Automation Unplugged

Pinto's perspectives, pointers & prognostications

This book was published by ISA in October 2003 and was the best-seller for 2004. You can order an autographed copy.

Automation Unplugged includes the best-of-the-best Jim Pinto articles on a variety of automation topics, with a special introduction by Dick Morley, technology guru and father of the PLC. Each of 5 sections is introduced by a noted automation industry personality.

See Table of Contents (below)

Pinto Podcast - MP3 Audio file 500 KB 4-1/2 mins.

"A thorough understanding of business and technology makes this book a class act. You may, as I often have, disagree with Jim, but you will always be stimulated to think."
-- Dick Morley, Inventor of the PLC

"Jim’s commentary and views on the decline of the automation industry are a brutally honest assessment of the state of the automation industry and what the future may hold. Backed by persuasive arguments he outlines why the industry is n decline with specific examples and penetrating analysis — read this book now!"
-- Frank Williams, CEO I/O Select

"The truly creative don’t let the industry’s continued malaise get them down. They just keep trying to find new and better ways to get the job done."
-- Greg Hale, Editor InTech

Buy an autographed copy of Automation Unplugged

How to buy Automation Unplugged from ISA, Amazon.com and others

About the Author
Preface
Introduction: Dick Morley

Section 1 - Major Automation Companies:
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Introduction: John Berra, President, Emerson Process
- The Urge to Merge
- Siemens—American manager’s view
- Emerson—strong management drives performance
- Honeywell Industrial Systems—The GE-Honeywell fiasco
- Aggressive French giant—Schneider Electric
- Invensys in decline
- Whither Rockwell Automation?
- The ABB Blahs
- Yokogawa exemplifies Japanese automation companies
- Companies in Trouble
- The second tier—tomorrow's leaders

Section 2 - Marketing, Sales and Distribution Perspectives

Introduction: Frank Williams, CEO, I/O Select
- The Changing Face of Automation
- Old dead-ends, new directions
- Products vs Services
- Product Development Speed in the Internet Age
- Marketing Speed in the Internet Age
- Why is Industrial Automation Declining?
- Industrial Automation eBiz
- Disintermediation—Distribution and Sales Channels
- Disintermediation—The Customer Perspective
- Disintermediation—The Manufacturers Perspective
- Competing in a Global Environment
- Relationship management
- Never, Never be the Lowest Bidder

Section 3 - The Future of Automation Technology—Gee Whiz!

Introduction: Bud Keyes, Senior Vice President, Emerson Process
- Instrumentation & Control on the Frontiers of a New Millennium
- New technology, new approaches are needed
- The Technology Laws
- Distributed & Grid Computing
- The Pervasive Internet
- Intelligent Connected Appliances
- Wireless sensor networks
- Networked, Intelligent I/O—The Truly Distributed Control Revolution
- Fully automated factories
- Nanotech & self-organizing systems
- Intelligent robots will be everywhere
- Stephen Wolfram’s "New Science".

Section 4 - Industrial Networks—This Bus is for You

Introduction : Dick Caro, CMC Associates, Chairman of ISA SP50 and formerly of IEC Fieldbus Standards Committees.
- Fieldbus—A Neutral Instrumentation Vendor’s Perspective
- How do I catch the Fieldbus?
- The Law of Open Systems Confusion
- The Dichotomy of Open Standards

Section 5 - Pinto’s Industrial Poetry

Introduction: Greg Hale, Editor, Intech
- Where have all the Players gone?
- The Fieldbus Raven
- Open Saysa Me, Closed Saysa You
- The Fieldbus Quadrille
- Microsoft Takes Over Fieldbus
- The 8-part Fieldbus Voting Fiasco
- Net Du Jour
- You are Rich Brother William
- Saint Bill

Afterword

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