AVEVA InTouch may have been around for a long time, but it has transformed into the next evolution of affordable SCADA/HMI solution.
If you’ve been involved in engineering for as long as I have, you’ve likely come across AVEVA InTouch. First introduced in 1987, it is the world’s most widely used plant HMI. After having been in operation for so long, you would be forgiven for considering it an old technology that has since been overtaken with more modern solutions that enable more modern capabilities. Well, I’m here to tell you that simply isn’t true. AVEVA InTouch Unlimited is the next generation of what you know, only better.
AVEVA InTouch Unlimited brings with it the heritage and support you would expect from any AVEVA product, brought right up to the cutting edge of modern capabilities to meet the needs of connected workers, and adapt to new ways of working.
Unlimited options for engineers
When considering how to continue to improve InTouch, AVEVA spent time understanding how the all-important human operator has changed. In fact, a lot has changed since 1987. The cold war ended, Amazon was born, sheep were cloned, and machines started to beat chess champions. But what about the all-important human industrial operator? This is a job role that has changed drastically in that time period, going from labour abundant single role positions, to the industrial operator now wearing many hats and needing the connectivity to back that up, wherever and however they work. As the skills gap issue continues to grow, expert operators are required to understand every asset in a facility rather than sitting in front of one HMI completing one process. This equates to an operator that is on the move, expertise rich, but time poor. Closing that skills gap requires the single operator to have the very latest in cloud, web, and mobile connectivity to enable instant access to dashboards of vital operations. That single operator may be a long-time employee or just starting with the company, no matter their level of experience the need for instant information across the enterprise remains the same.
Just as InTouch Unlimited enables the single operator to perform their job role efficiently, it also extends to every operator in the business. InTouch was revolutionary at launch in 1987 as the first HMI/SCADA solution on the Windows platform. InTouch Unlimited is set to change the game again with connectivity across all devices and screens, no matter how or where the operator is. With all operators able to instantly access dashboards in real-time, not only does this create more connected operations, it creates more connected workers, directly meeting the current engineering challenge of doing more with less. This need isn’t going anywhere, I’ve already mentioned the growing skills gap, but the ageing workforce is also a factor. Now more than ever industrial operators need instant insight as businesses of all shapes and sizes advance in digital transformation.
So, what’s new with InTouch Unlimited outside of connectivity? The modern product offers unlimited tags for unlimited clients, representing excellent value for money, especially for businesses that are starting small and growing. Also included is AVEVA™ Historian, capable of storing the ever-growing amount of data generated from modern industrial facilities. InTouch Unlimited can retrieve information from AVEVA™ Historian and deliver instant information to any device, enabling organisations to analyse processes anywhere, at any time. This complete operational history provides a foundation to create best-practice operations which rapidly increase the return on investment for any asset. AVEVA™ Reports for Operations also comes as standard with InTouch Unlimited, enabling operators (again from any experience level) to produce clear and professional reports of real-time transactional events. Report generation is a no-code software with simple drag-and-drop configuration of real-time sources all the way to enterprise software level.
With all elements of InTouch Unlimited combined, industrial operators have a one stop management system that encapsulates their whole job role. This represents fantastic value for money for companies investing in their systems and people, and speaking of value for money…
No risk purchasing
InTouch Unlimited is now available on the AVEVA™ Flex subscription, which many reading this will already be using. With the complete portfolio of AVEVA products unlocked and on a rolling credit system, businesses can access all the benefits of InTouch Unlimited with no risk to their investment. This removes one of the key barriers to traditional software ownership that would see businesses locked in to extended licensing agreements, unable to advance to modern digital transformation capabilities because of the associated CAPEX. Further looking to increase the value, Flex subscription minimises the upfront costs and customers report typical savings of 65% when compared with traditional perpetual licensing.
Advancing in digital transformation is a one-way and continuous journey. Businesses that don’t advance will soon fall behind the competition. InTouch Unlimited represents a large piece of the digital transformation puzzle empowering workers with the information they need to complete their role effectively. As with any new technology, companies must weigh up the CAPEX vs OPEX investment but with the Flex subscription this has also been streamlined. Just as InTouch has been a recognisable name within industrial operations for the last 36 years, InTouch Unlimited is set to go even further by representing the very latest in connectivity and capability, remaining a household name for the next generation of industrial operators.
Speak to SolutionsPT about how InTouch Unlimited can be part of your digital transformation journey today.
