Microsoft hopes to inject new life into the global robotics market with its recent announcement of an initiative aimed at helping equipment manufacturers, software vendors and end users benefit from a standardised Windows-based development environment, making it easier for industry to use automation and work smarter. But what's in it for the hard-pressed manufacturer, especially the smaller business? Small to medium-size enterprise (SME) manufacturers, typically subcontractors, are struggling to compete with low cost production in the Far East and Eastern Europe. Robots represent a way forward, transferring valuable human resources onto tasks -existing or new - that demand the specialised capabilities and creative attributes that only a human being is able to provide. The argument may be simplistic, but it also begs the question - could your business benefit by installing robots? It depends on what you really need. Microsoft's recent announcement should allow robot developers to tackle more sophisticated tasks, but how much easier will it make the work of the developers who take up this challenge and how much will it benefit their end users?
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