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Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) initiative launched

April 2006 News

Yokogawa Electric Corporation and its group companies have launched the Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) Initiative, an open, non-exclusive, standard-based, and interoperability-driven partnership that enables Yokogawa customers to integrate best-in-class field devices supplied by VIP member companies with the industry-leading Centum series production control system and the PRM asset management system.

Yokogawa also reports that Dresser Masoneilan, Flowserve, Metso Automation, and Samson AG - all leading suppliers of control valves - are joining the VIP Initiative to develop and deliver open and interoperable plant asset management solutions.

Customer benefits

The new VIP Initiative assures smooth integration and full interoperability between the field devices supplied by VIP member companies and Yokogawa's Centum series production control and PRM asset management systems. The interoperability is guaranteed by full support of both Field Device Tool (FDT) and Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL), which are supplier independent and complementary industry standards.

This guarantee of open standard-based interoperability enables Yokogawa customers to implement state-of-the-art plant asset management solutions flexibly and efficiently, avoiding compatibility concerns and supplier-enforced limitation of choice.

Yokogawa and the VIP member companies are further joining forces for the ongoing development of innovative plant asset management solutions such as predictive diagnostics and process performance diagnostics that can be deployed by customers using open standard-based production control systems and plant asset management systems.

Member company benefits

Yokogawa and the VIP member companies can jointly promote the field devices supplied by the VIP member companies to the rapidly expanding list of customers using Yokogawa's Centum and PRM systems. The technical collaboration framework is fully open and standard-based, enabling VIP member companies to avoid proprietary R&D costs associated with supplier-specific non-standard frameworks. The plant asset management solutions developed under the VIP Initiative are fully compatible with any plant asset management systems that support the open FDT and EDDL standards.

Membership criteria for field device suppliers

A VIP member company must be a supplier of best-in-class field devices and must support both FDT and EDDL. Suppliers supporting both of these standards are true proponents of customer-centric openness and interoperability. In addition to the control valve suppliers, Yokogawa will expand the VIP membership to collaborate with other field device suppliers that complement Yokogawa's field device portfolio.

Member companies

As of February 2006, the following industry-leading suppliers of control valves (listed in alphabetical order) are official members of the Yokogawa VIP Initiative:

Dresser Masoneilan

Is a global leader in providing innovative best fit control valve solutions for the process industries. With over 120 years of experience, Masoneilan supplies the industry's widest range of general and severe service control valves, actuators, instrumentation, accessories, software and field service support. Masoneilan has a significant presence in virtually all corners of electrical power generation, hydrocarbon exploration and production, oil and gas processing and refining, as well as the petrochemical, chemical, food and beverage, pulp and paper, and mining industries.

Flowserve

Is one of the world's leading providers of fluid motion and control products and services. Operating in 56 countries, the company is a recognised leader in the chemical, power and oil and gas industries. Flowserve's valve business offers highly respected brands of control valves and digital products including Valtek, Kammer, NAF, Schmidt, and PMV. For more than a century, Flowserve engineers have been applying their knowledge and creativity to provide solutions for some of the world's toughest applications.

Metso Automation's Neles

Product line's smart positioners, partial stroke testing solutions, control, on-off and ESD valves, accessories and software products offer innovative, yet fundamentally simple construction, operation, and maintenance features to optimise process performance at the lowest cost in oil and gas, petrochemical, refining, pulp and paper and other process industry. Metso Automation operates worldwide and has sales and customer support units in 34 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia, and Africa.

Samson

Is recognised worldwide as a synonym for high-quality work, entrepreneurial spirit and innovative strength. Founded in 1907, Samson has become a worldwide leading manufacturer of expertly engineered control valves, positioners and accessories for all industrial processes. Modular design of its products offers quick local supply. A worldwide network of 44 subsidiaries and 91 associated engineering and service centres guarantee global expertise and service support.

About Yokogawa

Yokogawa's global network of 18 manufacturing facilities, 83 companies, and over 650 sales and engineering offices spans 28 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$4 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7000 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa.

Yokogawa South Africa

Originally founded in 1978 as Delta Controls, the exclusive distributor of Yokogawa Process Control and Instrumentation (PCI) products in South Africa, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Yokogawa Europe B.V.

Via its head office in Johannesburg and branches in Durban and Cape Town, it is fully capable of selling, engineering and supporting the full range of Yokogawa PCI products. The main Yokogawa product groupings are: recorders, controllers, transmitters, flowmeters, analytical (liquid and gas), PLCs as well as control systems. The company is also the exclusive distributor for Barksdale pressure and level devices and Kinetrol Actuators.

For more information contact Rob Oliaro, Yokogawa, 011 831 6300, [email protected], www.yokogawa.com/za



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