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™. [...]

TECH|TIP » Virtual Screens

Kevin West

Layout custom-sized screens on a single monitor with ThinManager.

Virtual Screens are defined using the Display Client Configuration Wizard. It is launched by selecting the Display Client icon at the bottom of the ThinManager tree, right clicking on the Virtual Screen branch, and selecting Add Display Client.

For a step-by-step guide on how to add Virtual Screens to your ThinManager configuration, flip to page 166 in the ThinManager Version 9 User Guide.

 

Click here to download the User Guide »

 

TECH|TIP » ThinManager Platform 9

Kevin West

April 25, 2016 marks the release of ThinManager Platform 9.

ThinManager is a software solution for automation networks that enable secure, centralized confi guration and deployment of applications and content to every PC, thin client, mobile device and user. ThinManager® increases safety and security through powerful visualization and authentication features allowing you to reduce your maintenance and downtime by simplifying the management of all devices and users.


Download ThinManager

You can also go mobile with ThinManager’s built-in mobility solution, Relevance®—the only location-based mobile management platform that allows applications and content to be securely delivered to specifi c locations within your facility and nowhere else. [...]

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. [...]

It’s in to be thin

Kevin West

ThinManager was mentioned in a recent LinkedIn Post from InSource Solutions about how thin client technology is more manageable, scalable and mobile.

Below are excerpts written by Jason Paquette, Product Marketing Manager at InSource Solutions, from his post regarding thin client management and mobility with an HMI.

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. [...]

A Touchy Subject

Bryan Harned

: Touchscreen Technology Bringing the World to Our Fingertips

touchscreens-1

They can bring you a world of information and services at the touch of your finger. Touchscreens on electronic devices allow almost anyone to control and operate digital gadgets with a mere tap. Let’s take a look at how touchscreens work and the ways they are changing our present and our future.

How Touchscreens Work

There are two basic types of touchscreens: resistive and capacitive. (1)

Resistive

Resistive touchscreens are the most common type of touchscreens. They’re typically found at ATMs and kiosks that distribute movies on DVR, etc. [...]