Emerson goes east with Smart Wireless

Emerson Process Management has rolled its wireless solutions out to the Middle East and Africa, with a launch on March 6, 2008. The global process specialist introduced its Smart Wireless solutions to over 200 customers and press at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.
Having pinpointed the Middle East and Africa as its fastest growing market place, the launch was an important milestone in Emerson’s worldwide promotion of the new technology.
Sabee Mitra, president of Middle East and Africa at Emerson, introduced Smart Wireless Architecture, telling his customers: ‘we will have more eyes and ears in your plant’.
However, it seems the company’s biggest challenge is going to be convincing its customers that its ‘eyes and ears’ are as reliable as traditional wired alternatives.
Customers seemed very concerned about signals getting blocked or facing distances too great for the technology to work.
Philip Bond, director of Rosemount, and Bob Karschnia, vice president of wireless, explained how self-organising field networks allowed the wireless signal to automatically re-route itself on experiencing a blockage. Using other instruments to relay the signal to the wireless gateway creates a mesh that is, claimed to be, nearly impossible to break.
However, throughout the launch customers repeatedly asked whether the signal would still work given various adverse conditions. Invariably the answer was yes but it may be Emerson needs to get into these plants and prove its technology.
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