UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / July 01, 2020 / What system integrators need to know following the GE/Emerson split

In February 2020, Emerson Automation Solutions finalised its separation from GE, a year after Emerson’s acquisition of GE’s Intelligent Platform business. While the acquisition was more important to market-minded executives than it was to systems integrators, the separation will have an impact on integrators of automation systems. Here, Sean Robinson, service leader of industrial automation solutions provider Novotek UK and Ireland, explains what the separation means for system integrators.

When Emerson’s acquisition of one of GE’s business units was first announced, it caused a stir in the automation community for integrators, distributors and engineers alike. The deal meant that Emerson would inherit a range of programmable logic controller (PLC) technologies and controller products that would expand its own offering into the automation space.

Following the deal, Emerson emerged with a range of PLC products and new PACSystems Rx3i controllers, which provided secure, reliable and powerful processing and control in edge applications. So far, so good for integrators and machine builders looking for automation hardware.

However, now that the separation is finalised, we have a clearer idea of how it will impact system integrators. Specifically, it will affect the control system aspect of some packages and suites that were previously available.

The current situation is that Emerson is also operating as a reseller of GE Digital products, because the systems will naturally complement the PLC products that previously fell under the GE brand. Emerson will offer this through its solution provider (SP) program, which will cover the software side of most automation projects. The program includes GE Digital’s iFIX and Cimplicity HMI/SCADA, as well as Proficy Historian, Operations Hub and Batch Execution software.

However, absent from this list are Emerson’s control system offerings, notably the PAC Machine Edition (PME) package that was previously part of the GE Intelligent Platform offering. Engineers can use the software package to develop, design and configure machine-level interfaces and PLC controls, so it’s an ideal option for system integrators working on machine-level projects.

The PME package, instead of being part of the SP program, is offered instead as part of another Emerson program: the development software (DS) suite. This suite offers PME, alongside up to 8000 tags for PC control and view development and runtime, as well as the PAC Change Management system. It is also set to include the PAC Productivity Suite (PPS) as of April 2020, which provides enhanced hybrid SCADA and PLC programming functionality and advanced proportional integral derivative (PID) control.

Because the two suites are now technically owned and offered by two distinct brands, it also means that distinct licences are required for each. Emerson, for example, will offer the DS suite to system integrators under with an EMR-DEVL parts number.

However, the suite, software and package complexities don’t need to perplex systems integrators. If you’re an integrator, the main focus should be on the value proposition to customers, rather than the administrative headaches of parts numbers and programs. Instead, systems integrators can partner with automation system specialists such as Novotek UK and Ireland.

Novotek has been a long-time partner of both GE Digital and Emerson Automation, so we’re able to provide the full range of solutions from both, in a streamlined and non-complex way. Whether a project calls for machine-level control software via PME or operational-level data management and analysis, we’re able to identify and provide the best system for the job.

It’s taken some time, but the details of the GE and Emerson split have become apparent and so too has the impact on integrators. Now, it’s a matter of streamlining the process of integrating these control suites into projects and delivering automation solutions that add value.