eMation System Transforms Hidden Device Information into E-business Intelligence

By Laura Michalski

(03/14/01, 05:23:11 PM EDT)

eMation DRM, a Device Relationship Management system, enables manufacturers and service providers to use the Internet to establish and manage continuous connections with the machines, equipment, sensors, and systems deployed at their customers' facilities. Now device manufacturers can stay in touch with their products throughout their lifecycle, tapping the value of hidden information with new, automated e-service and e-commerce offerings.

The eMation DRM system is a family of infrastructure and application software components that run on the device, gateway, and enterprise, and interoperate to form an Internet-based, distributed system. The eMation DRM system's scalable, fault-tolerant application server, is hosted at the enterprise and communicates, stores, and manages information exchange with remote devices. The system's modular embedded application server, resident within the device or an attached gateway, provides local decision-making, data aggregation, and XML-based secure communications. A selection of customizable Web portals provide e-service, e-commerce, information access, and device management functions, as well as automated interfaces to enterprise applications such as billing, maintenance, operation support, help-desk, inventory re-supply, ordering, and asset management.

Monitoring, controlling, and upgrading devices can now be done through inexpensive network connections made possible by the Internet. Companies can use this capability to stay involved throughout the entire product life cycle, improving their bottom line through new revenue streams such as automatic e-commerce for consumables, pay-for-use billing models, and more efficient service and support. In addition, real world device usage data can be captured and used to improve next generation products.

The eMation DRM system enables the seamless, yet secure, integration of remote device information with a company's minute-by-minute business practices. By employing Firewall-Friendly technology, eMation DRM allows intelligent devices hidden behind customer firewalls to have secure, two-way, Internet-based communication with external sales and service personnel and their enterprise applications, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Operation Support Systems (OSS).

The eMation DRM system will become available on April 1, 2001.