Where is all the innovation on the plant floor? Most people feel that manufacturing lacks new ideas and innovations while the overall information technology (IT) space remains innovative. Venture capitalists and IPOs are back and, after the November elections, people feel the recovery will continue. On the plant floor, however, there doesn't seem to be the same level of excitement. It's as if nothing's really changed since the mid '90s. Remember the excitement when Microsoft Windows became the de facto standard for plant floor systems? Yes, Ethernet did make it to the plant floor, but proprietary protocols and networks still dominate.
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