Manufacturing Innovation Road Show is in Italy

Italian Manufacturing Innovation Road Show, the second in a series of two-day events taking place throughout Europe, will focus on technology innovation in the manufacturing industry.

Microsoft has announced details of the Italian Manufacturing Innovation Road Show, the second in a series of two-day events taking place throughout Europe.

The Italian event will take place on March 29 and 30, 2006.

at the Centro Congressi MilanoFiori.

The Manufacturing Innovation Road Show, which is hosted by Microsoft and supported by 17 leading manufacturing companies, will focus on technology innovation in the manufacturing industry and how this can be used to help reduce costs, increase competition and optimise business processes.

The Milan event is aimed at corporate decision makers, visionaries, strategy leaders and line-of-business executives and will look at different market segments of the manufacturing industry including: automotive, consumer packaged goods, discrete manufacturing, fashion, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals and the process industry.

A highlight of the event will be the real-life experiences presented by manufacturers, including the famous Italian shoemaker, GEOX.

The first day will be opened by senior executives from Microsoft and Bruno Tabacci, president of the Parliamentary Commission for Production, Commerce and Tourism, who will present their views on innovation in the manufacturing sector.

Presentations from representatives of leading manufacturing consultancies and technology providers will follow, covering the topics below: * Product design.

* Real-time interoperability for manufacturing intelligence.

* Innovation and differentiation in the value chain.

* Increasing corporate value through business processes.

The first day will conclude with a roundtable moderated by leading manufacturing industry expert, professor Giancarlo Capitani, CEO of NetConsulting.

It will feature executives from manufacturing technology providers as well as representatives from EU agencies and associations, such as Enrico Letta, secretary general of AREL (Research and Legislation Agency) and Matteo Colaninno, national president of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria (the Italian manufacturing industries association).

Further highlights of the Italian Manufacturing Innovation Road Show include parallel sessions held by Microsoft partners addressing four key areas of the manufacturing industry: * New product development - how to use new and innovative technology to make processes in the manufacturing industry more efficient.

* Operations - how to manage the production process in key manufacturing sectors such as aerospace, CPG and pharmaceuticals, while maintaining quality, agility and compliance.

* Supply chain - promoting supply chain performance and dynamics, key factors to control demand, the use of RFID technology.

* Sales and customer service - developing communications channels, such as internet and call centres as ideal instruments to maintain customer loyalty.

The event is supported by the following companies: Accenture, Aive Group, Brain Force, Cortis Lentini, Dassault Systemes, Hewlett-Packard Co, Iconics, Wonderware, Kelyan, Meridio, MHT, The OPC Foundation, OSIsoft Inc, Siemens Automation and Drives (AandD), Softwork, Tecno Team and TxT e-solutions.

Lorenzo Pengo, managing director Manufacturing Industries, Microsoft Europe Middle East Africa, said, "Innovation in technology is a key driver in today's manufacturing industry and Microsoft's objective is to promote and facilitate communications among all industries leaders and partners to ensure that best practices and best solutions are continuously researched".

"This event is an example of Microsoft and its partners' ecosystem in delivering innovation in the manufacturing industries." * About Microsoft in Manufacturing - Microsoft, in conjunction with its team of industry leaders, delivers enterprise solutions to a range of manufacturers including those in vertical industries such as automotive, chemical, consumer packaged goods, high technology, and oil and gas.

These industry-specific solutions provide a flexible, scalable and reliable platform that helps to enable businesses to be more agile and connected.

As a result, manufacturers can shorten product development cycles, integrate operations with partners and suppliers, acquire and share intelligence in real time, and more easily communicate with customers.

* About Accenture - Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.

Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.

With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilise the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance.

With more than 126,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$15.55 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug.

31, 2005.

Its home page is (www.accenture.com).

* About Aive Group - Aive Business Solutions assists Companies in the business of manufacturing, services and distribution to design and implement ERP systems, Business Intelligence and e-business solutions that optimise business processes and leverage corporate knowledge leading to competitive advantage.

AiveBS provides software solutions, business process analysis and system design, technical and functional expertise, implementation, training and support services, both locally and internationally.

Aive Business Solutions has significant experience in several vertical markets, like: automotive, fashion, food, distribution, engineering, logistics.

* About Brain Force - Brain Force is the Italian subsidiary of the Brain Force Holding group, one of the major European software and service companies, with sites in nine different countries and quoted at the Frankfurt stock exchange.

The company has its headquarters in Cologno Monzese and branches in Rome and Padua, Italy, it is a Microsoft Gold Partner with a wide experience in Microsoft Business Solutions, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Networking Infrastructure Solutions, Information Worker e Learning Solutions.

Thanks to its extensive work with the Dynamix NAV e Dynamics AX products, Brain Force offers a wide range of 'add-ons' and specific industry solutions for manufacturing companies.

* About Cortis Lentini - Cortis Lentini has been identified as a reference management software supplier for the Italian SMB environment.

Since 1978 Cortis Lentini is a specialist Italian Software House in information systems technology world and in the implementation of management solutions and ERP for small and middle-sized Italian companies in logistic and production control fields.

The Company has specific knowledge of the following three areas: implementation of management control applications, information systems outsourcing and consultancies/activities for any kind of systems information need.

Cortis Lentini has consolidated its relationship with Microsoft about the delivery of Axapta, extending in such a way its business to the international middle and big-sized companies with factories and branches all over the world that have particular needs about the production management * Dassault Systemes - as world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, the Dassault Systemes group brings value to more than 90,000 customers in 80 countries.

A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systemes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of products from conception to maintenance.

Our offering includes integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SMARTEAM), mainstream product 3D design tools (SolidWorks), 3D components (Spatial/ACIS) and SIMULIA, DS' open multi-physics platform for realistic simulation.

Dassault Systemes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges.

For more information, visit 9http://www.3ds.com).

* About HP - HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally.

For manufacturers who are seeking creative ways to reduce cost, consolidate IT, retire legacy systems and enhance their customers' total experience, HP delivers business technology and integration services to enable dynamic collaboration across the supply chain.

The result is an adaptive enterprise designed to synchronise business and IT to capitalise on change.

Leveraging on its own internal best practices, like its RFID enabled 'uninterrupted supply chain' , HP partners with clients to identify the best choices in business technology at a fair value, to meet business and IT requirements they need, to better serve their customers.

HP's technology, products and services range from the provision of shop floor PCs and handhelds, through to integrated global enterprise platforms that can include business and application consulting, end-to-end implementation and full multi-vendor support.

In addition, HP delivers superior partnering or outsourcing of non-core activities in all forms, from out tasking to direct business process outsourcing.

* About Iconics - Iconics is a leader of OPC, Web-enabled, HMI/SCADA and manufacturing intelligence software for all Microsoft Windows operating systems.

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner of the Year for Technology and Innovation within Business Intelligence, Iconics designs its solutions from the ground up to take maximum advantage of Microsoft .NET technology, offering an unprecedented level of performance and ease of use.

Iconics' solutions provide real-time manufacturing intelligence from the production floor to the boardroom, turning data into your competitive advantage.

Iconics' out-of-the-box, OPC-To-The-Core solutions can improve productivity, reduce integration and operating costs, and optimize your asset utilisation.

The BizViz Manufacturing Intelligence suite enables manufacturers to overcome business challenges with personalised role-based dashboards, configurable key performance indicators, on-demand reporting and real-time alert notification.

With more than 250,000 installations worldwide and servicing 70 percent of Fortune 500 manufacturers, Iconics' award-winning software products are being used in a wide variety of applications across many industries.

For more information, or to get a free development CD, please visit (www.iconics.com).

* About Kelyan Franco Bernabe Group - Kelyan plans and realises integrated IT solutions for businesses.

It offers services from the development ERP management applications to Business Intelligence to the realisation of Networking and Security architectures, to e-business solutions to the planning and implementation of Enterprise Information Portal for the management of corporate applications on the company's intranet, to Enterprise Application Integration for the management integration of legacy systems of corporate IT.

Clients include Enel, Sony, Conad, Tiscali and Synudine.

* About Meridio - Meridio is a leading worldwide provider of enterprise Document and Records Management software, engineered for Microsoft .NET platforms.

Meridio's mission is to enable senior executives to meet their goals of regulatory compliance, business efficiency and profitability through information superiority.

With massive scalability, exceptional usability, and proven deployment success, Meridio's secure Document and Records Management is an essential component of compliance infrastructure.

* About MHT - MHT is a solid group of sales people, consultants and technicians with a long term ERP projects experience in companies of any dimension.

Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, MHT has competences in Microsoft ERP solutions Dynamics AX, Dyanmics Nav and in Dynamics CRM.

The Company offers Information and management consultancy, ERP Project and System integration in Italy.

MHT agreed a network of international alliances and worldwide partnership with foreign MBS Partners to guarantee execution of projects in all countries.

MHT works in vertical solutions (process and pharmaceuticals industry, manufacturing, advanced and professional services, food and beverage).

* About The OPC Foundation - the OPC Foundation is a non-profit international standards organisation dedicated to providing open standards for interoperability in industrial automation.

The OPC Foundation has its headquarter in the USA and affiliate organizations in Europe, Japan and China.

The OPC Foundation creates specifications are open and interoperable interface standards that leverage the functionality and technology of the Microsoft operating systems and architecture and also leverage the technology of XML and Web services (as the key to interoperability between factory floor and the enterprise).

The OPC Foundation's specifications have been created through a collaboration of leading worldwide automation and hardware software supplier's cooperating together to solve critical end-user interoperability problems.

For more information, refer to the OPC Foundation web site at (www.opcfoundation.org).

* About OSIsoft - OSIsoft delivers performance management software to the world's leading process manufacturing, life sciences, and utility companies - anywhere real-time operational metrics fuel performance.

With more than 10,000 installations worldwide, OSIsoft's real-time data platform crosses IT and process boundaries to incorporate and display operational information.

Providing comprehensive visibility into operations, the OSIsoft platform unlocks the potential for timely analysis and the ability to make critical, informed and profitable decisions.

Founded in 1980, OSIsoft is headquartered in San Leandro, California, USA, with operations worldwide and is privately-held - (www.osisoft.com).

* About Siemens Automation and Drives (A and D) - the Siemens Automation and Drives Group (AandD), Nuremberg, Germany, is the leading manufacturer in this field worldwide.

Products supplied by A and D include standard products for the manufacturing and process industries and for the electrical installation industry as well as system solutions, for example for machine tools, and solutions for whole industries such as the automation of entire automobile factories or chemical plants.

Supplementing this range of products and services, A and D also offers software for linking production and management (horizontal and vertical IT integration) and for optimizing production processes.

A and D employs 60,800 people worldwide and in fiscal year 2005 (to September 30) earned a group profit of EUR 1,210 million on sales of EUR 9,844 million and orders of EUR 10,190 million.

Within A and D's product range, SIMATIC IT is the software platform for managing integration of shop floor with the business level.

* About Softwork - Softwork is a value-added global provider for integrated RFID solutions for LF, HF and UHF frequencies (active and passive).

Distribution agreements with international leader companies, like Feig Electronic for OBID product family and Identec Solutions for active RFID technology, allow Softwork to propose advanced and complete data collection RFID systems: transponder, antenna, reader, device, mobile solution, communication interface, API, SW library, development kit, etc, as well as ISO and EPC standard.

Softwork also offers consulting and support for feasibility studies and customised applications in retail, logistic, access control, tracing and tracking, animal identification, library, health etc Softwork has built a network of certificated dealers jointing the Work-Tag Partner program.

More information about Softwork is available at (www.rf-id.it).

* About TecnoTeam - Tecno Team is a management consulting and technology services company that has been operating since 1985 in delivering ERP solutions for medium-size Companies in the context of discrete manufacturing with ATO- MTO - ETO logic.

Tecno Team has a strong experience on Production Planning and Control , gained in several projects in Italy for national and international Industry Groups.

Tecno Team activity is built on the competences of a group of consultants who provide services in the area of Production and Logistiscs, integrating the best methodologies in the Business Reengineering Process.

Under the technology viewpoint, Tecno Team acts as system integrator providing turnkey systems in the areas of: * ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).

* SCM (Supply Chain Management).

* CRM (Customer Relationship Management).

* SRM (Supplier Relationship Management).

* BI (Business Intelligence).

* About TxT e-solutions TxT e-solutions leads the European market in solutions - software packages, services and consulting - for demand and supply chain management and for content management.

TxT is highly specialized for the main industrial and retail markets.

Amongst these: fashion, food and beverage, CPG, retail, discrete manufacturing, aerospace and defence, Telco.

Listed on the TechStar and Allstars section of the Milan Stock Exchange (TXTS), it has a staff of over 500 professionals.

It is based in Milan and has offices in Italy, France, Germany, UK and Spain.

(www.txtgroup.com).

* About Wonderware - Wonderware, business unit of Invensys Systems, is the world's leading supplier of industrial automation and information software.

Founded in 1987, Wonderware pioneered the use of the Microsoft Windows operating system in HMI automation software for manufacturing operation systems.

Wonderware software powers intelligent plant decisions in real time.

The hallmark of the ArchestrA architecture is: 'Every system in your plant, working in concert'.

Based in Lake Forest, California, USA, the Wonderware has regional sales and development offices throughout the North American, European, Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions to provide support to its network of more than 160 distributor offices.

Wonderware has sold in over 100,000 plant sites worldwide, which is about 30 percent of the world's 335,000 plants with 20 or more employees.

* About Microsoft - founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

* About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) - Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982.

In the region Microsoft employs more than 12,000 people in over 55 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

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