batteries (not included). Battery life has been extended to over 5 years. Both the transmit and interval levels are adjustable.

The RadBeacon X4 is a fully stand-alone Bluetooth Smart™ proximity beacon that supports iBeacon™, AltBeacon™, and Eddystone™ technology. The RadBeacon X4 is a rugged, weatherproof, and temperature-resistant proximity beacon powered by four AA batteries. It can be installed in any location, regardless of available power and provides proximity advertisements for mobile applications that are compatible with iBeacon, AltBeacon, and Eddystone standards, including xthe Physical Web™. [...]

Press Release » ThinManager Platform 9

Tom Jordan

Automation Control Products Releases ThinManager® 9.0—Includes Virtual Screens with Session Scaling Allowing Customized Visualization Management

For release April 25, 2016

Alpharetta, GA — ACP releases ThinManager 9.0 as a major release of the ThinManager platform. Version 9.0 contains many new features including Virtual Screens as one of the most powerful tools for providing custom visualization. Virtual Screens allows administrators to lay out work screens in custom-sized regions on a single monitor. Add in automatic session scaling and you don’t even have to recode an application to get it to fit the area of the screen you assign it to. ThinManager also supports 4K resolution so a single monitor can now be used in place of multiple monitors—saving on hardware costs and reducing the effort of wiring and mounting. [...]

New Security Document Outlines the Details of ThinManager® Security

Tom Jordan

By the very nature of design, thin client networks offer superior security to PC-based networks, hands down. No local storage and no access to removable drives make ThinManager thin clients “data safe” work terminals. If stolen or damaged, these terminals will not lose any data. The same applies to mobile devices using ThinManager’s Relevance® mobility solution.

Apart from the hardware design, there are several other factors that determine how secure your thin client installation will remain. Network port settings, authentication methods and encryption all play a part in your security strategy. ACP has just released an updated security white paper that discusses these other factors in order to give our end users a well-rounded knowledge of best practices and settings that will ensure your thin client network stays secure. [...]

Automation Control Products Releases ThinManager® 8.1—Includes Relevance® Mobility Solution as Part of the Core Platform

Tom Jordan

For release January 19, 2016

Alpharetta, GA — ACP releases ThinManager 8.1 that now includes the Relevance mobility solution as part of the core platform. Originally Relevance was licensed as a separate product. Now, all new purchases of ThinManager will include the only location-based mobility solution available in the industrial market without purchasing a separate license.

In addition to Relevance, the following features are also included with the release of ThinManager version 8.1:

•    NLA support
•    4K monitor support – requires HDMI 3 or a display port
•    Support for new finger scanner
•    Right-click and copy terminal, display server, display client, users, or groups
•    Reports in CSV format
•    Onscreen keyboard for touch screens from hold time settings – or right-click
•    Custom variables
•    Bluetooth module [...]

ACP releases ThinManager 8.0 with Relevance Mobile Platform

Tom Jordan

News Release
For Immediate Release: May 12, 2015

ACP releases ThinManager 8.0 with Relevance Mobile Platform to Create the Most Powerful Industrial Thin Client and Mobile Management System

ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA—ACP (Automation Control Products) announces the availability of ThinManager 8 to begin shipping on June 1, 2015. ThinManager 8 includes support for Active Directory and continues support for the new Relevance mobile platform that allows modern facilities to create location-based work environments to deliver content to the right person, at the right time, in the right place. Version 8 will also include support for Android-based mobile tablets as well as continued support for Apple iPads and iPhones. The combination of ThinManager and Relevance will define the era of mixed use computing environments by allowing one platform to manage every PC, thin client and mobile device on the plant floor. [...]

MORE DATES » ThinManager Roadshow

Tom Jordan

LogoWe’ve added even more dates to the ThinManager Relevance Roadshow!

This presentation is a two hour demonstration of the new features in ThinManager 7 and Relevance, the new mobile platform for the “Factory of the Future”.

Click here to register »

Jan 19 – Charlotte, NC
Jan 20 – Charleston, SC
Jan 21 – Macon, GA
Jan 22 – Atlanta, GA
Jan 26 – Knoxville, TN

Jan 27 – Memphis, TN
Jan 28 – Birmingham, AL
Jan 29 – Jackson, MS
Jan 30 – Mobile, AL

Sign-Up-Now-ScruffieFeb 9 – Sacramento, CA
Feb 10 – Pleasanton, CA
Feb 11 – Modesto, CA
Feb 12 – Bakersfield, CA
Feb 13 – Los Angeles, CA
Feb 16 – Irvine, CA
Feb 17 – Riverside, CA
Feb 18 – San Diego, CA
Feb 19 – Las Vegas, NV
Feb 20 – Phoenix, AZ [...]