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Wonderware Introduces IndustrialSQL Server 8.0

Wonderware, an operating unit of Invensys plc, introduced version 8.0 of the IndustrialSQL Server historian.

IndustrialSQL Server 8.0 represents a significant addition and enhancement to Wonderware's solutions for the industrial intelligence market, which includes a rich client toolset, desktop reporting and data mining tools, SPC analysis and Web visualization.

It also represents another milestone in delivering on Wonderware's continued drive toward lowering engineering costs and simplifying maintenance of industrial applications. IndustrialSQL Server 8.0 is an affordable and powerful off-the-shelf historian that delivers enhanced performance and scalability for industrial automation users. The application captures detailed plant data in real-time, providing companies with better understanding of their manufacturing process and enabling them to make improvements in product consistency and productivity. Combined with Wonderware's analytical client applications, IndustrialSQL sets the foundation for companies trying to improve their industrial intelligence capabilities.

"IndustrialSQL Server 8.0 builds on Wonderware's reputation for rock-solid solutions," said Nancy Venable, IndustrialSQL Server product manager.

"Whether it is a simple installation with a single IndustrialSQL server or a complex, networked system of multiple IndustrialSQL and I/O servers, the enhanced historian is well-suited for even the most demanding applications. The product's functionality also enables users to more easily develop FDAcompliant applications."

An important objective for companies working in FDA-audited environments is maximizing project lifecycles. With IndustrialSQL Server's product enhancements, companies can effectively manage the implementation and maintenance costs of implementing FDA-validated applications.

Upon its introduction in 1998, IndustrialSQL Server introduced the industry's first cost-effective solution enabling manufacturing facilities of all sizes to take advantage of the benefits offered by plant historian technology. IndustrialSQL is an extension to Microsoft SQL Server 2000 designed to acquire production data at dramatically increased speeds, reduce data storage volume and integrate production, event, summary and configuration data, as well as enterprise application information.

As the first historian to be available for the Windows NT platform, IndustrialSQL Server offers users quick access to their history data, as well as immediate access to real-time data. To date more than 10,000 licenses have been sold worldwide.

"IndustrialSQL 8.0 has been three years in the making and is the storage cornerstone of Wonderware's overall industrial intelligence platform," said Tim Sowell, vice president of product management, Invensys manufacturing and process systems software development.

"IndustrialSQL 8.0 is also the plant historian compliant with Invensys' new ArchestrA platform. It will enable customers to build solutions for today's and tomorrow's demanding environments, not only through its flexible architecture, but also through its ease-of-use in configuration and deployment."

Feature Benefits

IndustrialSQL Server 8.0 delivers enhanced performance, scalability and robustness for industrial automation users offering quality analysis, production analysis and tracking capabilities. New benefits include:

• Ultra high availability and fault tolerance including the ability to protect against server or network hardware failure.
• Lower cost of maintenance and administration for both single and multi-node systems.
• Improved performance and support of larger and more complex applications. Data samples may be acquired and stored at up to 60,000 samples per second for one-second durations.
• Enhanced scalability with the flexibility to meet applications as small as 100 tags to large system users with more than 100,000 tags.
• Support for completely localized applications, including single and multibyte characters in tag names, tag descriptions and string tags.
• Enhanced support for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 application development with added capabilities for audit trails, configuration change logs, securing manual data and record updates.

"This high level of overall performance allows the new version to be deployed at two different tiers of application need," Venable said. "We still meet all the needs of the plant floor historian, which is our traditional market, but we now have the high performance needed to use IndustrialSQL Server effectively in the enterprise application marketplace.

"This will be very important going forward, as IndustrialSQL Server becomes the historian for use with the new ArchestrA platform developed by Invensys Systems for tomorrow's automation development needs."

Availability

The new IndustrialSQL Server 8.0 is now shipping and is available through Wonderware distributors worldwide.

For further information visit www.wonderware.com.

About Wonderware

Wonderware is an operating unit of the Production Management Division of Invensys plc and is the a leading supplier of industrial automation software. Founded in 1987, the company pioneered the use of Microsoft Windows-based, human machine-interface (HMI) automation software for manufacturing operation systems.

The company's mission is to provide integrated software suites that drive the customer's strategic, planning and operational decision-making based on realtime plant floor information.

Based in Lake Forest., the company has regional sales and development offices throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia to provide support to its network of more than 160 distributor offices. Wonderware has more than 180,000 successful installations in more than 30,000 plants worldwide.

For more information, visit www.wonderware.com.

About Invensys

Invensys plc is an international production technology and energy management company specializing in helping companies to improve efficiency, performance and profitability. With headquarters in London, Invensys has about 45,000 employees worldwide.

Invensys' Production Management Division (PMD) works closely with customers to enhance production asset performance and maximize return on investments in product technologies. The division business units include APV, Avantis, Baan, Esscor, Eurotherm, Foxboro, PacSim, SIMSCI, Triconex and Wonderware.

The division addresses the production needs of the oil, gas and chemicals industries; food, beverage and personal health-care markets; and the discrete and hybrid manufacturing sectors.

The Invensys Energy Management Division (EMD) business units work actively with clients involved in both the supply and consumption of energy and water resources. They develop innovative systems and technologies that improve the management of energy and water efficiency and the reliability and security of power supplies.

The division includes energy solutions, metering systems, home, appliance and climate controls and Powerware business units. Together, they focus on markets connected with power and energy infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings.

For more information, visit www.businesswire.com.