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WIKI ANALYSIS
Based in Milwaukee, WI, Rockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK) is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of industrial automation equipment, application specific integrated software and consulting design services. Historically, Rockwell Automation is the surviving organization once known as Rockwell International. The aerospace and defense business was sold to The Boeing Company in 1996. The automotive business was spun off in 1997 as Meritor Automotive, and subsequently merged to form ArvinMeritor in 2000. In 1998, the company spun off the Semiconductor Systems business and renamed the unit Conexant Systems. The avionics and communications business was spun off in 2001 and retained the Rockwell Collins name. The last divestiture occurred in September 2004 with the sale of FirstPoint Contact to Concerto Software, transaction terms were undisclosed. FirstPoint, a customer contact center solutions provider, was a standalone division that accounted for approximately 3% of 2003 revenue.
Control Systems, the larger division, supplies customers with industrial automation components, software, systems and services. The division is composed of three groups, Components and Packaged Applications Group (CPAG), the Automation Control and Information Group (ACIG) and Global Manufacturing Solutions Group (GMS). CPAG manufactures electro-mechanical and solid-state (electronic) industrial automation hardware. The product portfolio is extensive and includes components such as sensors, switches, relays, timers and signaling devices, as well as more complex equipment such as motion controls, machine drive controls motors, motor control centers and power supplies. These products are primarily marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand name, except for specialty items such as Anorad's precision motion control and Entek's condition monitoring equipment. ACIG supplies Rockwell Automation programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that automate the control and monitoring of equipment used in industrial processes. A typical PLC configuration includes a computer and an input/output device that enables communication between the controller and the industrial equipment, along with the controller software. Rockwell Software (RS) products are segmented into three categories for design, operation and maintenance. RS design products, such as the RSLogix product line functionally integrates disparate machine controller software into a common, Microsoft windows-based software platform that enables centralized control of an industrial process. RSView and RSBizWare product lines provide operational production information used to facilitate problem solving and efficiency improvements. The Emonitor product line provides an integrated platform to collect information regarding regulatory issues, audits, and security and licensing. The Propak Data product line offers enterprise production management (EPM) software specifically designed for the life sciences industry. GMS is the consulting group that constructs fully integrated discrete or batch industrial processes utilizing multi-vendor automation and information systems. Control Systems' products serve major vertical end markets such as consumer, transportation, petrochemical, mining, metals and forest products. CPAG primarily uses a direct sales force for product distribution, supplemented on a small scale with distributors. Control Systems competitors include ABB, Emerson Electric, General Electric, Schneider Electric and Siemens.
The Architecture & Software division contains all elements of the company's integrated control and information architecture capable of connecting the customer s entire manufacturing enterprise. Architecture & Software s Integrated Architecture and Logix controllers perform multiple types of control and monitoring applications, including discrete, batch, continuous process, drive system, motion and machine safety across various industrial machinery, plants and processes, and supply real time information to supervisory software and plant-wide information systems. Logix helps to solve the problem of a lack of integration between automation control systems and enterprise resource planning systems (ERPs). Architecture & Software's products include control platforms, software, I/O devices, communication networks, high performance rotary and linear motion control systems, electronic operator interface devices condition based monitoring systems, sensors, industrial computers and machine safety components. These products are deployed widely across industries to end users and OEMs to reduce total cost of ownership, maximize asset utilization, improve time to market and reduce manufacturing business risk. The major competitors in this segment include Emerson Electric Co., Mitsubishi Corp., Omron Corp., Schneider Electric SA and Siemens AG.
Effective October 1, 2006, the company realigned its internal management reporting structure. As a result of this realignment, the company now reports its historical Control Systems operating segment as two operating segments: Architecture & Software and Control Products & Solutions. Additionally, the drives and drives related parts and services business from the former Power Systems operating segment was also realigned to report through the Control Products & Solutions segment. In fiscal 2007, Control products & Solutions accounted for 55.6% of the total revenues while Architecture & Software contributed the remaining 44.4% of the revenues.
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