eBook Provides Access to Growing Online Community of Automation Professionals
September 29, 2011 – Control Station today announced the acquisition of ControlGuru.com, a leading website for information related to process control best-practices. The site equips the Company with unique content that is both associated with PID controller tuning and aligned with its portfolio of best-in-class software solutions. The site averages more than 10,000 unique visitors each month and provides meaningful access to automation professionals.
Originally created in 2006 ControlGuru.com has become a mainstay resource for practitioners from across the process industries. The site’s content is arranged in an eBook format and it explores common challenges associated with automatic process control. Postings by Control Station’s founder, Dr. Douglas Cooper, and other notable individuals from industry and academia promote industry best-practices for resolving those control-related issues.
The automation industry’s online community continues to grow year over year,” remarked Dennis Nash, President of Control Station. “ControlGuru’s content speaks to issues that practitioners face on a regular basis. As an innovator in that same market, we need to be a part of that conversation.”
Acquisition of the site and other related initiatives were prompted by continued and rapid growth of the online automation community. In particular, the widespread adoption and use of social media outlets such as LinkedIn® and Facebook® shows a clear change in how practitioners seek information used in the maintenance and optimization of production processes. ControlGuru ranks among the top sites for online queries related to automatic process control and process optimization.
Control Station continues to innovate and anticipate changes in the automation market. Recently the Company expanded its PlantESP performance monitoring solution with the addition of an innovative condition monitoring and anomaly detection capability. Manufacturers continue to operate with fewer operations staff and the need for powerful diagnostic technologies has never been greater. The change in plant staffing has created demand for novel monitoring solutions. Similarly, it has proven to be a driving force behind self-help inquiries and the need for more comprehensive resources.
The Company plans to expand the ControlGuru.com site to include web-based training and skills development modules based on its Practical Process Control© curriculum. Formulation of these eLearning assets began in 2010. Their initial deployment on the site is expected in early 2012.
