15 October 2008

Manufacturing execution systems vendor Iconics has launched the latest version of its Genesis64 HMI/SCADA suite, which incorporates Microsoft Silverlight browser plug-in technology to improve visualisation functionality.

Version 10.5 of Genesis64 uses OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) and 64-bit multi-core hardware platforms. Iconics says the suite includes several modular solutions that simplify connectivity from the plant floor to corporate business systems. Certified for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, .NET and SharePoint technology, the company claims it allows plant operators and IT professionals to integrate real-time manufacturing and business information into a common, Web-enabled visualisation dashboard. The Genesis64 suite comprises GraphWorX64, TrendWorX64, AlarmWorX64, EarthWorX and the Workbench Web-based development, deployment and operations products.

Silverlight is able to combine multimedia, graphics, animation and interactivity into a single runtime environment. It has the ability to work along with XAML code in presenting vector graphics and animation and can be used to create Windows Sidebar gadgets for Windows Vista. Such capabilities, Iconics says, help bolster overall visualisation capabilities of user applications.

“Iconics works closely with Microsoft, and as a Gold Certified Partner, remains at the cutting edge of technology for the good of our industrial automation/building controls software customers,” said president and CEO Russ Agrusa. “Silverlight expands Genesis64’s rich Web-friendly graphics, alarm management and trend charting functionality. Certification for Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, .NET, SharePoint and other technologies assists Iconics in helping customers to better visualise their business applications.”

“Iconics is well-known as a proponent of Microsoft and for integrating Microsoft technologies within its products such as Genesis64,” said Craig Resnick, Research Director at ARC Advisory Group. “ARC expects that Iconics will fully leverage the capabilities of the latest Microsoft products such as Silverlight to address the trend, being deployed by many successful manufacturers, of using real-time visualisation solutions to ensure that any problems are exposed as they occur on the plant floor. This is a welcome trend to workers on the plant floor, especially when they are empowered to stop the manufacturing process and fix the problems as they occur to get the product quality right the first time, which is one of the primary benefits of real-time industrial automation.”

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