The EMA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) market for automation products and services for discrete Industries is expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.6 per cent over the next five years. [ + ]

ERP vendor SSA is targeting the small to medium enterprise industrial markets, in a move it says is designed to allow SME's to "computerise and stay in business". [ + ]

Bowater has successfully started up ABB Industrial IT Quality Control solutions for off-machine coater No. 1 at its Covington, TN mill. [ + ]

Leading Australian water industry company Optimatics is responding to US water authorities call for help to "terrorist proof" their facilities. [ + ]

A simple box device containing a series of cotton filters could play a large role in improving global air quality as well as being a huge success for the small engineering business behind it. [ + ]

ABB has been chosen to supply Sappi's Ngodwana Kraft Mill with Industrial IT Open Control. The contract is valued at US$ 2 million (ZAR 20 million) and is the first of a 4-phase project valued at US$ 11 million (ZAR 110 million). [ + ]

GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc., an affiliate of the General Electric Company, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Intellution, Inc., formerly a division of Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business. [ + ]

CIMNET Inc. today announced its partner authorization from Microsoft Corporation's Microsoft Business Solutions for the purpose of integrating its Factelligence solution with Microsoft Business Solutions-Axapta for the upper mid-market. [ + ]

SSA Global Technologies Inc., a worldwide enterprise solutions and services provider, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the common stock of Infinium Software. [ + ]

Research at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has revealed that certain chemical ingredients of gasoline, jet fuel and other solvents may pose a greater health hazard than first thought. [ + ]

Q.C. Systems Pty Ltd that they have been appointed distributors for Australia and New Zealand by Solartron Metrology, the world's largest supplier of Analogue and Digital gauging probes. [ + ]

The Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (AEEMA) national Cleaner, Greener, Smarter conference and exhibition was held on Tuesday and Wednesday 15 and 16 October, at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Held concurrently with Austronics, Electrix and Automate, the combined event was deemed a "great success" by those in attendance. [ + ]

Peacock Bros, a leading manufacturer and supplier of data capture equipment, barcode labelling systems and custom barcode labels, has created a joint venture company - Peacocks MD & B Pty Ltd - that will give it Australia-wide sales and service centres. [ + ]

Sumitomo Chemical has developed a new process to produce fatty acid methyl esters without generating any environmentally undesired by-product, by the reaction of methanol with vegetable oil in a supercritical state. Fatty acid methyl esters are widely used as intermediates for higher alcohols which are raw material for surfactants. [ + ]

Australian manufacturers should start planning to beef up their investments in information technology over the next 12 months, according to a recent survey. [ + ]