Gary interviews David Deitz, director of product marketing for Delta V, at the Emerson Global Users Exchange in Orlando about the rollout of the new DeltaV version 11 and its significant new features.

Recognizing considerable industry interest in the reorganization that created Invensys Operations Management, Gary sat down with IOM vice presidents Mark Davidson (global marketing) and Rashesh Mody (portfolio and strategy). The discussion included the new mission and how integration of the overall division's portfolio is evolving. The division includes such venerable brands as Avantis, Eurotherm, Foxboro, SimSci-Esscor, Triconex and Wonderware. Perhaps for the first time since they were brought together under Invensys the potential that could be achieved through integration is coming about.

Gary discusses the ISA Marketing & Sales Symposium and social media, discusses ratification of the ISA100.11a wireless network standard and implications versus WirelessHart, new products from Longwatch, Kepware and Online Development, plus his upcoming trips to Invensys Operations Management Client Conference, Emerson Exchange and ISA Expo.

Updated show notes: Gary talks with Mike Miller, business development manager with Rockwell Automation, about new machine safety standards effective Dec. 29, 2009. Functional safety is defined. EN ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 which replace EN 954 are explained. The impact of these standards and eventual benefits for machine builders and end users alike are also discussed. We learned on 9/9/09 that the European Commission has decided to postpone the deadline for manufacturers to comply with the new functional safety standard EN ISO 13849-1. In the meantime, they can continue designing to safety standard EN 954-1. The Commission said no further extension will be granted after 2012.

Gary goes international and talks Lean Manufacturing with Jean-Christophe Ledoux of consulting firm Accenture and Yves Vergnolle, of software supplier Apriso about a project where the companies combined to provide a software solution to companies looking for tools to help them implement Lean Manufacturing. The guests call in from France for this episode.

In this episode, Gary discusses the National Instruments NI Week reporting on LabView upgrades and parallel programming.

Gary discusses the recent organization moves at Invensys in this podcast from his mobile studio.

Gary interviews John Dyck in this episode. John is Chairman of MESA International, the association for Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions. He discusses the new directions for MESA, the reasons that this software area is important to manufacturers and the new and exciting format for the association's gathering in the spring of 2010.

Gary interviews Lee Lane, business director, controller and visualization business, Rockwell Automation about what makes programmable automation controllers (PACs) different from programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in this series on control.

Back from vacation and a couple of trips Gary recounts his Middle East vacation (yes it was quite safe where he was). He recaps the ABB Automation and Power World conference, the Packaging Automation Forum and offers his point of view on the rumored Emerson acquisition of Rockwell. Aren't rumors great? Plus other news from the world of automation.