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January 23, 2006

Minco Enhances HVACR Product Suite with New Relative Humidity Sensor - Offers Building Automation Industry One-Stop-Shop & Greater TCO

Minco launches its Relative Humidity Sensor as the third addition to Minco’s growing suite of building automation products and establishes a cost effective one-stop-shop for customers’ entire sensing needs.

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) January 23, 2006 -- http://www.minco.com - Minco, a designer and manufacturer of critical components for critical applications, is broadening its building automation product offerings with the launch of its new Relative Humidity Sensor.

The Relative Humidity Sensor is designed to guarantee system accuracies of +/- 1% in a previously unavailable economical manner. Since Minco is also a temperature sensor manufacturer, it is able to offer its customers a more comprehensive sensor package than its competitors.

“Relying on one vendor for multiple sensing parameters eliminates costly sourcing exercises and the cost of issuance of purchase orders,” said Marty Knutson, Minco Marketing Manager, Sensors Division & HVACR Industry. “One-stop shopping also allows lower transactional costs, lower installation time and greater reliability, which all add up to ideal total cost of ownership.”

The launch of the Relative Humidity Sensor not only enhances Minco’s building automation product offering, but it also establishes Minco as a sensor product one-stop-shop that offers both customer ease and cost efficiency.

“Minco has found that customers that require temperature sensing, oftentimes require humidity sensing as well,” said Knutson. “Minco is now in a position to offer customers a full-service sensor package that ultimately saves them money.”

Minco will be showcasing its suite of building automation products at the AHR Convention, January 23 – 25, 2006, McCormick Place, Chicago. Minco HVAC products being showcased include:
-Relative Humidity Sensor
-Thermal Vial Sensor
-Chill-Out Sensor

For more information on any of Minco’s building automation products, please contact Marty Knutson, Minco Marketing Manager, Temperature Sensors Division, at 763-586-2904.

About Minco
Minco designs, manufactures and markets critical components for critical applications. The company is unsurpassed in its ability to integrate and assemble flexible Thermofoil™ Heaters, Flex Circuits, Sensors and Instruments into a single component for greater efficiency. Minco helps companies minimize the risk of product failure by providing highly reliable components and expert design services.
http://www.minco.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:52 AM | Comments (0)

Challenges of 0201 and 01005 Component Assembly Are Focus of Free Webcast Seminars on February 16th

Speedline Technologies experts will tackle issues involved the 0201 and 01005 component assembly process in free, live webinars on Thursday, February 16, 2006 designed for OEM and CEM process engineers. Visit http://www.speedlinetech.com/seminars.

Franklin, Mass. (PRWEB) January 23, 2006 -- Speedline Technologies experts will tackle issues involved the 0201 and 01005 component assembly process in free, live webinars on Thursday, February 16, 2006 designed for OEM and CEM process engineers.

The continuing demand for smaller, lighter portable products has escalated the use of miniature components throughout the electronics industry. Two packages, currently being used for resistors and capacitors, are the 0201 and 01005 chip component packages. Assembling these components present a number of challenges for an electronic manufacturing operation.

Speedline Technologies will host the free one-hour Internet seminars to explore these challenges on Feb. 16th. Two live sessions are available: the first at 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. U.S. EST (2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Singapore Time), and the second at 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. U.S. EST.

The webinars will consist of an educational presentation, discussion of new technologies and techniques, practical how-to advice, and a Q&A opportunity. Specific areas of discussion will include:
* Printed Circuit Board Pad Design
* Solder Paste Printing
* Solder Paste Selection
* Component Placement
* Reflow Soldering
* Inspection
* Questions and answers

To register, go to http://www.speedlinetech.com/seminars or call 1-508-541-4749.

Each month, Speedline Technologies hosts a free one-hour Webcast tackling the SMT industry’s most pressing manufacturing challenges. The schedule throughout 2006 as follows:
* Thursday, March 16: Lead Free Reflow Soldering
* Thursday, April 13: Adhesive Printing
* Thursday, May 18: Pin in Paste (Intrusive Reflow)
* Thursday, June 15: Lead Free Wave Soldering
* Thursday, July 13: Challenges of High Speed Underfill
* Thursday, August 17: Lead Free Printing Process
* Thursday, September 14, 11:00 a.m. ET: Practical DOE and SPC for Electronics Assembly
* Thursday, October 19: Cleaning Lead Free Residues
* Thursday, November 16: MicroDot Dispensing
* Thursday, December 14: 0201 and 01005 Component Assembly Process

For times and to register, visit http://www.speedlinetech.com/seminars, or call 1-508-541-4749.

About Speedline Technologies
Speedline Technologies is the global leader in process knowledge and expertise for the PCB assembly and semiconductor industries. Based in Franklin, Massachusetts, U.S.A., the company markets five best-in-class brands — Accel microelectronics cleaning equipment; Camalot dispensing systems; Electrovert wave soldering, reflow soldering, and cleaning equipment; MPM stencil and screen printing systems; and Protect global services, support, and training solutions. Speedline Technologies is Frost & Sullivan’s “2005 Surface Mount Technology Company of the Year.” For more information, visit: http://www.speedlinetech.com or contact Speedline at:
* USA: Speedline Technologies, 16 Forge Park, Franklin, MA 02038 USA, Tel: 1-508-520-0083, Fax: 1-508-520-2288;
* Europe: Speedline Technologies GmbH, Im Gefierth 14, 63303 Dreieich, Germany, Tel: +49 (0)6103/832-0, Fax: +49(0)6103/832-299;
* Asia: Speedline Technologies Asia Pte Ltd, 150 Kampong Ampat, #05-08 KA Centre, Singapore 368324, Tel: 65-6286-6635, Fax: 65-6289-9411.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:51 AM | Comments (0)

Virtuoso Net Solutions Offers New Services

Virtuoso Net Solutions Inc. announced today that it has rolled out an array of new services designed to appeal to a wider audience of prospective customers.

Bay Shore, NY (PRWEB) January 23, 2006 -- Virtuoso Net Solutions, a world class provider of virtual, reseller, shared, and co-located web hosting solutions, announced today that it has released a suite of new services, and now accepts an additional payment method, PayPal.


The new services, which include Teamspeak and Ventrilo for VoIP, improved reseller services, dedicated server management, Shoutcast hosting, Virtuozzo VPS, and new control panel features, were added so that the company can appeal to a wider range of prospective buyers, and better serve its existing clients.

“We have been very successful at providing advanced web hosting services for several years now,” said Chad Abizeid, Virtuoso Net Solutions founder. “The time has come for us to provide solutions that meet the needs of a wider variety of organizations.”

Virtuoso Net Solutions improved its reseller services by offering reseller accounts for SSL certificates, so its customers can sell RapidSSL, GeoTrust, and COMODO certificates. Domain name reseller accounts were also added.

“Our reseller clients will really benefit from many of the new things we are offering them. We’re making it easier for them to attract new customers,” said Abizeid.

New operating systems were added to the company’s dedicated and virtual server products, including Debian, Fedora, Centos, RedHat Enterprise, and Windows 2003.

Control panel software was also upgraded, with choices now available for seven administration products. Clients may chose from cPanel/WHM, DirectAdmin, DSM Pro, InterWorx, Plesk 7.5 reloaded, VHCS, and Webmin.

For a complete listing of all new products, please visit Virtuoso Net Solutions’ press center at http://www.virtuosonetsolutions.com/press.htm.

To learn more about Virtuoso Net Solutions, please visit http://www.virtuosonetsolutions.com.

About Virtuoso Net Solutions Inc.
Founded in 2004, Virtuoso Net Solutions Inc. is an award winning provider of advanced web hosting solutions, including virtual, reseller, shared, and co-located solutions. The company is located in Bay Shore, New York, and its servers are housed in Team’s N+1 data center.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:51 AM | Comments (0)

SCInterface v1.5 - First Commercially Available Open Source Middleware Platform for BACnet

SCInterface is a middleware framework for the M2M Industry. The strength of this product is based on the ability to gather information from any sensor or device regardless of the protocol. The information can be sent to anyone, anywhere and can be analyzed immediately.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (PRWEB) January 23, 2006 - In a continuing effort to bring disparate sensor networks together into a single platform, Netarus, LLC has expanded flagship product SCInterfaceTM (Sensor Control Interface) to include support for BACnet enabled devices with the release of its version 1.5. Available as a single download, SCInterface v1.5 changes the face of building automation by providing a commercial grade open source middleware platform for managing these networks.

SCInterface developed by Netarus LLC, is a solutions-oriented, software and interface development firm that creates innovative control solutions. SCInterface consists of a three-tier architecture that allows a piece of machinery to be monitored, managed and controlled half a world away in real time securely through the World Wide Web. The company spent nearly three years developing the advanced technology.

SCInterface v1.5 includes the following features and enhancements:
• BACnet, Oceana Sensors ICHM®, Crossbow and X10 support Enhanced AJAX Interface
• Execute triggers based on certain thresholds
• Cached status to improve performance
• … and more

“We are very excited about being able to integrate BACnet into the SCInterface framework. BACnet has been a proven protocol within the automation industry. However, it lacks the ability to work with other platforms outside of the BACnet protocol. By providing support for BACnet protocol, SCInterface provides our customers with the ability to integrate BACnet enabled devices into their existing environments,” says Christopher Machut, Netarus’ CEO and founder.

Netarus designed SCInterface to gather and manage data gained from a multitude of sensing activities, including but not limited to:
• Factory and Process Automation
• Power Monitoring
• Indoor and Outdoor Environmental Monitoring
• Seismic and Structural Monitoring

The SCInterface advances the process of information retrieval and analysis. It can take information from a motor at a plant in St. Louis and relay it securely and in real time to a technician across the factory, the country, or the world, via the Internet to a person's computer, PDA or cell phone.

"SCInterface can be easily customized to meet any user’s needs," says John Goulah, SCInterface’s interface and XML developer. “With BACnet support, we can take data from traditional BACnet enabled devices and allow a user to view that information on a cell phone, web browser or PDA. We provide SCInterface as an open source solution, which gives even greater flexibility than those platforms that claim to have an ‘open architecture’,” explains Goulah. He continues that “Open source allows anyone to change the software application as they seem fit, while open architecture provides many constraints including restrictions on viewing or modifying the source code. As an open source application, we encourage users to modify the code in order to meet their own needs.”

Netarus prides itself in providing SCInterface as an open source software application. “We felt that open source was the way to go due to the complexity involved with managing many different types of devices through a single user interface. Being able to leverage the support of the community is what really makes SCInterface grow by being able to adapt quickly to the needs of the users,” says Goulah.

SCInterface v1.5 is just another step in a series of enhancements with the ultimate goal of unifying the world’s sensors networks in a non-intrusive way. SCInterface encapsulates various sensor standards from the platforms that it supports into its framework, which effectively creates a future proof platform for managing legacy and new sensors.

“SCInterface provides a framework where anyone can add their own SConnectors (also known as SCInterface drivers) with little or no modification to the existing code to create a management solution within their own sensor networks,” says Bill Cuffley, SCInterface’s lead developer. "With SCInterface, a customer or technician can manage and monitor their BACnet enabled devices along with non-BACnet devices within the same interface. SCInterface enables anyone to seamlessly manage their legacy systems along with BACnet enabled networks within their existing infrastructure," explains Cuffley. Netarus’ Professional Services provides comprehensive support, training and integration services for SCInterface.

“The salient fact is we are gathering information from any number of locations via SCInterface. That information can be sent to anyone, anywhere and can be analyzed immediately. In today’s competitive business environment, the ability to react immediately is essential”, says Gary Euske, Netarus’ vice president of business development.

Netarus, LLC is a software design and development company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and provides a multitude of innovative products and services related to web-based control and management systems. Its flagship product, SCInterface (Sensor Control Interface), has been in development for the past three years as a platform that can obtain data from a piece of machinery and distribute it securely over the World Wide Web.

BACnet is "a data communication protocol for building automation and control networks." A data communication protocol is a set of rules governing the exchange of data over a computer network. The rules take the form of a written specification that spells out what is required to conform to the protocol. More information about BACnet can be found at http://www.bacnet.org.

ICHM® is a registered trademark of Oceana Sensor Technology, Inc. Oceana Sensor Technology, Inc’s ICHM® - http://www.oceanasensor.com
Crossbow Mote – http://www.xbow.com
X10 – http://www.x10.com

For a detailed list of features and enhancements to SCInterface, please visit the SCInterface forums at http://forums.scinterface.com. More information on Netarus and SCInterface can be found at http://www.netarus.com or http://sensors.scinterface.com.

For More Information, Contact Gary Euske, Netarus, LLC
757) 963-7901

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:49 AM | Comments (0)

Intertek Expands Transportation Lighting Testing Facilities

Expanded facilities quicken turnaround time of luminous intensity testing of transportation lighting.

Cortland, NY (PRWEB) January 21, 2006 -- The ETL SEMKO division of Intertek (LSE: ITRK) today announced the addition of a second goniophotometer testing system to its transportation lighting performance testing laboratory. This addition will quicken turnaround times for transportation lighting manufacturers by doubling Intertek's capacity for luminous intensity testing.

The new state-of-the-art goniophotometer tests the luminous intensity of automobile lighting, traffic lights and airport lighting. What’s more, the new facilities provide visual data interpretation of test results through isocandela plots and birds-eye reports.

"Reliable test data and fast turnaround are requisites to determining product compliance quickly, and gaining a first-to-market advantage,” said Todd Straka, Intertek Business Manager for Lighting Products. “Our new goniophotometer enables us to deliver on these manufacturer requisites with increased capacity and vivid reporting. Beyond the raw data, these isocandela plots and birds-eye reports provide clients with visual representations of their test results.”

The new facility enhances Intertek’s already strong lighting testing capabilities, which include luminous intensity distribution, color temperature, chromaticity, efficacy and electrical safety testing. Intertek tests a variety of product categories, including incandescent, compact fluorescent, HID, halogen, automobile, traffic, and airport lighting.

ETL SEMKO is a division of Intertek Group plc (LSE: ITRK), a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, operating in 294 laboratories and 530 offices in 102 countries throughout the world. The ETL SEMKO division of Intertek provides access to global markets through its local services, which include product safety testing and certification, EMC testing and performance testing for customers in such industries as wireless technology, security, appliances, HVAC, cables and wiring accessories, industrial machinery, medical devices, telecommunications, lighting, automotive, semiconductor, building products and electronics. For more information on the ETL SEMKO division of Intertek visit www.intertek-etlsemko.com.

Contact Information:
Intertek, ETL SEMKO division
Mike Parker, Manager, North American Marketing
70 Codman Hill Rd.
Boxborough, MA 01719
(978) 635-8559

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:48 AM | Comments (0)

Belden Brilliance® Shipboard Cables Deliver High-End Performance; Full Line is ABS Approved, RoHS Compliant

Belden CDT Electronics Division, a world leader in the development of specialty cable products for the industrial, commercial, broadcast and residential markets, recently unveiled its full line of Brilliance Shipboard cables for audio, video, security, networking and control applications.

Richmond, IN (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) January 20, 2006 -- Belden CDT Electronics Division, a world leader in the development of specialty cable products for the industrial, commercial, broadcast and residential markets, recently unveiled its full line of Brilliance Shipboard cables for audio, video, security, networking and control applications. The new Shipboard cables provide easy installation using standard connectors and established installation techniques, and carry Belden's exclusive 10-Year Warranty.

The new line is comprised of top-performing Belden Brilliance® DataTwist® and Classic Design cables that have low smoke, zero halogen jackets. The series also includes a selection of all-dielectric fiber optic cables. Using these components, commercial and private owners can configure a fully certified cabling system that provides top quality performance in a variety of shipboard applications. The cables fully comply with all applicable industry standards (IEEE 45 and applicable sections of IEC 60092-376 for low smoke and zero halogen), and are designed and manufactured in compliance with the European Union RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC, 27-Jan-2003) to meet global environmental standards.

Even more important, Belden is currently the only cable manufacturer to offer a complete line of cables approved by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for use in demanding marine applications. The ABS is the leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities. With ABS approval, no additional special approvals or insurance company exceptions are required for Belden Shipboard cable system installations.

For more information about Belden Shipboard Cables, contact Belden CDT Electronics Division, P.O. Box 1980, Richmond, Indiana 47375, or call 1-800-BELDEN-4 to request New Product Bulletin NP222. FAX: 765-983-5294. Or visit the Web site: www.belden.com.

About Belden CDT Electronics Division
Belden CDT Electronics Division, a unit of Belden CDT Inc., is a leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of cable products for the entertainment, residential, industrial and security markets. It also provides highly engineered products for both the aerospace and automotive markets. Belden CDT Electronics Division is headquartered in Richmond, Indiana, it has manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe and distribution centers in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. A majority of Belden's manufacturing, engineering and support functions are registered to the International Organization for Standardization.

Belden CDT Inc., formed in July 2004 through the merger of Belden Inc. and Cable Design Technologies Corp., is one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of high-speed electronic cables and focuses on products for the specialty electronics and data networking markets, including connectivity.

Contacts:
Belden CDT Electronics Division
Frank Stone
1-800-BELDEN-4

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:47 AM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2006

KEE Technologies to Hold International Training School in Adelaide, Australia

KEE Technologies, a world leader in precision agriculture solutions, will be conducting an International Training School for US and Canadian Distributors to underpin is growth in North America in Adelaide commencing 23 January 2006.

Adelaide, South Australia (PRWEB) January 20, 2006 -- KEE Technologies, a world leader in precision agriculture solutions, will be conducting an International Training School for US and Canadian Distributors to underpin is growth in North America in Adelaide commencing 23 January 2006.

“The launch of the New X20 multi functional terminal together with growth in acceptance of KEE's auto steer product Pro Steer have create demand for the product to meet this demand KEE has appointed several new distributors.”, Les Mann, KEE Technologies CEO said. “The training school is to ensure that KEE is able to confidently support its range in North America by investing in training of it new and existing distributors.”

Major Distributors from North and South Dakota, Montana, Iowa, Washington in the United States and Saskatchewan, Canada will be attending the training program being run at KEE Technologies Headquarters at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide.

KEE will also be conducting training schools throughout Australia in February with the training program being conducted in Kadina, South Australia, Corrigan, Western Australia and Echuca on the New South Wales and Victorian border.

“Training and support is vital for our staff, distributors, dealers and end-users”, David Frick, Product Support Manager said. “The technology continues to move quickly, and to maximize the benefits it is important to have a trained distribution and dealer network to locally support their customers in the latest Precision Agriculture systems.”

KEE Technology contact for more information: Carlie Eldredge, KEE Technologies: +61 8 8203 3300

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:59 AM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2006

Worldwide Laser Introduces the LP8010 10 Watt Sealed Beam RF Excited Co2 Laser System

Worldwide Laser Services Corporation introduces the LP8010 10 Watt Sealed Beam RF Excited Co2 Laser System. The system is designed for laser marking, laser etching, and laser cutting.

Gilbert, Arizona, (PRWEB) January 19, 2006 -– Worldwide Laser Services Corporation announced today the introduction of the new LP8010, a 10 watt sealed beam RF excited Co2 laser system. The LP8010 10 watt Co2 laser system includes a sealed off RF excited Co2 laser, a galvo head for beam steering, the Worldwide Laser proprietary Zap-IT laser controller software, a mounting rail, a dust cover, and a choice of different focus length final focus optics. Also included in the system is a computer for laser control or the option of a Zap-Alone controller allowing laser operations with no computer.


The LP8010 10 watt Co2 laser system is ideal for laser marking, laser etching, and laser cutting. Worldwide Laser has expert engineers that can couple the LP8010 10 watt Co2 laser system with parts handlers, robotics, assembly lines, vibratory bowls or stand alone completely enclosed laser stations. Standard configurations of the LP8010 laser system are designed for static or stationary laser marking, laser etching or laser cutting. Options exist for ‘on the fly’ or laser marking, laser etching, and laser cutting while the product is moving.

Expected operating lifetime before recharge is 30,000 hours of operations. Therefore, if a plant operates 24/7 for 50 weeks per year then approximately 3.5 years of laser marking or laser cutting is possible before a recharge is required. The LP8010 laser carries a warranty of 24 months on the laser tube.

The new LP8010 Co2 laser system from Worldwide Laser is priced below $15,000.00 for the complete system. Prices for the LP8010 10 watt Co2 laser system drop to below $14,000.00 for purchases of multiple units.

The LP8010 10w Co2 laser system can be viewed on the Worldwide Lasers home page www.wlsc.com. The picture of the LP8010 10w Co2 laser system links to a second page which includes complete system details along with viewable and downloadable installation drawings.

For additional details and information on the LP8010 10w Co2 laser system please contact Worldwide Laser 480.892.8566 option 5 or visit http://www.wlsc.com

About Worldwide Laser
Worldwide Laser was founded in 1986 and the company has evolved into a respected major laser marking systems manufacturer. They have also developed an impressive list of national and international service and parts clients. Worldwide currently has active clients in ten countries on three continents. Worldwide has developed a major service organization for TEA CO2, CWCO2, and ND-YAG based laser marking products. They provide one of the largest inventories of spare parts in North America. Their own products include the LP2000 series of TEA Co2 lasers, the LP9000 series of diode & flash lamp YAG lasers, and the LP8000 series of Co2 lasers. Worldwide Laser has established a major laser marking job shop with TEA CO2, CWCO2, Diode, and flash lamp ND-YAG laser marking systems. For further information call (480) 892-8566 or visit their website http://www.wlsc.com

Other Press Releases by Worldwide Laser
Worldwide Laser Introduce Zap-Alone Laser Controller Option for LP8000 Series of Co2 Laser Systems
Worldwide Laser Introduces the LP2000 Series of TEA Laser Marking Systems

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:40 AM | Comments (0)

CSE Appointed as ABB Low Voltage Strategic Partner

ABB announced at their annual sales conference for strategic industrial distributors on 17th October a new ‘strategic partner award’ for their low voltage products and that CSE Industrial Electrical Distributors has been confirmed as one of the lead partners. At the same time, ABB also announced that for the second year in succession, CSE was the largest ABB low voltage distributor.

(PRWEB) January 19, 2006 -- ABB manufactures a broad range of products for the low voltage market including control gear, installation equipment, power breakers, switch gear, enclosures and the Entrelec terminals range which CSE supplies to its growing customer base.

In addition to the low voltage product range, CSE is also a recognised leader in the distribution of the ABB HVAC drives range which launched to critical acclaim in 2004.

Tony Harris, CSE technical director said “we have worked very closely with ABB for many years and recommend many of their products as the product of choice to our customers. In turn, we are proactive at feeding back what our customers are saying to us – to aid development of the product range, for both our market shares.”

So and So (Dave Evans?) of ABB commented “CSE has long been a strategic partner for ABB and in particular Low Voltage equipment as they work so closely with us. They are actively marketing the quality of the ABB product range and promoting it to their growing customer base”.

He went on to say “this commitment to the ABB brand and range of products has been reflected in their ongoing sales success as the top ABB distributors for the second year in a row.”

Many of the ABB low voltage equipment products are featured on the CSE Distributors web site at www.cse-distributors.co.uk and are available for next day delivery throughout the UK.

Note to Editors
Photo: Tony Harris, Technical Director of CSE Industrial Electrical Distributors and Dave Evans from ABB congratulating CSE on their achievements.

Control Systems and Equipment Ltd
Since it was founded in 1971, CSE Distributors (www.cse-distributors.co.uk) has been providing the industrial electrical industry with a range of electrical products from a range of leading manufacturers including ABB.

For more information contact Tony Harris, 01628 533002.

ABB Ltd
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 103,000 people.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:38 AM | Comments (0)

Tiny, Versatile Laser Modules with Line and Cross Generating Optics

Photonic Products has developed a range of compact and affordable laser modules generating an accurate line or cross at 635nm or 650nm with uniform intensity distribution. The laser modules measure just 29mm in length, with a diameter of only 8mm and are extremely efficient and reliable.

Hatfield Broad Oak, Herts. UK (PRWEB) January 19, 2006 -- UK optoelectronics device manufacturer and laser diode specialist, Photonic Products, has developed a range of compact and affordable laser modules generating an accurate line or cross at 635nm or 650nm with uniform intensity distribution. The laser modules measure just 29mm in length, with a diameter of only 8mm and are extremely efficient and reliable.

They are ideal for the most demanding industrial and medical applications where space is at a premium, such as handheld instrumentation, targeting, alignment and machine vision.

These laser diode modules generate either a 70 degree full angle cross or a 58 degree or 88 degree full angle line, all factory focused at 1000mm. The focus can be set at other distances on request. The lens system produces an efficiently uniform intensity laser line.

At a visible wavelength of either 650nm or 635nm, these compact laser diode modules offer output powers of 0.9mW or 4mW with power stability of less than 5 per cent. Operating voltage is from 3V to 6V DC at an operating current of 30mA typ, (0.9mW) or 40mA typ, (4mW). Operating temperature range is -10 degrees Centigrade to +40 degrees Centigrade.

The laser modules consist of a brass housing, a laser diode, drive circuit and beam-shaping optics. Electrical connections are made via external flying leads. All modules have static, surge and reverse polarity circuit protection.

About Photonic Products Ltd
Photonic Products was established in 1995 and has offices in the UK, USA and Germany. It is an ISO9001:2000 certified manufacturer of electro-optical sub-assemblies and innovative optoelectronic components based on semiconductor laser diode technology, and also a specialist distributor of high performance industrial laser diodes, LEDs and precision optical lenses to the industrial, medical, military and scientific markets. It is a Queen’s Award for International Enterprise winner.

Meet us in 2006 at BIOS #417, Photonics West #2040, IPOT B37 and the Defense & Security Symposium #1309.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:38 AM | Comments (0)

Informed Buyers, Increased Awareness and Preference, Vigorous R&D Program, Industry Leading Support, Life Cycle Aspects Drive Inpro/Seal To Record Results

Inpro/Seal reports record sales. Attibutes it to an installed product/installation base fast approaching two million; direct customer feedback; a vigorous R & D program; an engineering data bank of over 58,000 designs that assures same day delivery at no extra charge; and an “educate and inform” marketing approach that has lead to a dramatic increase in acceptance for for the Inpro/Seal brand.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (PRWEB) January 18, 2006 -– Inpro/Seal Company, the Rock Island, IL, based manufacturer of bearing isolators reports record sales for calendar year 2005. In addition, the company reports that advance orders, shipments and projections are far ahead of last year.


Dynamics
Though a number of factors come into play, the firm attributes much of this extraordinary success to: an installed product/installation base fast approaching two million; direct customer feedback; a vigorous R & D program; an engineering data bank of over 58,000 designs that assures same day delivery at no extra charge; and an “educate and inform” marketing approach that has lead to a dramatic increase in acceptance for for the Inpro/Seal brand.

Product Enhancements From A Very Active R & D Program
Their R & D program, conducted from the worlds largest campus devoted to bearing isolation technology, continues to develop new products and enhancements to existing products that increase plant productivity with measurable bottom line results. To illustrate how active their R & D is, these are a few examples announced during 2005:
- MGS Motor Grounding Seal - a revolutionary new product that stops the damaging effects caused by destructive residual shaft currents on AC motors. Specifically developed for VFD controlled motor applications, the MGS prevents pitting, fluting, fusion craters and eliminates catastrophic motor failure while permanently protecting bearings from contamination.
- Articulating Powder Seal - Inpro/Seal now offers two sealing solutions the Air Mizer™-PS and the Articulating Air Mizer™- PS™ that provide a positive seal in applications were dry particulates, powders and bulk solids are handled, processed, packaged and stored.
- Oil Mist – significant enhancements and improvements were made to their tried and proven oil mist bearing isolator, renaming it the OM 32 Oil Mist Bearing Isolator Series. The OM 32 is the only known method that solves housekeeping issues to contain and keep stray most from entering the environment.
- VBXX-MT™ Series Bearing Isolators – offers machine tool users protection from coolant, chips, humidity and heat, that can cause spindle malfunction and expensive, unscheduled downtime. The highest performance is assured with a reverse interface that avoids direct impingement of coolant and chips.
- Plus –the only product that protects rolling element bearings on paper machines from the wet end to the dry end; IEEE-841 motors that use bearing isolators as part of their specification and the standard for bearing protection; ad hoc designs for gear boxes, axial shaft movement and one of a kind projects and more.

Important To Educate And Inform
According to David C. Orlowski, President and founder of Inpro/Seal Company and considered by many as the “father” of bearing isolation technology, “More and more lip seal users at the plant maintenance level (and above) have learned that there are misconceptions when it comes to sealing devices and that contact seals are not the only option when it comes to protecting bearings.”

Orlowski continued, “Over the last couple of years, we have conducted extensive research into the use of bearing protection on a market-by-market, application by application basis and found that people wanted to know more about bearing isolators. As a direct result, in 2005 we published a brochure entitled Introduction To Bearing Isolators……A Short Lesson In Bearing Isolation which has become the most successful literature we have ever developed.”

Maintenance People Are Fast Becoming Converts To Bearing Isolators
Orlowski went on to say that, “When lip seals were first introduced more than 70 years ago, they were the only kind of sealing device available. Convenient and inexpensive, they went on to capture a 99% market share. Today, lip seal manufacturers state that at best, they have a median, average life cycle of 1,844 hours or 77 days of operation, though some may survive up to 3,000 hours. This means that, in the real world, lip seals are not meant for heavy duty, industrial applications where rotating equipment is designed to run, uninterrupted for five years. Once end users find out that bearing isolators provide levels of protection unavailable in any kind of bearing protection device with bottom line implications, they get fed up with the 70-year-old technology they had been using and quickly become an Inpro/Seal convert. Another in-demand brochure, Are Lip Seals Obsolete?, provides more in-depth information.

Energy Aspects
Orlowski concluded, “When engaged with a rotating shaft, each contact seal, (lip seal and face seal) consumes, on average, 147 watts of power while operating. To show how significant this is, a plant with 600 operating pumps, can run up annual costs in excess of $117,000 for energy to drive the lip seals. Add to that the costs associated with downtime and you can again see why more and more end users are switching to Inpro/Seal bearing isolators.”

More On Motors
Since the Federal mandate for the use of premium efficiency motors (EPAct) was put into effect, more and more end users have opted for a significantly more reliable IEEE-841 Motor, developed by the Institute of Electrical Engineers. The IEEE-841 standard was written to establish additional guidelines to improve motor reliability, efficiency and performance. A very important feature of these motors is bearing protection. Realizing that the most economical motor is one that runs reliably and the avoidance of a single motor failure more than pays for the entire motor, the IEEE-841 Motor has become an industry standard.

VBXX-D, The Next Generation
When Inpro/Seal introduced their original VBX™ series fifteen years ago, it provided end users with a way to eliminate the root cause of premature equipment failure – contamination entering the bearing environment – while increasing productivity and reliability in the process. Since then, hundreds of thousands have been installed in plants around the world. Today, the VBXX-D the next generation in bearing isolators has taken hold offering the latest and best non-contacting labyrinth sealing technology to improve plant uptime and reliability with an ROI that more than doubles previous results with levels of bearing protection previously unavailable.

Industry Leading Internet Support
Inpro/Seal has also invested heavily into web sites dedicated to the education of bearing isolation technology with much downloadable information. When an end user visits www.inpro-seal.com or www.bearingisolators.com they will find a wealth of information related to both Inpro/Seal and bearing protection, including: specific applications, case histories, data sheets, facts and questions, specifications and more. Interactive spreadsheets include a Cost Justification Worksheet and Contact Seal Energy Consumption Calculator. Simply to complete, an end user merely fills in the blank to calculate ROI and benchmark repair costs.

About Inpro/Seal
Inpro/Seal Company is the originator and the world’s number one manufacturer of bearing isolators, used to protect motor and pump bearings, machine tool spindles, turbines, fans, gear boxes, paper machine rolls and many other types of rotating equipment. Additional applications include the sealing, handling, processing, packing and storage of dry particulates, powders and bulk solids.

Nearly two million of Inpro/Seal’s original bearing isolator designs are in operation in process plants worldwide, where end users continue to report significantly reduced operating costs with increased productivity and reliability. Protected bearings have proven to run 150,000 hours (17 years) or more, eliminating the need for costly maintenance and repair. Documented cases show that a plant can more than double the mean-time-between failure (MTBF) and reduce maintenance costs by at least half, with users reporting an extremely high ROI.

As the recognized global leader in bearing isolator technology, Inpro products are marketed to the aerospace, automotive, petroleum, refining, nuclear, power generation, metalworking, food processing, grain processing, chemical, water, wastewater treatment, metalworking, hydrocarbon processing, HVAC, pulp and paper, mining, mineral, ore processing and general industrial markets.

Signoff
For more information on Inpro/Seal Bearing Isolators, including “Introduction To Bearing Isolators”, “Are Lip Seals Obsolete?” or a complete CD interactive package, contact: Terri Hageman at: Inpro/Seal Company, P.O. Box 3940, Rock Island, Illinois 61204. Phone numbers are: (800) 447-0524 or (309) 787-4971. Fax number is: (309) 787-6114. Website: www.inpro-seal.com or www.bearingisolators.com

Inpro/Seal®, the Inpro/Seal logo and other Inpro/Seal marks are registered® names owned by Inpro/Seal. Air Mizer™- PS; Air Mizer™- PS; Articulating Air Mizer™- PS; Motor Grounding Seal (MGS) ™: OM 32™; STS™; VBX™; VBXX ™; VBXX-D™; VBX-S™; VBX-H™; VBXX-D™ and other trademarks are the property of Inpro/Seal. For more information about Inpro/Seal and its products, visit the Company's web site at www.inpro-seal.com or its companion site www.bearingisolators.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:36 AM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2006

MIT Enterprise Forum of Chicago Presents Compelling Panel Discussion On How Technology and Innovation Will Shape the Future

Nationally-Recognized Technology and Innovation Thought Leaders Captivate Over 170 MIT Enterprise Forum of Chicago Attendees as They Present Their Vision of the Future of Chicago and the World 2006-2010

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 18, 2006 - More than 170 technology, research, business government and finance professionals attended the MIT Enterprise Forum’s 6th Annual “Innovation and Technology Forecast 2006-2010” to learn about emerging technology innovations that will soon be a part of our daily lives. The January 10, 2006 event was held at the law offices of Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP, and was co-sponsored by the Chicago Micro/Nanotechnology Community (CMNC).

The theme of the evening was separating hype from reality, and taking a pragmatic view of the future. Some of the more provocative pronoucements made by the panelists included: companies will engage in “efficiency Darwinism,” the Loop will have a “smarter” Block 37, light bulbs will last more than a decade and all of our children will be learning Mandarin Chinese. The panelists included Chunka Mui, Geoffrey Kasselman, Dan Ratner and Jerry Mitchell.

Chunka Mui is chair of DiamondCluster International's global network of external advisors, world famous futurist and co-author of the digital strategy best-seller "Unleashing the Killer App" with Larry Downes (published by Harvard Business School Press, 1998). Dan Ratner is chairman of the Nanotechnology Alliance and co-author of Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction To The Next Big Idea and Nanotechnology And Homeland Security. Geoffrey Kasselman is president of Op2mize and a nationally recognized expert on digital and "smart" buildings. Jerry Mitchell is president of Jerry R. Mitchell & Associates and the founder of the Midwest Entrepreneur Forum.

Michael Krauss, managing principal of Market Strategy Group, LLC, moderated the panel discussion. His “Tech Matters” column appears weekly in the Chicago SunTimes and he also serves as executive co-chairman of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Council of Technology Advisors.

“Biotechnology will have more scientific breakthroughs over the next five years, but information technology is poised for mass adoption and value extraction,” Chunka Mui said. “We will reap the benefits of what we’ve been talking about over the last five years.”

To illustrate his point, Mui pointed to the OnStar communications service offered by General Motors. OnStar enables drivers to contact emergency and customer services at the push of a button with the added benefit of OnStar knowing their exact coordinates. It even monitors the vehicles status and can generate a monthly email containing detailed information about the condition of the vehicle's major systems and oil change interval.

Mui pointed out that OnStar is a useful product that has made the driving experience safer and more satisfying to the mostly GM drivers who subscribe to the service. Every month, OnStar fields approximately 15,000 calls for emergency services. He said that OnStar is in the black and is offered as a standard service on more than half the vehicles sold by GM.

The lesson was that OnStar didn’t reinvent the driving experience but it has profitably made it better. This innovation has lead to an “efficiency Darwinism” in the automobile industry that requires GM’s competitors to match and enhance their own automobile communication services.

To “make things better” is not just a slogan of BASF but also the modus operandi of nanotechnology pioneers like Dan Ratner. Ratner, the son of renowned Northwestern University chemistry professor Mark Ratner, believes the next five years will bring “radical nanotechnology innovation”.

According to Ratner, the economic driver will be the ongoing sustainability of Moore’s Law. Espoused by Intel’s Gordon Moore, this law says the rate of technological development doubles every 18 months. Sooner rather than later, Ratner says, the cost of chip production will be unsustainable and solutions within the arena of molecular electronics will emerge. He added that molecular electronics will engineer a revolution in how images are displayed via an emerging form: organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). Ratner believes OLED will replace the current liquid crystal display (LCD) standard and presumably will lead to cheaper and clearer television sets (or however we get our media five years from now). This will also mean new ways to display images on walls, clothing and virtually anything. Ratner believes an OLED-powered bulb will last 10 years.

Jerry Mitchell stated, “The 2008 Olympics in Beijing will drive a lot of things. Americans will want to get their news and video from there.”

Whether it be multibillion-dollar software incubators, a laser-like focus on western business ideas or international events like the summer Olympics in China, Mitchell commented that we will continue to grow as both a consumer market as well as a center for innovation. Accordingly, entrepreneurs can no longer afford not to have a global point of view. He added that all the start-ups I’m running into are global. High-speed knowledge creation makes things competitive.

Competition driven by globalization has also affected the real estate market, according to Geoffrey Kasselman, whose firm manages the DuPage National Technology Park. He added: “We are immersed in a full-scale economic revolution. There is increasing competition for everything in America. Real estate is not excluded from that.”

A byproduct of competition and technological development is the emergence of smart, mixed-use buildings that operate around the clock. Basic wireless access in urban settings will have a tangible effect on how we perceive space and location.

“Imagine the world as a hot spot,” Kasselman said. “When you can do anything with anybody, it changes how you spend your time and that changes and drives real estate.”

The audience included leaders of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Information Technology Association, Chicago Microtechnology and Nanotechnology Community, Licensing Executives Society, Nano Business Alliance, Innovate Illinois, Community Ventures and TMA. Also in attendance were leaders from the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.

About the MIT Enterprise Forum

The MIT Enterprise Forum offers provocative new ideas, business cases and professional networking opportunities to senior business leaders while showcasing MIT's contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship in communities around the world. The intent of the Forum is to serve as a focal point for senior business leaders to learn, exchange views, and enhance their ability to manage technology-driven innovation. Established in 1987, the Chicago chapter is part of a network of 25 chapters worldwide. Participation and membership is open to the general public.

For more information, please visit www.mitefchicago.org

Acknowledgement: The MIT Enterprise Forum thanks Brad Spirrison and Adam Fendelman, editors of ePrairie, for their contributions to preparing this release.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:00 AM | Comments (0)

Compact USB 32-Channel Optically Isolated Input/Relay Output Module Ideal for High-Speed Digital Control

ACCES I/O Products is pleased to introduce its latest embedded digital I/O board packaged in a small, rugged, industrial enclosure - Model USB-IIRO-16. Featuring 16 electromechanical relays and 16 optically isolated digital inputs, the unit is a very dense, portable, embedded solution for digital monitoring and control in any PC or embedded system with a USB port.

SAN DIEGO, CA (PRWEB) January 18, 2006 -- ACCES I/O Products, Inc. is pleased to introduce its latest embedded digital I/O board packaged in a small, rugged, industrial enclosure - Model USB-IIRO-16. Featuring 16 Form C (SPDT) electromechanical relays and 16 optically isolated digital inputs, the unit is a very dense, portable, embedded solution for digital monitoring and control in any PC or embedded system with a USB port. The unit contains an internal, removable screw termination board with onboard removable screw terminals to simplify wiring connections. The USB-IIRO-16, like the PC/104 and PCI versions from ACCES I/O, is excellent in applications where on-board relays are required and inputs must be isolated such as in test equipment, instrumentation, and process control. The OEM version provides just the board without the enclosure and internal screw termination board and is ideal for a variety of embedded OEM applications.

What makes the OEM option unique is that its PCB size and mounting holes match the PC/104 form factor (without the bus connections). This allows our rugged digital board to be added to any PCI-104 or PC/104 stack by connecting it to a simple USB port usually included on-board with embedded CPU form factors such as EBX, EPIC, and PC/104 — especially important since many newer CPU chipsets do not support ISA and have plenty of USB ports. Future stacks will be using the extremely fast PCI Express bus which is essentially overkill for simple digital monitoring and control. The USB-IIRO-16 OEM board can also be added into many pre-existing standard PC/104 based systems and enclosures while the standard unit with its tiny enclosure and cable-less screw termination board provides portable connections to laptops for the mobile test market.

Key features of the USB-IIRO-16 include:
• High-speed USB 2.0 device, USB 1.1 compatible
• 16 optically isolated inputs
• 16 Form C electromechanical 1A relays
• Internal, removable screw terminal board for easy wiring
• Small (4" x 4"x 1.25") rugged industrial enclosure
• Custom high-speed function driver
• PC/104 module size and mounting compatibility
• Eight input/output version (USB-IIRO-8) available

The industrial I/O market commonly uses electromechanical Form C relays due to their robustness and ability to withstand unexpected surge currents allowing for increased flexibility in switching capability. These relays are also used where small reed relays are inadequate due to their susceptibility to contact damage. The USB-IIRO-16 is fully compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports. The unit is plug-and-play which allows quick connect or disconnect whenever you need additional I/O on your USB port. The module utilizes a high-speed custom function driver optimized for a maximum data throughput that is 50-100 times faster than the USB human interface device (HID) driver used by many competing products. This approach maximizes the full functionality of the hardware along with capitalizing the advantage of high-speed USB 2.0.

The USB-IIRO-16 is supported for use in most operating systems and includes a free Linux and Windows 98/2000/XP/2003 compatible software package. This package contains sample programs and source code in Visual Basic, Delphi, C++ Builder, and Visual C++ for Windows. Also incorporated is a graphical setup program in Windows. Third party support includes a Windows standard DLL interface usable from the most popular application programs. Embedded OS support includes Windows XPe.

ACCES I/O Products, Inc. supplies an extensive range of analog, digital, serial communication, and isolated I/O boards and solutions. ACCES also offers complete systems, integration services, and enclosures with a quick turn-around on custom projects including software. ACCES products are designed for use with PC/104, PCI, PCI-X, Low Profile PCI, EBX, EPIC, USB, Ethernet and ISA, as well as distributed and wireless I/O. All hardware comes with a 30-day, no-risk return policy and a three-year warranty. For further information, visit the company’s web site at www.accesio.com.

Price: USB-IIRO-16 - $349.00
USB-IIRO-8 - $269.00
OEM and volume pricing available, consult factory
Availability: Now
Delivery: Stock to two weeks ARO

Acquisition Control Communication Engineering / Systems

Contact:
ACCES I/O Products, Inc.
10623 Roselle Street
San Diego, CA 92121
Website: http://www.accesio.com
Telephone: (858) 550-9559
Fax: (858) 550-7322

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:59 AM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2006

1st Commercial Credit Expands Receivable Financing to Mexico

U.S. based manufacturers, distributors and service providers can now easily finance accounts receivables in Mexico.

El Paso, TX (PRWEB) January 17, 2006 -- 1st Commercial Credit Corporation announces the expansion of their accounts receivable financial services to Mexico. In the past, a Letter of Credit or cash in advance was required to meet traditional payment terms. Due to global competition and new methods to capture market share in the region, U.S. manufacturers and exporters are staying competitive by offering attractive credit terms to Mexican importers. The offering of open credit terms in Mexico has reached an all time high and is expected to continue to grow. The average collection period was 90 days on an average net 60-day credit term agreement.

Economic indicators reveal that Mexico is currently experiencing an economic rebound. Inflation continues to fall and the Mexican government announced that in 2005, spending in machinery and equipment rose to 10.2%. According to the latest survey provided by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2006, Mexico’s economy is expected to grow by 4%.

U.S. manufacturers that specialize in exporting to the Mexican market are anticipating spikes in equipment orders that may result in negative cash balances on their financial statements. 1st Commercial Credit can help U.S. companies by providing receivable-based funding during these uneven sales patterns and long-term collection periods.

According to Raul Esqueda, president of 1st Commercial Credit: “We are proud to announce the expansion of our services to Mexico. We are well positioned (with the best institutional providers) to handle credit analysis, process due diligence and provide the technological infrastructure to expedite funding to our clients in a timely manner. This service provides instant working capital for U.S. businesses selling on credit terms to Mexican companies without generating liabilities or other indebtedness on their balance sheets. It is important for a business to keep existing credit lines liquid for future growth and inventory fulfillment. Our international financial service is an alternative way to tap into working capital by using foreign receivables as collateral without encumbering domestic receivables or other collateral. Service related industries will also benefit because this financial program can provide payroll funding and still offer credit terms to international clients.”

What makes this financial service different from other U.S. factoring companies that fund international receivables? Some factoring companies offer international receivable finance in the U.S. but require the client to factor domestic receivables to balance their risk factor. Usually, they will not allow the value of the foreign receivables to exceed the domestic receivables. This requirement is difficult for a company to comply with if its export sales are expected to exceed domestic sales. 1st Commercial Credit can facilitate 100% of foreign receivable (non-recourse) financing with credit protection on a per transaction basis.

1st Commercial Credit’s financial program is non-restrictive to the origin of the products, which may be drop-shipped from any country. For example, a U.S. based company, importing a product from France may deliver directly to customers in Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Each customer is billed in local currency and funding is complete within 72 hours (with verification of delivery and acceptance by the account debtor).

1st Commercial Credit offers products that can accommodate attractive payment terms for large equipment orders. A U.S. company selling large ticket items can offer 12-18-24 month payment terms to their customers. This puts clients at a competitive advantage because most exporters require letters of credit or extend only up to 60-day payment terms.

In addition to traditional export financing (which involves a manufacturer or a distributor that exports tangible products), 1st Commercial Credit can provide receivable based financing for U.S. service providers including (but not limited to) staffing companies, I.T. consultants and engineers. Financing service-related industries in the U.S. is a fairly new practice (first offered by non-traditional factors). Since it involves more risk, service companies usually do not have the assets (such as inventory, real estate or equipment) to pledge as additional collateral. This financial product will usually encumber the international receivables.

Besides offering accounts receivable financing in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, 1st Commercial Credit offers export trade finance to clients in every major world market and can convert receivable finance transactions in 17 currencies.

For more information:
www.1stcommercialcredit.com
US and Canada Tel 1 800 450 9653
United Kingdom Tel 0 800 404 9669

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:31 AM | Comments (0)

Berbee Releases Hosted Exchange, Hosted SharePoint and Hosted Mobility Services

Berbee Information Networks Corporation, a leading Midwest provider of technology for business, announced its Mobility Services for Hosted Exchange. Berbee’s Hosted Exchange Mobility Services supports all Microsoft Wireless Windows-based devices including Smart Phones, PDAs, and BlackBerry® Handheld Devices.

(PRWEB) January 17, 2006 -- Now users can have access to their email and calendar “any time, any where” with a supported hand held device.

Berbee’s Hosted Exchange Mobility Services will help organizations stay connected via technologies that integrate phone, text messaging, browser, and organizer applications - which include Microsoft’s Outlook 2003 client, Outlook Web Access 2003, Outlook Mobile Access, Active Sync, and BlackBerry® Device support. This leading wireless connectivity solution provides access to email, notes, calendaring, tasks, contacts, and documents.

Hosted Exchange Mobility Services will provide clients a predictable cost and a readily available, full-featured email and calendaring solution. End users will have connectivity any time and any where. Hosted Exchange Mobility Services is offered only with Berbee’s Hosted Exchange.

“The addition of Hosted Mobility to our Hosted Exchange and Hosted SharePoint solutions allows Berbee to provide a robust, best in class collaboration system that will enhance our clients’ productivity and overall ROI” said Liz Eversoll, Vice President Microsoft Practice, Berbee.

Hosted Exchange Mobility Services is the most recent addition to Berbee’s Hosted Exchange and SharePoint Solutions. Hosted Exchange provides full Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 functionality to clients for a low fixed monthly fee. Hosted SharePoint offers document management based on Windows SharePoint Services and is integrated with Hosted Exchange providing single sign-on capabilities.

About Berbee
Selected as Cisco's 2004 Global IP Communications Partner of the Year and Microsoft's Midwest District Partner of the Year, Berbee provides the essential components for driving sustained business growth using technology.

Services offered include data center solutions, networking infrastructure, and high-value application services. Clients have come to rely on Berbee's expertise in emerging technologies and the integration of those technologies into their business environments. Berbee is among a handful of companies worldwide to achieve top partner designations with Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco.

Berbee has offices in Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton, Wausau, Minneapolis, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Additional information about Berbee is available at www.berbee.com.

For additional information contact:
Berbee Information Networks Corporation,
Angie Lingk, Product and Sales Specialist
608.298.1145
https://www.hosted-applications.net

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:30 AM | Comments (0)

QSI Offers Qlarity™ Objects Allowing Their Graphic Terminals to Communicate with Mitsubishi FX-Brand PLC Controllers

QSI Corporation, manufacturer of rugged operator interface and mobile data terminals, has created a Qlarity™ library of objects to communicate with Mitsubishi FX-brand PLC controllers with serial communication modules. This new object library allows Mitsubishi customers to utilize QSI’s Qlarity family of graphic operator interface terminals. QSI has compiled an application note to assist in configuring the controllers.

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) January 17, 2006 -- QSI Corporation, manufacturer of rugged operator interface and mobile data terminals, has created a Qlarity™ library of objects to communicate with Mitsubishi FX-brand PLC controllers with serial communication modules. This new object library allows Mitsubishi customers to utilize QSI’s Qlarity family of graphic operator interface terminals. QSI has compiled an application note to assist in configuring the controllers. To obtain this documentation and support files, please visit http://www.qsicorp.com/appnotes.html.

“With the new Mitsubishi FX library, a graphical interface for an FX controller can be created in a short period of time using a variety of objects and display options,” said Ron Lloyd, Application Engineer for QSI Corporation. “This is a great enhancement to our product line, benefiting both Mitsubishi FX PLC users and QSI.”

Modules using the FX communication protocol include: FX3U-232-BD, FX2N-232-BD, FX1N-232-BD. QSI’s Qlarity library for the Mitsubishi FX-brand PLCs uses the FX communication protocol commands: Batch Read of Bit Device (BR), Batch Read of Word Device (WR), Batch Write of Bit Device (BW), and Batch Write of Word Device (WR). Once the controller is configured using Mitsubishi’s GX Developer, it can communicate with the serial module using the FX communication protocol.

Qlarity™ (pronounced Clarity) is an object-based terminal programming language used on QSI Corporation’s graphic terminals (QTERM-G55, QTERM-G70, QTERM-G75 and QTERM-Z60). Designing a simple control panel interface or a complete stand-alone application has never been easier. The ability to use pre-defined objects, edit existing objects or author your own objects, provides flexibility to the novice and expert alike. Qlarity Foundry™, a PC-based design tool, provides a Windows® environment for screen creation, application simulation, debugging and downloading to the Qlarity-based terminal. To learn more about Qlarity, visit http://www.qlarity.com. To learn more about QSI’s Qlarity-based graphic terminals, visit http://www.qsicorp.com/qlarity_hardware.html. Graphic images of the QSI’s Qlarity-based terminals can be downloaded from http://images.qsicorp.com.

About QSI Corporation
Established in 1983, QSI Corporation is a manufacturer of rugged handheld, panel-mount and pedestal-mount terminals for industrial OEMs and commercial vehicle systems integrators. QSI’s human machine interface (HMI) and mobile data terminal (MDT) products include character and graphic terminals that are programmable, customizable, CE certified and NEMA 4/12/13 rated. Numerous interfaces are available, including EIA-232, EIA-422, EIA-485, J1708, Ethernet and Power-over-Ethernet. QSI excels at designing and building custom and semi-custom terminals able to withstand high levels of shock, vibration, humidity and other environmental parameters. All QSI Corporation products are manufactured in the USA at the company's headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information contact QSI Corporation at 801-466-8770, Fax 801-466-8792, Web www.qsicorp.com or www.qlarity.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:28 AM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2006

Stallion Expands Existing Footprint in Mid-Continental U.S.

On January 9, 2006, Stallion acquired the assets of Trail Blazer Hot Shot, Inc. (Elk City, Oklahoma). With service locations in Elk City, Canadian, and Chickasha, Trail Blazer has been a leading provider of surface equipment rental services for the major Oklahoma basins. Assets include over 120 forklifts and man-lifts, 40 generators, and a variety of other surface rental equipment.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 16, 2006 -- On January 9, Stallion acquired the assets of Trail Blazer Hot Shot, Inc. (Elk City, Oklahoma). With service locations in Elk City, Canadian, and Chickasha, Trail Blazer has been a leading provider of surface equipment rental services for the major Oklahoma basins. Assets include over 120 forklifts and man-lifts, 40 generators, and a variety of other surface rental equipment.

The Oklahoma acquisition complements Stallion’s current rig housing operations in Elk City. With this acquisition, Stallion will be able to serve the Texas panhandle, Fayetteville Shale, and other plays of the Arkoma and Anadarko Basin with a comprehensive service offering.

Hill Dishman, Stallion’s chief operating officer, commented, “Trail Blazer comes with a great management team and a large inventory of surface rental equipment. We are planning to integrate our current rig housing services with Trail Blazer’s inventory along with our newly launched remote communications services. Our customers continue to request an integrated package of services at the drill site. Trail Blazer supports our strategy of providing Everything but the Rig™ in the Mid-Continent region.”

The Company now provides services in the Gulf Coast, South Texas, ArkLaTex, Ft. Worth Basin, Permian Basin, Anadarko Basin of Western Oklahoma, Arkoma Basin, Rocky Mountains, and Williston Basin. With over 375 employees in 19 locations and over 1,300 land-based rig housing units, an extensive fleet of surface rental equipment, significant solids control capability, and integrated satellite communications services, Stallion is the leading drilling support service provider in the United States.

To accommodate continued growth, Stallion also recently relocated its corporate office to 410 Roberts. Just east of downtown Houston and about a mile from Minute-Maid Park, the newly renovated warehouse provides 20,000 square feet of custom-built office space where 40 employees provide corporate sales, finance & accounting, human resources, benefits administration, payroll, and operations support services.

David Schorlemer, Stallion’s CFO, commented, “Our new offices will enable the Company to support our acquisitive strategy with ongoing administrative, accounting support and employee services. The new build-out provides adequate meeting rooms for ongoing training and provides ample room for projected growth in 2006 and beyond.”

Stallion is also pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Moore to Vice President-Sales and Marketing. Mr. Moore will continue to lead the Company’s marketing programs and provide leadership in the corporate sales area as well as digital marketing and branding programs.

Please find additional information at the Company’s newly updated web site: www.stallionoilfield.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:11 AM | Comments (0)

CaymanContractors.com Officially Launches It's Website and Offers Various Services To The Construction Industry.

CaymanContractors.com Launches It's Website and Offers Services to Construction Industry. The Most Authoritative Domain on the Internet for Cayman's Construction and Contractor Industry. The Cayman Islands first website resource dedicated to helping and regulating the contractor industry in the Cayman Islands is finally here.

(PRWEB) January 16, 2006 -- The Most Authoritative Domain on the Internet for Cayman's Construction and Contractor Industry is launching it's website. CaymanContractors.com is the Cayman Islands first and only website that levels the playing field within the contractor industry. Legitimate and licensed contractors will have the opportunity to showcase current projects and advertise their expertise on this site.

"Numerous contractors have already reported an increase in revenue due to their work being showcased on CaymanContractors.com and with a premium domain name like CaymanContractors.com contractors on this site are sure to get noticed" says CaymanIT.com President.

All contractors in the Cayman Islands will enjoy these value added services as part of the official launch of the website: Overseas suppliers will be now be able to contact Cayman's contractors thorugh services offered by the website said CaymanIT.com President.

"All contractors will now be able to have their own e-mail, especially the smaller contracting companies. They will have various services linking them to the outside world which is something that will level the playing field for the small construction company" commented CaymanITGroup.com President.

All contractors including those listed below , will enjoy the benefits of posting their current projects and work quality on the website.

IT Contractors
Building Contractors
Plumbers
Electricians
Masonry Contractors
LandScaping Contractors
Paving Contractors
Heavy Equipment Contractors
Painting Contractors
Tiling and Interior Decorating Contractors
Architects
Mechanical Engineering Contractors
Roofing and Insulation Contractors
Steel Construction Contractors
All contractors will enjoy the feeling that a "job well done" is now able to be enjoyed by everyone worldwide.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:10 AM | Comments (0)

Enterprise Logix Introduces Revolutionary Pricing Structure for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software

One of the more frustrating experiences customers encounter when reviewing ERP software for purchase is getting to a quick, easy-to-understand, bottom-line price. “At Enterprise Logix, we asked ourselves ‘Why?’ Why can’t ERP software be priced in a simple, easy-to-determine format that anyone can understand and calculate in a matter of seconds?”

Melbourne, FL (PRWEB) January 16, 2006 -- One of the more frustrating experiences customers encounter when reviewing ERP software for purchase is getting to a quick, easy-to-understand, bottom-line price. For decades, ERP software pricing has been as difficult to decode as deciphering messages encrypted by the CIA.

Frank Hamelly, Director of Sales and Marketing, says, “At Enterprise Logix, we asked ourselves ‘Why?’ Why can’t ERP software be priced in a simple, easy-to-determine format that anyone can understand and calculate in a matter of seconds?”

The answer was – It can. And Enterprise Logix has done just that.

Why did Enterprise Logix do it? Very simply – they decided it was the fair and equitable way to price their products. After years spent on the other side of the negotiating table with ERP providers, Enterprise Logix’ principals decided to do business differently - to the benefit of their customers.

Pricing Mystified

There are several elements that make up the typical ERP system quote –

- The software license fee
- The per-module license fee
- The per-module per-seat license fee
- The per-user license fee
- 3rd party add-on license fee(s)
- The annual maintenance fee
- 3rd party add-on annual maintenance fee(s)
- Technical support fee
- 3rd party add-on technical support fee(s)
- Etc, etc . . .

You get the picture. Pricing can be a challenge even for the provider because a substantial amount of information about the customer’s operation is needed to really understand what modules and 3rd party add-on software they should quote. Getting an accurate quote before extensive discussion with the vendor or Value Added Reseller (VAR) is quite difficult. And dealing with a VAR complicates matters even further because it adds another layer of complexity in the negotiation process.

In many cases the customer is sold more application than necessary because defining the true functional requirements is difficult prior to the Business Process Review stage, which comes after the software purchase. Is it any wonder many ERP systems are never fully implemented or utilized and that customers find the whole experience less than gratifying? Does the customer ever get credit back for unused/unneeded modules?

Pricing Simplified

Enterprise Logix has simplified the pricing issue by offering:

- Flat-rate software pricing. No per-module pricing, no per-seat fees. ALL functionality provided for unlimited users at one low price. No surprises.
- Flat-rate annual maintenance pricing, unlimited technical support for one low price. Again, no surprises.
- Comprehensive functionality with no 3rd party add-ons necessary.
- No dealing with Value Added Resellers.

Let’s hit each of these points in more detail.

Flat-rate software pricing with no per-module or user fees eliminates the need for precise functional requirements definition prior to getting a price quote. That’s because the customer doesn’t have to pick and choose functionality. ALL functionality is included in Logix’ price, as is access for unlimited users. A customer can purchase the entire Logix ERP solution and grow into it as needed, with no penalty, ever. The vast majority of ERP providers charge additional license fees for more functionality and additional users.

Enterprise Logix makes pricing simple and straightforward. They even publish Logix’ pricing on their website www.enterpriselogix.com/pricing.aspx.

Flat-rate annual maintenance pricing with unlimited technical support. Most providers charge annual maintenance fees as a percentage of their LIST price for license fees. Even if a discount is negotiated for the license fees, annual maintenance is still based on the list price. Varying levels of technical support are typically available with pricing based on the level of support chosen.

Logix’ annual maintenance includes unlimited technical support. Simple. No surprises. No penalties for getting the help you need, when you need it.

No need for 3rd party add-on software. Logix includes all the functionality a typical small to medium-size business needs - from A to Z - and all the acronyms in between. PLM, ECO, CRM, SCM, MRP, CRP, SFC, RMA, SPC, QC/QA, BI, and so on. Even barcoding is included.

No dealing with VARs. Enterprise Logix sells only direct to customers. Their customers deal with people who know the software inside and out and have decades of experience in manufacturing and distribution. The added value that accrues from a deep understanding of a customer’s needs and real world experience just cannot be duplicated by most VARs. Also, dealing directly with the provider means customers get answers to their technical questions quickly, in 99% of the cases the same day.

Enterprise Logix’ desire is to truly revolutionize the way the ERP market prices their products and services and to take the mystery out of how those prices are calculated.

To learn more about Enterprise Logix and their solutions, visit www.enterpriselogix.com or call 321-726-9210.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:09 AM | Comments (0)

Mecmesin Moves Up a Weight Division

Mecmesin announces the launch of the MultiTest-i range of twin-column universal testing machines. Controlled by new generation Emperor software, the machines have been specifically designed for quality control testing in manufacturing industry.

Horsham, West Sussex, UK, (PRWEB) January 16, 2006 -- Mecmesin has launched two new computer-controlled, compressive and tensile testing machines for quality control testing in manufacturing industry. In quality control laboratories throughout the world Mecmesin single-column motorised test stands have already established themselves as the basis of cost-effective systems for assessing quality by measuring the response of samples to applied loads.

The introduction of the twin-column MultiTest 10-i and MultiTest 25-i materials testing machines now enables quality professionals to specify affordable, high performance Mecmesin equipment for testing significantly larger specimens to loads of up to 25,000 newtons. The new systems are controlled by Mecmesin’s, recently-enhanced and upgraded, ‘Emperor’ software which has been specifically designed for developing sophisticated procedures and analyses for testing manufactured products, components and materials, in tension or compression.

Both machines are driven by twin, pre-loaded, synchronised ballscrews. Each test frame has been designed to deliver unparalleled stiffness – often vital in high load, low elongation testing applications.

The increased load capacity and a 400mm gap between the columns allows much larger samples to be accommodated. To take full advantage of this increased capacity Mecmesin is also launching a new range of grips and fixtures necessary for such applications.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:08 AM | Comments (0)

Katy Spring & MFG., Inc. Creates a New Sales Office and an Updated Website

Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc., an industry-leading spring manufacturer located in Texas has gone through some major changes in the past year. The Katy, Texas spring manufacturing company has opened a new sales office in Minnesota and revamped its website to better serve its customers.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 16, 2006 -- By opening a new sales office and updating its website, Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc. has once again demonstrated its commitment to improving its services and keeping the customer at the forefront of the company’s endeavors. “We make it our business to help our customers’ businesses succeed by offering excellent quality, service, and competitive pricing,” said Scott Pitney, president of Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc. For over six years, Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc. has provided meticulous customer service and quality custom and standard springs to its customers.


New Sales Office Opened
To more easily support the north central United States, the spring manufacturer opened a new sales office in Minneapolis, Minnesota this past year. The new location serves Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. The recently opened addition offers custom manufacturing of compression, extension, torsion, and flat springs in a large variety of materials, alloys, shapes, and sizes.

Updated Website
Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc. has updated its website, katyspring.com, and now offers a large assortment of options to assist customers in choosing the products which are most suitable to their needs. Product descriptions, photos, new technical information, contact information for Texas and customer testimonials are all at the website visitors’ disposal.

The addition of new technical information and full color, detailed photographs of all products on katyspring.com enables a visitor to see and research products before he or she places an order.

The updated technical information is not limited to compression springs, torsion springs, and extension springs. The renovated site also contains fresh information pertaining to hydrogen embrittlement of springs, which is caused by atomic hydrogen being diffused along microscopic grain boundaries in the material. Shot peening springs, which the site describes in detail, is the process that increases the fatigue life of compression. For more information about hydrogen embrittlement and shot peening visit www.katyspring.com.

Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc. is an ISO certified full service custom metal forming company, specializing in compression, extension, torsion, and flat springs. For more information about Katy Spring & Mfg., Inc.’s new sales office or website, or contact Scott Pitney via phone at 281-391-1888.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:07 AM | Comments (0)

“Bah-Humbug To Christmas”, From BT

BT increases line rental charge for second time in 18 months, from £10.50 to £11 per month. UK customers are set to pay an additional £83 million* per year from January 1 2006.

(PRWEB) January 15, 2006 -- BT today hit customers with an unwanted Christmas present in the form of their second line rental hike in 18 months. This follows Ofcom’s announcement today that BT’s Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) product has finally met the “fit-for-purpose” criteria agreed between Ofcom and BT back in 2003. WLR allows BT’s competitors to offer customers a single bill for line rental as well as calls. One of the incentives for meeting these criteria was the relaxation by Ofcom on BT’s restrictions to modify the line rental price. BT has responded the same day by increasing their line rental cost by 50p per month.

This price increase applies to all of BT’s 13.8 million ‘Together Option 1’ customers, resulting in them paying a collective £83 million per year extra. This includes the 3.7 million customers that use alternative suppliers for their calls, but are still paying line rental to BT. BT previously increased line rental in June 2004 from £9.50 to £10.50, when they migrated all of their Standard tariff customers to ‘Together
Option 1’.

Jon Miller, Director at independent comparison and switching service ww.uSwitch.com comments: “This is a real blow for BT’s customers. With most of their competitors reducing their line rental costs, BT customers can feel justifiably aggrieved at having to pay extra while seemingly receiving nothing in return. This could prove to be the final straw for many BT customers who have already been thinking about switching, as lower line rental charges will clearly appeal to those who object to paying hefty upfront charges before even making a call. There are now an increasing number of providers in this market, offering alternative line rental to BT, such as household-names like Homecall, Onetel, the Post Office and TalkTalk. Customers can now shop around for savings on line rental as well as calls”

Notes to editors:
*http://www.btplc.com/News/Presentations/Financialpresentations/q205KPIs.pdf. BT Together Option 1. Cumulatively, over the course of a year, they will be paying £83 million more.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:06 AM | Comments (0)

Class 1, Division 1 Explosion Proof Workstations for Hazardous Area Usage

Hazardous area fully enclosed explosionproof workstation engineered according to class 1 division 1 specifications for areas which are commonly exposed to conditions where ignitable gases or vapors are present during normal operating conditions.

Baton Rouge, LA (PRWEB) January 15, 2006 -- In order to improve the safety of equipment operating in hazardous environments, Class 1, Division 1 guidelines have been developed. These guidelines are in effect throughout environments where flammable gases, vapors, liquids, combustible dusts or ignitable fibers are likely to exist under normal operating conditions. In accordance with Class 1, Division 1 guidelines, VarTech has released a series of purged (pressurized) rugged intrinsically safe workstations, model VT500ESW and VT900ESW.

This VarTech line of hazardous area workstations, are comprised of completely enclosed computers (configurable to your exact processing specifications), bright active matrix TFT LCD monitors and intrinsically safe keyboards within 316 Stainless Steel purged enclosures; sizes supported include both 15" and 19" LCDs. These systems are ideally suited for use throughout coalmines, quarries, offshore drilling platforms, petrochemical plants, and other environments that face explosive hazardous area conditions as normal operating conditions. These rigorous workstations are NEMA 4X waterproof, dust proof, shock and vibration tolerable, and corrosion resistant. These monitors are engineered to withstand extensive temperature ranges.

VarTech Systems is a worldwide leader of industrial and marine/military grade LCD flat panel display systems and rugged CRT monitors. Today, VarTech Systems products are used in virtually every industrial sector in a wide variety of applications. From the factory floor to the control room, from the ship's bridge to submarine sonar, from the cockpit to the simulator, from the harshest environments such as direct hose-down washing to vehicle mounting for the Border Patrol, our products provide exceptional quality and reliability. VarTech display products include ruggedized touch screens, NEMA 4 and 4X (IP65/IP66) industrial panels and enclosures, public access kiosks, formidable systems for mission critical applications, sunlight readable displays designed to operate throughout high ambient light conditions, and dependable solutions for the harshest indoor locations and the worst outdoor environments.

For More Information Please Visit:
http://www.vartechsystems.com/products/class1-div1-monitor-computer-workstation.asp

Company Information
VarTech Systems Inc.
International Phone: 001.225.298.0300
Toll Free: 800.223.8050

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:05 AM | Comments (0)

Stallion Launches StaRComm™ Satellite Services

In December 2005, Stallion Oilfield Services launched Stallion Remote Communications™. StaRComm provides integrated VSAT services with telephone, fax, and internet, along with integrated wireless intercoms. StaRComm services are currently being offered in selected Stallion locations. The Company plans to deploy over 100 integrated VSAT units in 2006.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 14, 2006 -- In December 2005, Stallion Oilfield Services launched Stallion Remote Communications™. StaRComm provides integrated VSAT services with telephone, fax, and internet, along with integrated wireless intercoms. StaRComm services are currently being offered in selected Stallion locations. The Company plans to deploy over 100 integrated VSAT units in 2006.

Craig Johnson, Stallion’s CEO, commented, “With the launch of StaRComm, Stallion becomes a fully-integrated provider of drilling support services. We can provide housing accommodations, surface rental equipment, solids control services and the entire communications infrastructure – intercoms, phone, fax, and internet access complete with a laptop computer, if requested. The customer can just show up and begin working at the new site. This one-stop shop approach provides value to our customers through greater productivity at the drill site.”

The Company now provides services in the Gulf Coast, South Texas, ArkLaTex, Ft. Worth Basin, Permian Basin, Anadarko Basin of Western Oklahoma, Arkoma Basin, Rocky Mountains, and Williston Basin. With over 375 employees in 19 locations and over 1,300 land-based rig housing units, an extensive fleet of surface rental equipment, significant solids control capability, and integrated satellite communications services, Stallion is the leading drilling support service provider in the United States.

To accommodate continued growth, Stallion also recently relocated its corporate office to 410 Roberts. Just east of downtown Houston and about a mile from Minute-Maid Park, the newly renovated warehouse provides 20,000 square feet of custom-built office space where 40 employees provide corporate sales, finance & accounting, human resources, benefits administration, payroll, and operations support services.

To find additional information on Stallion Oilfield Services or Stallion Remote Communications visit the Company’s newly updated web site, www.stallionoilfield.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:04 AM | Comments (0)

Sirens Seek to Sink Tech Types at Tradeshows: Information Theft a Major Concern at IT Corporate Gatherings Worldwide

Major tech firms are concerned about guarding their intellectual property from a new kind of thief in an old setting: perfumed information thieves at tradeshows and conventions.

AUSTIN, TX (PRWEB) January 14, 2006 -- Major tech firms are concerned about guarding their intellectual property from a new kind of thief in an old setting: information thieves at tradeshows and conventions.
Ever since April 1998, when Forbes reported that IBM CEO Louis Gerstner, shortly after taking the reins, set up intelligence teams, the tech industry has been waking up to the idea that gathering information about the competition is now the status quo. Unlike IBM, however, there are many companies in the tech industry who don’t stick to ethical methods, making the tradeshow and corporate event industry a fertile ground for information thieves.

“Yes, security- physical, IT based, and intellectual- has become a major concern with all of our clients.” said Bob Parker, Executive Director for Encore Productions, a worldwide event management company based in Austin, Texas. “We’ll be managing nearly a hundred corporate events this month across the globe and we have to take serious security precautions with all of them- our customers demand it.”

“Tradeshows, conventions, and corporate seminars, if managed poorly, are perfect hunting grounds for many different types of information thieves.” Said Parker, who has over 6 years in the industry, “There are ordinary thieves who are after the odd unguarded laptop, yes, but it’s what’s in that laptop that’s really valuable. There are companies in the marketplace today who will use just about any means to get that information.”

One method used by unscrupulous companies at tradeshows is to employ attractive women to either distract- or in extreme cases even seduce- hi-tech attendees, thereby gaining access to laptops, pdas, or other places sensitive corporate information is stored.

“Yes, that technique [using women is definitely not unheard of, despite how “James Bond” –ish it sounds. Measures can be put into place by a professional event manager, however, to insure a higher level of security at a tradeshow or seminar: controlled entry, badges, secure and encrypted onsite communications, security personnel, and cameras, to name a few. Even with good professional event management in place attendees should still be proactive about information security at tradeshows.” warned Parker.

Encore Productions, a well established firm with over one thousand hi-tech events and tradeshows under its managerial belt, assembled this list of precautions tradeshow attendees should observe to avoid information theft:

1. Only bring materials to the tradeshow that are needed. Leave sensitive items secure at home or in the office.
2. If you must have sensitive information at a corporate event such as your laptop, never leave it unattended. Remember, an information thief doesn’t need to make off with the whole laptop; they only need enough time to copy a few files to a jump drive to achieve success.
3. Monitor who is around your booth and ask questions. This not only protects your information; quite often it leads to better sales.
4. Make a note of any strange activity and report it immediately to the event management.

Founded in 1988, Encore Productions has been providing complete event management services including design, production, lighting, staging, travel and accommodations, event marketing, and multimedia services, and security, to clients worldwide. Encore offers services globally and their client list includes IBM, Wendys, Intel, Oldmobile, Redkin and SAP. For more information email: e-mail protected from spam bots or visit their website to learn more about corporate event management (http://www.encoreeventsolutions.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:03 AM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2006

Smart Move Expands Operations, Service Now Available to the 40 Largest Metropolitan Areas in the USA

Smart Move has added key, strategic metropolitan areas. Smart Move’s coverage and reach will now include most of the major population areas in the continental United States.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 13, 2006 -- A Smart Move L.L.C. (www.gosmartmove.com), a moving and storage company has added key, strategic metropolitan areas. Smart Move’s coverage and reach will now include most of the major population areas in the continental United States. The new cities include, Nashville, TN, Columbus, OH, Cleveland, OH, Cincinnati, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Indianapolis, IN, Salt Lake City UT, Tucson AZ, Jacksonville FL, Richmond, VA, and the entire state of Connecticut.

Smart Move customers now enjoy service to the 40 largest greater metro areas in the country, including NYC, Boston, LA, Chicago, and DFW. Logistics are provided by Smart Move’s freight partner Overnite Transportation, a UPS company. “Unlike old, traditional moving methods, Smart Move can deliver customers household goods across the country in less than a week, guaranteed, regardless of the size of the shippers move”, said Chris Sapyta, president of Smart Move. We are very excited with the acceptance of our solution and customers’ demands for a new way of moving, this will drive us to expand our service geography to the top 100 metro areas in the USA by the end of 2006”.

Smart Move delivers goods in containers called Smart Vaults™. Smart Move containers are state-of-the-art designed HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) containers, called the Smart Vault™. Each vault can hold up to 2500 lbs. or 262 cubic feet of loading space, an average 2300 sq foot home can be moved in 5 Smart Vaults. Each vault is equipped with a smart GPS unit, which allows Smart Move to track the container precisely, anywhere in the world. Once the Smart Vault™ containers are loaded, the customer places “their lock” on the container. When Smart Move picks up the full container, a security seal is also placed on the container. The move is tracked with both barcode and GPS tracking technology. The customers’ goods are safe, never lost, and delivered with their lock and our security seal in place, every time.
•GPS secure, locked containers
•Ground level loading
•Ultra strong, weather-resistant containers
•Truck rental alternative
•Full Service and Self Service moves
•Time flexibility, the mover can take their time loading and unloading
•Low-cost Storage if needed
•Accurate fixed quotes, the quote received is the price paid
•Lower Cost

For more information, go to (www.gosmartmove.com).

A Smart Move L.L.C.
5350 S. Roslyn St. Suite 380
Greenwood, Village, CO 80111

Contact Information:
Steve Fay, Marketing Manager
800-963-0204 Ext. 9561

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:28 AM | Comments (0)

"STYLE-ISH" Windows Reflect Record Profit Growth

Yorkshire-based Style Group UK has reported record profit growth for 2004 against industry trends.

(PRWEB) January 13, 2006 -- Against an extremely challenging UK market, Yorkshire-based Style Group UK, Britain’s largest independent replacement PVCu windows and doors manufacturer and supplier, has bucked industry trends and announced a record operating profit of £7.1m for 2004, a 24.6 per cent increase on the previous year’s figure of £5.7m.

The profit growth comes on the back of a consolidated turnover increase of 4.5 per cent and marks the fourth year in succession that performance has improved reflecting the new structures, philosophy and focus being followed by the senior management team. For the second year running sales exceeded £100m.

The underlying profit before tax and dividends shows an impressive and continuous growth for one of Yorkshire’s fastest growing companies from £1.493m in 2001, £2.693m in 2002, £5.691 in 2003 to the latest figure for 2004 of £7.090m.

The Style Group UK is the parent company of three specialised subsidiaries including SAFESTYLE UK (http://www.safestyle.co.uk), the easily recognised retail arm operating on the back of its award winning celebrity-fronted television and radio advertising campaigns, WINDOWSTYLE UK, the constantly developing manufacturing arm and TRADESTYLE LTD, the supplier to the non fabricating retailers and installers market.

Safestyle’s operating profit during the year improved by 4.23 per cent as its brand was further developed. Customer recommendations increased, customer standards improved and a reduction in trade debtors in 2004 confirmed the company is meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

Tradestyle had an excellent year with turnover increasing by 50 per cent taking it to £6m together with a significant increase in profit.

Windowstyle has seen investment continue with the introduction of a glass toughening furnace. The new unit should improve gross margins, shorten lead times and reduce reliance on external suppliers. Glass unit manufacturing equipment has also been replaced and upgraded. The company has increased its profit margin at a time when there is real upward pressure on raw material costs.

John Ross, the Chief Executive of Style Group, outlines the company performance: "Another year of solid progress with the results being achieved against an industry background of uncertainty and reduced consumer confidence. This undoubtedly illustrates the determined efforts of our management team to focus on profit rather than sales".

He continued: "Unlike our competitors, the Group uses television and radio advertising as one of its prime means of securing leads and our success justifies this route to market. We shall continue to grow market share by producing memorable and creative advertising.

"Safestyle is now well established as one of the largest and best known replacement window retailers in the United Kingdom and that has been reaffirmed this year with increased margins, improved efficiency in our manufacturing processes and tighter control of our overheads. The overall trading performance is highly satisfactory and yet the management team has not relaxed its efforts and we can expect improved results in the future."

Mr. Ross looked at the company’s investment projects and commented: "This year also saw increased capital expenditure and we invested £2.8m in new capital projects. By far the largest investment was in the installation of a toughened glass facility at our Barnsley plant and we are confident that this will not only increase our control of the production process by replacing the amount of work undertaken by suppliers but also provide rapid payback and sustainable cost reductions.

"Our Consumer Credit Licence is an important part of our business and in 2004 it was renewed for a five-year term. As part of that application we reviewed our policies relating to product quality, customer service and support facilities for staff, including health and safety training. This has all resulted in significant changes to improve customer service standards and create a better working environment for our staff."

Mr. Ross summed up the year: "The Style Group has always operated a culture of meritocracy by rewarding and promoting our best performers. This year was no exception and a record number of employees advanced their careers. The Group has reached a size where we are creating a large number of career opportunities for top performers in our industry and we continue to attract the best. The Style Group is in good hands and I confidently expect further progress in future years."


About Style Group UK:

The STYLE GROUP UK is the largest independent manufacturer, supplier and retailer of uPVC windows and doors in the United Kingdom. Since its inception in 1992 the Group has continued to expand and now has 40 branches across the country from the South West to the North East serviced by a large in-house transport fleet. It ranks as one of Yorkshire’s fastest growing companies according to a recent Business Insider Top 500 companies survey published in July 2005, rising from 129th to 88th.

The Group incorporates three specialist subsidiaries catering for manufacture, trade supply and retail as follows:-

WINDOWSTYLE UK is the manufacturing arm and its state-of-the-art factory in Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire produces up to 10,000 quality assured frames per week. It is also the area’s largest single employer.

TRADESTYLE UK was established in 2002 and supplies exclusively to non-fabricating retailers and installers. It has its own manufacturing facility and has seen demand for its products at a genuine trade price soar way beyond expectations.

SAFESTYLE UK is the best known name within the Group. It is synonymous with quality and affordability and installs domestic window and door frames valuing in excess of £2 million every week. It is renowned for its memorable, celebrity-fronted television and radio advertising campaigns featuring its value-for-money offers.

For further information please contact:
Ashley Metcalfe
CHS Ltd
+44 1132 362000

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:27 AM | Comments (0)

Electrophysics® Introduces the New Standard in Infrared Imaging for Demanding R&D and Thermography Applications

The New Silver™ high-performance IR camera from Electrophysics boasts remarkable sensitivity, accuracy and ultra-fast frame rates.

Fairfield, NJ (PRWEB) January 13, 2006 -- For infrared applications where accuracy and precision are vital, users can turn to Electrophysics and its high-performance Silver infrared (IR) cameras. The ultimate solution for all thermography related applications, including R&D, NDT, target signature analysis and medical research, the Silver is designed specifically to meet the needs of the most demanding users of IR technology. Combining unmatched speed and sensitivity in a sleek, modern design, Electrophysics is proud to showcase the Silver at this year’s 2006 Photonics West expo.

The Silver utilizes an ultra-sensitive, 320x256 InSb focal plane array sensor that offers users sensitivity better than 20mK, while keeping an extraordinary dynamic range and high linearity across the 3 to 5μm mid-wave spectral range. The Silver incorporates an integral 25mm lens, featuring motorized focus and optional extenders that provide the application specific field of view and target geometry. The Silver also features low noise 14-bit digital electronics and user performed calibration, providing fully-radiometric IR imagery at any selected integration setting.

”When dealing with demanding infrared applications, users should never bargain with performance or precision, said Chris Alicandro, Director of Sales-Infrared Products for Electrophysics. “Offering features commonly associated with higher price point systems, the Silver boasts an impressive price to performance ratio that brings together the speed and accuracy, and more importantly, the reliability that users can depend on, all in an affordable package,” concluded Alicandro.

Users can also take advantage of the Silver’s ultra-fast frame rate. Electrophysics offers two Silver models, which have full format programmable frame rates, ranging from 1hz to 100hz for the Silver 420M and 1hz to 400hz for the Silver 450M. Both models also offer user-friendly and flexible sub-windowing modes, which are adjustable in 1 μs increments. In 80x64 sub-window format, users can capture infrared images at up to 1,000hz with the Silver 420M and up to 20,000hz with the Silver 450M. The Silver IR camera can also incorporate an optional internal filter wheel that accepts up to four separate 25mm OD x1mm filters for viewing sub-spectral ranges. Like all Electrophysics imaging solutions, the Silver is backed by Electrophysics’ knowledgeable and dedicated customer service support staff.

Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, Electrophysics develops advanced near infrared, night vision and thermal imaging systems for use in a host of imaging applications. Since 1969, Electrophysics has maintained its focus on delivering products that reflect the company’s exceptional engineering capabilities to meet specific real world demands while keeping pace with rapidly evolving imaging technologies. The Company has realized exceptional growth as a result of its customer-centric philosophy and remains firmly committed to continually innovating its products in order to enhance the experience of end-users. Electrophysics is vertically integrated with expertise in complex signal processing, optics, embedded software, PC software applications development and hardware design.

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