Smart Alec

London - There was a slightly embarrassed pause during a recent Fisher Marketing First Friday Club - a monthly event in London, where industry journalists hear quick-fire presentations on the latest technology advances from the likes of ABB, Pilz, Powervar, Rockwell Automation and Sick.

A presenter had asked if anyone had a ‘Smart Phone¹ to help his live demo of an energy-saving technology that could remotely turn on and off a light bulb being webcast live from Bristol. The fact that few of the assembled hacks fully understood the request was only revealed when one of the older hands volunteered: “I¹ve got a Fiat Panda, if that helps?”

As well as adding a lighter note to proceedings, the comment was a reminder that decision makers, including those in the boardroom, may or may not be up to speed with the latest gizmos on the market, but are now acutely aware of the need to cut costs.

For a Drives market report in PE’s upcoming July/Aug issue, Jeff Whiting of Mitsubishi Electric comments: “Drives technology is finding many more friends amongst accountants as well as engineers. Recessionary times always focus people’s attention on costs, and a number of new opportunities are often created during these times.”

But, as Brian Holliday of Siemens Automation & Drives said at a recent industry event in Coventry: “Engineers are not always very good at persuading the board and sometimes need help with vocabulary for the CFO. We have got to do a much better job to engage with senior level management.”

The above points were well summed up in a presentation on the complexities of Ethernet IP, given a couple of years ago by Paul Brooks of Rockwell. His talk started and ended on a musical note - a tune on his iPod by Brummie rockers Roy Wood and Wizzard.

No accounting for taste, maybe, but the message was clear: ‘It’s the information that gets to the end user that¹s important, not the technology that delivers it.’

Please email your views to the editor: patrick.raleigh@centaur.co.uk