Just as we all tend to have preferences for certain products in the consumer world, all end users have their biases toward certain automation brands. In the world of automation, considering that most technologies are installed with the goal of having them operate for years or even decades, brand loyalties can become very entrenched. Then again, so can brand resentments. That’s why an open-ended reader survey, such as that associated with Automation World’s Leadership in Automation program, can serve as a useful snapshot of current reader preference for certain suppliers in very specific technology categories.
As you would expect with any such survey, the major automation suppliers play a dominant role in most of the categories. This is hardly surprising considering their breadth of product offerings, decades of experience supplying the industry, and ever-increasing services programs. Despite this, many smaller suppliers received enough write-in votes to qualify for First Team honors.
The fact that Leadership in Automation First Team Honorees—be they large or small companies—receive their recognition from a write-in survey is significant, because it demonstrates that respondents were in no way swayed by a list of names on the voting form.
With all the shifts in the automation technology space over the past several years, as well as those we anticipate in the coming years, we hope our annual list of First Team Honorees helps you assess suppliers based on the recommendation of your peers.
To return the favor and keep the program relevant, we encourage you to participate in the ongoing Leadership in Automation program to let us know who your preferred suppliers are today, as well as how your preferences may be changing in the years to come. The online survey for 2014 will be opening up again soon at www.automationworld.com/leadership. Stay tuned for voting to open (we’ll be sending out reminders later in the year), so that you can vote for your favorite supplier in each relevant category. Your input will be greatly appreciated by your peers as they go about making their supplier decisions.
2013 First Team Honorees:
Advanced Process Control
Emerson Process Management
Honeywell
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Alarm Management Software
ABB
Emerson Process Management
Honeywell
Invensys Operations Management
Analytic Instruments
ABB
Emerson Process Management
Endress+Hauser
Siemens Industry
Yokogawa
Asset Management/Optimization Software
Emerson Process Management
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Batch Process
Emerson Process Management
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Connectivity Components
Phoenix Contact
ProSoft Technology
Siemens Industry
Wago
Continuous Process
Emerson Process Management
Honeywell
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Control Valves
Emerson Process Management
Data Acquisition Hardware
National Instruments
Omega Engineering
Opto 22
Red Lion Controls
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Discrete Sensing
AutomationDirect
Balluff
Sick
Siemens Industry
Turck
Enclosures
Hoffman
Rittal
Energy Management Software
Invensys Operations Management
Powergate/TracoPower
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Flow Measurement
ABB
Emerson Process Management
Endress+Hauser
Flowserve
Omega Engineering
Yokogawa
HMI Hardware
B&R Industrial Automation
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
Pro-face America
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Red Lion Controls
HMI Mobile
Opto 22
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
HMI Software
GE Intelligent Platforms
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Hydraulic Motion
Bosch Rexroth
Parker Hannifin
Rockwell Automation
Industrial PCs
Advantech Industrial Automation Group
Beckhoff Automation
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Information Management
GE Intelligent Platforms
Inductive Automation
Invensys Operations Management
Kepware Technologies
Moxa
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Level Measurement
Emerson Process Management
Endress+Hauser
Loop Tuning Software
Emerson Process Management
ExperTune
Honeywell
Rockwell Automation
Machine Controllers
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Machine Safety Controllers
B&R Industrial Automation
Beckhoff Automation
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Machine Vision
Banner Engineering
Cognex
Sick
Siemens Industry
Manufacturing Execution Software
Emerson Process Management
GE Intelligent Platforms
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Motion Control Drives
Bosch Rexroth
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Yaskawa America
Motion Control Systems
B&R Industrial Automation
Beckhoff Automation
Bosch Rexroth
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Motors – AC/DC
ABB
Siemens Industry
Motors – Servos
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Networking Components – Ethernet
Antaira Technologies
Belden
Cisco Systems
Moxa
Red Lion Controls
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Networking Components – Wired
Belden
Cisco Systems
Hilscher North America
Moxa
Panduit
Phoenix Contact
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Networking Components – Wireless
Antaira Technologies
Cisco Systems
Moxa
ProSoft Technology
Siemens Industry
Pneumatic Motion
Festo
Parker Hannifin
Rockwell Automation
SMC Corporation of America
Power Conditioning & Protection
Eaton
Emerson/SolaHD
Powergate/TracoPower
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Pressure Sensors & Transmitters
Emerson Process Management
Endress+Hauser
Yokogawa
Process Safety
ABB
Emerson Process Management
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Programmable Automation Controllers
AutomationDirect
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Programmable Logic Controllers
AutomationDirect
Omron
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Robotics
ABB
Fanuc Robotics
Kuka
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
SCADA
GE Intelligent Platforms
Inductive Automation
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Simulation Software
ABB
Emerson Process Management
Honeywell
Invensys Operations Management
Rockwell Automation
Siemens PLM
Standard Control Products
Allied Electronics
c3controls
IDEC
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Temperature Sensors & Transmitters
AutomationDirect
Emerson Process Management
Endress+Hauser
Yokogawa
Omega Engineering
Variable-Frequency Drives
ABB
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Yaskawa America
Wireless Sensor Network Components
Emerson Process Management
Honeywell
ProSoft Technology
