As the tough economic times continue in North America, we are hearing more on how it is impacting Industrial Automation, such as layoffs like Gary Mintchell blogged on.  It seems inevitable that events around the manufacturing and business industries will affect all others.  The ripple affects are also being felt around the world.  Even resource rich areas of the world like the Middle East are feeling the crunch.  Take for example a few blurbs from a recent article in the LA Times:  “Arab summit in Qatar overshadowed by economic crisis”

“The global economic crisis is set to plunge a Middle East already reeling from war and extremism into further chaos..”

“The French energy giant Total S.A. predicts global demand for oil will drop by 2 million barrels a day.”

“Qatar’s ruler warns that Middle East, with its location and resources, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of the global downturn.”

Ouch.  Things are getting tougher all over when this part of the world is worrying about money.  Now businesses that may not have had to think much about optimization and cost savings are looking for ways to save. More than ever the benefits of standardized communications that OPC provides are looking more attractive.  Things such as to providing multi-vendor plug-and-play components that manufacturing customers and system integrators can easily integrate. OPC also delivers other business benefits like increased flexibility, and reduced system integration, development and installation costs of factory automation and process control systems.

If you haven’t looked at OPC to save you money before, it’s not too late to start now.

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