Emerson and Cisco join wireless forces

Cisco and Emerson Process Management have announced an agreement to deliver wireless architecture for many applications available to process manufacturers.

Emerson was also made a Cisco Solution Technology Partner, allowing it to resell Cisco products.

The alliance means customers can collect instrumentation data from Emerson's low-bandwidth, self-organising field sensors — which use the wireless HART protocol — and incorporate it into the high-speed open plant network, including Wi-Fi and ethernet.

"Customers are looking at wireless in their plants and thinking of the big picture, which is the point of our alliance," said Peter Zornio, Emerson Process Management's chief strategic officer, in an interview with Managing Automation.

"We have all the bases covered. You can start wherever you want, but no matter where you start you're not going to hit a dead end. If you want to put in a wireless transmitter, eventually you can expand to a wireless Wi-Fi network and it's all a pre-tested system that can work together."

The two companies have developed a service plan that details installation and support of wireless networks.

"Customers are looking for ways to alleviate risk when going to a wireless architecture," said Zornio. "This partnership is a way for them to feel comfortable with the lowest risk."