Apprion, Siemens integrate products, networks

Through the tight coupling of Scalance with the IONosphere industrial wireless application system, the companies will work together to deliver wireless applications that enhance the mobility, productivity, security and safety of industrial or manufacturing operations.

By Plant Engineering Staff November 28, 2007

Apprion and Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. announced the full integration of the Siemens Scalance industrial 802.11 access point with the Apprion ION System. Through the tight coupling of Scalance with the IONosphere industrial wireless application system, the companies will work together to deliver wireless applications that enhance the mobility, productivity, security and safety of industrial or manufacturing operations.
Process manufacturers are moving toward wireless environments to monitor and evaluate machines or operations, inside and outside the plant — especially for remote asset management and conditioned-based monitoring. A wireless approach offers a significant opportunity to reduce the maintenance and labor costs commonly associated with managing a distributed industrial footprint. The collaborations between Apprion and Siemens provide manufacturers with a unified platform of hardware, software and services for the coexistence and security management of multiple industrial wireless networks.
“Wireless has long been a part of our customers’ strategies, but in the past there was not a durable and cost effective networking solution available to meet their needs for widespread integrated wireless,” said Raj Batra, vice president of Siemens Energy & Automation. “Now there is. Apprion IONosphere integrates fully with Scalance access points and other wireless systems to create a single, secure, scalable wireless network.”
“The integration of our technologies has produced a range of possible productivity applications for workforce mobility, voice over WiFi, asset tracking and personnel safety systems through a common wireless, industrial-grade infrastructure,” said Stephen Lambright, president and CEO of Apprion. “Delivering management and security across a wireless network allows manufacturers to achieve demonstrable, rapid ROI based on each wireless device they add to their network.”