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Certain aspects of FactoryPMI, such as its lenient licensing (no client, window, or data limits) and its deployment model (web-launched, accessible from anywhere within the corporate network) seem to lend it especially well to experimentation. We have been getting numerous reports from users and integrators sharing their success in replacing existing Access-based applications with FactoryPMI. Microsoft Access and FactoryPMI are, after all, similar products in that they both are WYSIWYG interface designers focused on dealing with data in an underlying database. There are important differences, of course, with regards to real-time status and control data and historical trending. But as far as data manipulation and reporting, they have comparable features.
Many corporations have various day-to-day business operations implemented in home-grown Access programs that live on a corporate file server. This technology is a bit long in the tooth, however, as Microsoft Access was never designed to be a multi-user database server in the first place. FactoryPMI, on the other hand, will connect to a 'true' multi-user database such as MS SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL, and is web-launched, meaning its projects are accessible from anywhere on the network. This combined with its data-centric component set and reporting capability makes it a great replacement technology. Best of all, customers get to retain the best feature of an Access-based application, which is that it is user-customizable. Rather than be locked-in to the features of a shrink-wrapped solution, Access lets you design the application that best suits your business. FactoryPMI carries on this feature as its drag-and-drop Designer is included with every server.
As icing on the cake, this idea lets you have better data integration between process control and business data. When all of your data is in a robust SQL database server, your reporting capabilities are fantastic. Rather than have data in separate silos which hamper reporting and analysis, all of your data can live in one database, and all of your applications can work together.
Thanks to all of our users who shared their success stories with us. Are you using FactoryPMI in an interesting and innovative way? Let us know, we love the feedback!
Inductive Automation
Inductive Automation pioneered the first full-featured web-launched HMI/SCADA system in the world. Its standards based, database-centric architecture receives accolades from plant managers, IT managers, and system integrators worldwide. With a commitment to software quality and technical support second to none, Inductive Automation is at the forefront of industrial software.
Using FactoryPMI to Replace Microsoft Access
A growing number of customers are discovering that their FactoryPMI HMI/SCADA system is a capable platform for replacing existing networked Microsoft Access applications, and with better licensing, deployment, and security options.
12/18/2008 - Most of our customers purchase FactoryPMI to be a high performance, web-launched HMI/SCADA system. However, a growing number of customers are discovering that their existing FactoryPMI system is a very capable platform for replacing existing networked Microsoft Access applications, and with better licensing, deployment, and security to boot! Exploring this idea further, this article aims to inspire new and existing users alike to think creatively when designing their FactoryPMI projects.
Certain aspects of FactoryPMI, such as its lenient licensing (no client, window, or data limits) and its deployment model (web-launched, accessible from anywhere within the corporate network) seem to lend it especially well to experimentation. We have been getting numerous reports from users and integrators sharing their success in replacing existing Access-based applications with FactoryPMI. Microsoft Access and FactoryPMI are, after all, similar products in that they both are WYSIWYG interface designers focused on dealing with data in an underlying database. There are important differences, of course, with regards to real-time status and control data and historical trending. But as far as data manipulation and reporting, they have comparable features.
Many corporations have various day-to-day business operations implemented in home-grown Access programs that live on a corporate file server. This technology is a bit long in the tooth, however, as Microsoft Access was never designed to be a multi-user database server in the first place. FactoryPMI, on the other hand, will connect to a 'true' multi-user database such as MS SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL, and is web-launched, meaning its projects are accessible from anywhere on the network. This combined with its data-centric component set and reporting capability makes it a great replacement technology. Best of all, customers get to retain the best feature of an Access-based application, which is that it is user-customizable. Rather than be locked-in to the features of a shrink-wrapped solution, Access lets you design the application that best suits your business. FactoryPMI carries on this feature as its drag-and-drop Designer is included with every server.
As icing on the cake, this idea lets you have better data integration between process control and business data. When all of your data is in a robust SQL database server, your reporting capabilities are fantastic. Rather than have data in separate silos which hamper reporting and analysis, all of your data can live in one database, and all of your applications can work together.
Thanks to all of our users who shared their success stories with us. Are you using FactoryPMI in an interesting and innovative way? Let us know, we love the feedback!
Inductive Automation
Inductive Automation pioneered the first full-featured web-launched HMI/SCADA system in the world. Its standards based, database-centric architecture receives accolades from plant managers, IT managers, and system integrators worldwide. With a commitment to software quality and technical support second to none, Inductive Automation is at the forefront of industrial software.