Happy Manufacturing Day

Kevin West

Today, October 2nd, 2015, is Manufacturing Day. Manufacturing Day℠ is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. This is an exciting opportunity as many manufacturers are opening their doors to the public today to offer tours and to show just how the manufacturing process works for them.

As a “tip of the cap” to all those in this great industry, we have put together a video about ThinManager in a sit down interview with ACP’s CEO, Matt Crandell, asking where it all started, and where it is going.  ThinManager is the global leader in thin client management and industrial mobility.  Without our partners and customers in the manufacturing industry, we simply would not be where we are today. [...]

Using ThinManager – Location Resolver Technology

Bryan Harned

ThinManager’s zero client computing has always been the most secure way to deliver content to your plant floor terminals. The industry leading security of ThinManager now offers the only location-based mobile platform that allows you to create & configure secure “walls” around your data and applications using location resolvers. You gain complete control of the floor through their configuration. We call this location-based technology Relevance.

Location resolvers in Relevance are used to define locations throughout your plant. Examples of defined locations can be as broad as the entire network, a tethered thin client terminal, or a defined “geo-fenced” area.  Relevance uses technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, NFC and QR Codes to let administrators define an unlimited number of locations. [...]

Data Secure with ThinManager

Using ThinManager – Safety and Security

Bryan Harned

Data Security – not just a buzzword.  Today we know all too well that our data is important and keeping it secure and safe is often even more important.

This video focuses on the security and data safety in ThinManager.  ThinManager gives you complete control in your production environment over who sees what, where and when.  Secure data management has always been in the forefront when creating ThinManager. Our location-based resolvers create “Geo-Fences” for total security when integrating mobility in to your production environment. [...]

Authenticate Your Way

User Authentication with ThinManager

Bryan Harned

With so much sensitive data and information out there in your network applications and tech these days, security and proof of identity are of the utmost importance.  When people think security with technology they think first about user authentication.  Most likely they think usernames and passwords, maybe pass-codes as on most mobile devices.

In a modern factory or production environment using ThinManager, there are several options at your disposal to make user authentication fast and amazingly safe and secure.  ThinManager syncs with your existing Windows network Active Directory to provide an easy entry to your users and user authentication. [...]

ThinManager Control Terminal

Build The Ultimate Control Room

Bryan Harned

In today’s modern production environment visualization is not only important, it is essential.

Visualization is one of the cornerstones of ThinManager and building your ultimate control room to see everything in your production environment is simply put… “A Piece of Cake”!

Start by obtaining a capable thin client, one that can support multiple monitors. We like a configuration for at least 4 large monitors.  Need suggestions, look at the ThinManager Knowledge Base of ThinManager ready hardware. Install and layout your monitors.

sample ThinManager monitor configurations

screen-configUsing ThinManager you can now assign your control room thin client with all the applications, HMIs, IP Camera Feeds and Desktops that you will need to operate in complete control with optimal visualization of what is happening in your production environment. [...]

Operator Using Camera

Increase Visualization with IP Cameras

Bryan Harned

When you think about IP Cameras in your work environment, what comes to mind?  You might think of monitoring safety and security of the facility.  That is a completely valid thought.  For many facilities that is likely the main reason that cameras were put in to place.

IP Camera use, especially in the last 5 years, has given way to much more.  A new focus in a modern production environment is “increased visualization”.  Increasing visualization can spawn from anything that makes you more productive by way of seeing more information.  The use of cameras allows you to have an in-depth feel for an environment, not just a view of the screen at the terminal. [...]

What Is ThinManager?

Bryan Harned

I am sure many professionals in numerous industries can relate with the resulting hardship from this seemingly simple question.

As with most high tech companies, the answer is not always so easily explained without creating even more questions.  “We are the global leader in thin client management and industrial mobility solutions”.  Sure, it rolls off the tongue, but does that explain ThinManager to someone that does not know about factory automation, thin clients or industrial solutions?

We have developed a new video to quickly and concisely illustrate an overview of what ThinManager is and does.  This is the first in a new series of videos offering a more “in-depth” look in to the core functionality of ThinManager. [...]

Network Level Authentication

Paul Burns

Network Level Authentication (NLA) completes user authentication before establishing a remote desktop connection.

Without NLA a user connects to the Terminal Server/Remote Desktop Server and the Terminal Server / Remote Desktop Server launches the Windows Login screen. This uses some resources and has the potential of DOS attacks.

The NLA uses credentials on the client to authenticate before starting the session, saving resources.

ThinManager supports NLA starting with Firmware 7.1.113 inside of the TermPack 7.1.3 package released on 6/26/2015.

Previous versions of firmware did not support NLA and required that the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication setting to be turned off. [...]

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. [...]