Once again Control magazine has done a great job on its published list of Top-50 Automation & Control suppliers – with separate rankings for global and N. America. I provide a review and brief analysis of the annual 2010 industry results from my own perspectives.
Here is a table-summary of the Industrial Automation Top-10 rankings, for Global and North America.
Emerson, Rockwell and ABB retain their ranks at the top in N. America, with the same ranks as last year globally. Siemens drops to 5 in NA, behind Danaher. Honeywell Process has dropped from 6 to 8 in NA, while Schneider and Invensys retain their ranks in both NA and globally. GE and Ametek move up the ranks.
Here are some of the companies I keep an eye on:
* Omron is 11 globally but only 22 in NA.
* Yokogawa is still only 8 globally and 20 in NA.
* Phoenix Contact has advanced to 13 with $ 1,8B global, far ahead of its old rival Weidmuller.
* Endress+Hauser is 15 globally and 16 in NA.
* National Instruments is 15 in NA and 22 global with $0,87B.
* Beckhoff is 42 global but not on the NA top-50 - only honourable mention at $35M in NA. Note: Good growth in 2011.
* Opto-22 has grown to $75M.
* China’s Hollysys is at $94M – could be a growth vehicle for China.
* OSIsoft grew from 35 to 32 in NA, but still not on the global list, with an honourable mention at $204M global.
In just the last couple of months, the automation majors have announced significant increases in bookings and profits. The automation business is doing well – most of the Top 50 indicate that their projected sales funnels are full, perhaps into 2014 and beyond.
Many of the majors are hoarding cash because they are worried about the uncertain future. The acquisition binge has not really started because of this uncertainty, but it will begin soon enough. Stay tuned.
Pinto 2012 automation prognostications
I have a hunch that 2012 will not be another same-old, same-old year for industrial automation. Expect opportunity niches to arise around industrial wireless, Ethernet, mobile interface technologies. Here is a summary of my technology-picks for 2012, as published in Automation World, January 2012.
Industrial wireless: Standards are settling down into reality. Major suppliers are reporting revenues in the tens of millions of dollars. New markets and applications are generating revenues and market acceptance.
Industrial Ethernet: In the automation environment virtually everything is being connected to everything else via central networks and the Internet. Automation systems based on standard network architectures are spreading everywhere. Enhanced industrial Ethernet protocols such as EtherCat, ProfiNet, Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP will continue to proliferate.
Pervasive Internet: Today’s centralised controls and displays will give way to peer-to-peer input/output (I/O) and the other ingredients of decentralised automation systems. Industrial I/O products will become increasingly more autonomous in functionality, with vastly more robust operation in systems that include literally millions of I/O points.
Portable operator interface: The old-style operator control console interface is giving way to access via ubiquitous, compact WiFi equipment. More diagnostics and service functions can now be viewed via mobile phones, with cheap but effective two-way audio and video visibility. Most automation companies are now offering advanced features and functions using iPad, iPhone and Droid apps. This trend will expand quickly.
There are several growth opportunities hiding in plain sight and entrepreneurs – the risk takers – will see them first. Perhaps, some of the recently unemployed will be the ones to jump at the possibilities.
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