Boeing and GE: condition-based maintenance

Boeing and GE Aviation have jointly developed a method to implement condition-based maintenance systems on aircraft. It is called the Open System Architecture for Condition-Based Maintenance (OSA-CBM). This will become an industry standard with the signing of an agreement by the two companies to grant rights for its use to the Machinery Information Management Open Systems Alliance (MIMOSA) organization. Project managers implementing condition-based maintenance systems must integrate a wide variety of software and hardware components, each one developed to monitor a single supplier’s system such as an engine, hydraulic or braking system. OSA-CBM simplifies this process by specifying a standard architecture and framework to implement condition-based maintenance systems. This standard defines the binary form to implement the open systems architecture for condition-based maintenance.

The aim of condition-based maintenance (CBM) is to maintain the correct equipment at the right time. CBM is based on using real-time data to prioritize and optimize maintenance resources. Observing the state of the system is known as condition monitoring. Such a system will determine the equipment's health, and act only when maintenance is actually necessary.

“The Boeing and GE implementation provides a 10-fold increase in real time performance of the Open System Architecture for Condition Based Maintenance (OSA-CBM) standard, making it practical for embedded health monitoring of aircraft systems,” said John Armendarez, president of Avionics for GE Aviation.

“GE and Boeing have jointly designed and implemented these key system-enabling technologies under shared funding,” said Peter Lawrence, Boeing Research & Technology director of Support Services. “This architecture allows aircraft and major-aircraft-system manufacturers to economically design and deliver health management capability within their fleets. The OSA-CBM framework provides a standard for systems to share health information, and the new binary implementation delivers this efficiently.”

First Keystone National Bank selects platform

First Keystone National Bank has selected Open Solutions Inc.’s® latest version of its relational core processing platform, The Complete Banking Solution®: DNA, to streamline operations and modernize its infrastructure. Founded in 1864, First Keystone National Bank is an independent community bank with $700 million in assets and 40,000 accounts at its 15 branch locations. (Kevin L. Miller, SVP, technologies division manager for First Keystone National Bank’.)

Credit union platform

Credit Union Acceptance Company (CUAC), a credit union service organization that represents 130 credit unions in the indirect auto finance market, has joined its AppOne credit union platform. AppOne provides risk mitigation, compliance and Internet-based workflow automation technology to auto dealers and auto lenders. Using the AppOne platform, CUAC can enable participating credit unions to originate auto loans from AppOne’s network of auto dealers while helping to minimize risk, comply with applicable law, and reduce overall lender operational costs. (Kurt Howard, Executive Vice President at CUAC.)

Web-based policy administration suite

Discovery Insurance Company, a provider of non-standard personal auto insurance has selected Ravello Solutions’ web-based policy administration suite to manage their entire policy administration, claims management and billing processes. Ravello is a leading provider of software solutions to property and casualty insurers. The selection of the web-based software will position Discovery for expansion into new lines of business, and will provide significant efficiency gains and shorter time to close claims through the automation of many tasks. (D. Stuart Lindley, President of Discovery.)

$84.7 million order to support NAVSEA

Alion Science and Technology has been awarded an $84.7 million task order to support the Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) Command Information Officer (CIO) by consolidating and enhancing key IT systems, including the NAVSEA Intranet. The Alion team will support and manage the NAVSEA Legacy applications and operations as they transition into the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) program or the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning Tool. The team will also assist NAVSEA in defining requirements and design standards for its follow-on system, the Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN). In addition, NAVSEA is consolidating all of their external Web sites and migrating to single-point hosting while the internal sites are migrated to a Microsoft SharePoint-based system. Alion is leading the effort and consolidating the sites under an information portal called I-NavSea.

Congratulations to Freescale - One billion sensors shipped

Freescale Semiconductor’s sensor technology innovation has helped global customers differentiate their automotive, consumer, industrial and medical products throughout the past three decades and the company recently reached a major milestone of one billion sensors shipped. Freescale is a leading supplier of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) acceleration and pressure sensors. According to the industry analyst firm iSuppli, Freescale ranks as the industry’s No. 1 merchant automotive sensor supplier.

$2.4 million contract for 3D digital elevation models

Intermap Technologies has received a $2.4 million contract to provide 3D digital elevation models and orthorectified radar images for an international project. The project requires the delivery of data collected using the Company's proprietary Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) technology. Under the agreement, Intermap will begin delivering mapping data from its current inventory of high-resolution geospatial data, with revenue being recognized by the Company over the next several quarters.

Digital power technology patents licensed

Power-One, Inc, a provider of power conversion and power management solutions, has entered into a non-exclusive Field of Use agreement to license its digital power technology patents to Texas Instruments (TI), a designer and manufacturer of analog technologies, digital signal processing (DSP) and microcontroller (MCU) semiconductors. The non-exclusive license agreement provides access to Power-One’s portfolio of digital power technology patents for incorporation in TI’s DC/DC controllers and modules, but does not extend to merchant stand-alone power supplies that use TI controllers. www.power-one.com.

Price Chopper supermarkets invest in software

Golub Corporation, a premier grocer in the Northeast has announced the successful deployment of Logile’s Enterprise Labor Model, Interaction Calendar, Sales and Labor Planning, Execution Compliance, and Enterprise Performance Management and Reporting modules to all 119 Price Chopper supermarkets. (David Golub, Vice President of Store Operations for Golub Corporation.)

$60 contracts million placed by National Institutes of Health

ICF International health informatics group has been awarded a contract valued at more than $60 million with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through this multi-year contract, ICF will provide support for biomedical and clinical services, such as data collection and analysis, information dissemination, and outreach initiatives for multiple NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) including the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Cancer Institute, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Office of Dietary Supplements, and the Office of Rare Disease Research. ICF will support key programs related to HIV/AIDS, genetics, cancer, rare diseases, dietary supplements, clinical trials, treatment guidelines, and other federal health initiatives.

Exchange Connect platform for Hudson Fiber Network

Hudson Fiber Network (HFN) will launch Exchange Connect platform in Switch and Data’s North Bergen, NJ data center. Exchange Connect features 200 to 400-microsecond actual performance to the leading financial markets, including NYSE/SFTI, NASDAQ, BATS, and Direct Edge. With a guaranteed SLA of 750 microseconds, HFN announces that Exchange Connect sets a new industry performance milestone. “In an industry where microseconds matter, enabling clients to increase trade order fill ratios is at the forefront of our concerns,” said Brett Diamond, President of Hudson Fiber Network. Trade volume in April 2008 was seven billion trades per day, and a year later it has increased to 12 billion. In addition to sub-millisecond exchange access, Switch and Data’s site offers the financial community space and power to scale their operations to keep pace with this drastic increase in transaction volume. The 163,000sf North Bergen data center is built to Switch and Data’s latest high-performance standard and can support up to 200 watts/sf of power and cooling capacity.

Hudson Fiber Network was established in 2002 and has quickly become one of the premier Ethernet data providers in the U.S. offering Ethernet data and IP solutions for medium to large-sized global customers. HFN utilizes multiple carriers and a variety of networks, while providing consolidated invoices and a single point-of-contact for all Ethernet applications. The company’s vendor network targets data and Internet services on a worldwide level. Its 24/7 support team services customers’ telecom needs from basic Internet services to high-end Gigabit Ethernet and Wave networks. For more information on Hudson Fiber Network, please go to www.hudsonfiber.com.

$19.3 million subcontract for sonobuoys

Sparton Corporation is announcing award of a $19.3 million subcontract to manufacture sonobuoys for the United States Navy as part of the ERAPSCO joint venture. Under an ERAPSCO subcontract, Sparton will produce subassemblies for more than 7,320 AN/SSQ-101A (Q-101A) sonobuoys to support United States Naval Antisubmarine Forces. The AN/SSQ-101A Air Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR) sonobuoy is an A-size, expendable, acoustic signal receive array. With on-board digital signal processing and a Sparton Digital Compass for bearing determination, target localization and tracking by Navy Maritime Patrol Aircraft is achieved.

High-speed connectivity for Commercial Lumber and Pallet Company

Commercial Lumber and Pallet Company (CLC), a manufacturer of new quality wooden pallets, has deployed MegaPath's Premium T1 service to deliver high-speed Internet connectivity for its locations in City of Industry and Beaumont, California. MegaPath's fully-managed service helps ensure that CLC's onsite staff can better serve customer requirements with consistent Internet access, while remote employees have reliable access to corporate applications and information. (Jeff Sano, Controller of CLC.)

$1.46 million on ultra long reach drivers

GigOptix Inc., a provider of electronic engines for the optically connected digital world, has booked a $1.46 million purchase order for its ultra long reach Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM) drivers. “Despite the difficult market conditions, we see a continued healthy demand for our long reach and ultra long reach drivers for terrestrial and undersea optical cable links greater than 500 km. Our drivers, with integrated encoders for 10Gb/s RZ and RZ-DPSK modulation formats, are valued for their superior performance and offer the best jitter specifications in the market,” states Padraig O’Mathuna, Director of Product Marketing at GigOptix. “This new order brings our expected 2009 sales to this customer to more than $3.5 million.”

$29.7 million for Machine Reading program

BBN Technologies, an advanced technology solutions firm, has been awarded $29.7 million in funding by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the Machine Reading program in a contract awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The goal of the Machine Reading program is to develop a revolutionary, automated reading system that bridges the gap between naturally occurring text and the artificial intelligence reasoning systems that need such knowledge. Although this intelligent learning system would initially be used to automate military intelligence analysis, it could also enable a variety of civilian applications. For example, as more and more of the world’s libraries are converted to digital text, this system could provide unprecedented access and automated analysis, allowing for vastly expanded cultural awareness and historical and cultural research.

Network infrastructure for Peabody Hotel Group

AFL Network Services, provider of integrated network solutions for the hospitality and telecommunications industry, has been selected to install network infrastructure as part of Peabody Hotel Group’s $450 million expansion of the Peabody Orlando. AFL will provide engineering support, materials, and installation for the voice, data and video networks. Given the high rate of leisure traffic and ranking as the nation’s No. 2 convention destination, Orlando has a reputation for some of the best hotels in the country. At the top of the list is the Peabody Hotel, one of the most luxurious sites in the city and neighbor to the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive. (Michael Craft, executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Peabody Hotel Group.)

Fuel Management System

FuelQuest, Inc., the on-demand software and services company for the global downstream energy industry, has reached a five-year agreement with John E. Jones Oil Company (Jones Oil) for the use of its Fuel Management System (FMS). Jones Oil will deploy FMS to improve fleet utilization, reduce retains and run-outs, and increase visibility into tank inventory and usage trends. FMS powers the largest fuel management network in North America with more than 15 billion gallons managed annually. (Patrick Lingg, controller of Jones Oil.)

Banks and merchants to avoid global network costs

The State Bank has gone live with the Bling Nation Community Payments Service, a contactless payments network that enables banks and merchants to avoid global network costs and keep money within the community through a secure local debit network. The bank markets the local payments network as an alternative to traditional payments networks and accompanying rewards program as Redi Pay Bling. Brad Rose, vice president of Information Technology and Security for The State Bank: “In a community of 8,000, there are five banks, including one national branch, and two credit unions. As a result, it is important for us to distinguish ourselves by offering our customers lower costs and increased security and convenience in making and accepting payments, while also driving local commerce.“

U.S. Chemical Safety Board Web site

Americaneagle.com, a Web site design, development and hosting company has developed the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Web site, located at www.csb.gov. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Web site delivers an online portal for the public to access the agency’s investigations, recommendations, and outreach programs. Along with Web 2.0 graphic designs, the site is equipped with a Content Management System powered by Americaneagle.com’s idev solution platform. The site is also equipped with Americaneagle.com’s idev Broadcast Email Tool that enables the agency to extend its outreach by sending news, announcements, events and other important items to registered users. (U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman John S. Bresland.) www.csb.gov

48 million households pay bills online

The number of US households paying bills online will grow from 48 million this year to 63 million by 2014, according to a forecast by Forrester Research.