By Brad Hegrat and Gregory Wilcox – Machine builders need to first determine if their customer has a remote access policy. Once the policy is in hand, machine builders should determine if it dictates how partners can and cannot access their facility. Before gaining access, machine builders must remember throughout the process that even if they are following the customer’s policies, they don’t own the network. Machine builders need to let customers know what they need access to, as well as how frequently and at what time of the day they need to tap in.
Standard technologies such as EtherNet/IP and remote access servers make machine support capabilities globally available and cost-effective for manufacturers of any size. The ability to keep machines up and running and gather deep insight into their performance regardless of location can result in a significant competitive advantage for both the machine builder and their end customer. more> http://tinyurl.com/3kfhyuk
