Siemens to start Remote Services for automation customers

The Siemens Industry Automation Division is adding a comprehensive Remote Service Platform to its range of Internet-based maintenance and technical support. Companies can now engage Siemens to provide a modularly graded range of services for taking care of their production plants. The Simatic Remote Support Services are available in three service levels starting with reactive troubleshooting, through comprehensive analyses and adjustments to the plant by a permanently assigned contact person, all the way to preventive inspection services.

In distributed plants, or plants scattered over a wide area, service tasks generate high maintenance and repair costs. It is increasingly difficult for companies to provide the suitable experts on-site system-wide, especially as systems become more complex. Remote access to plants over the Internet or by mobile wireless communication is in many cases more cost effective, faster and more flexible than an on-site service. With the Simatic Remote Support Services, the Siemens Industry Automation Division now offers a comprehensive range for remote monitoring, maintenance and repair of machinery and plants.

Siemens provides an especially secure remote platform with this service. It allows companies to make their plants and machines anywhere in the world available to competent automation experts, and to introduce the necessary maintenance measures. The system makes it possible for the customer's own experts or external partners like system integrators to be involved in the remote access in addition to the skilled personnel from Siemens.

Siemens offers its new service in three levels. The Starter Package represents a low-cost and fast solution for reactive troubleshooting. It includes Remote Desktop Support based on the certified Siemens Remote Service (SRS) Platform. The Enhanced Package includes a permanently assigned contact person who is familiar with the plant situation and who knows the installed systems and components, and the networks and their topologies. By using more advanced diagnostics functions, Siemens service personnel at this level can provide the customer with comprehensive remote support to guarantee smooth operation of the plant. At the third level (Comprehensive Package), Siemens' services also cover preventive inspection work in accordance with DIN 31051. This includes preventive inspection of the system status for transparent representation of the status quo of the plant and recommendation of preventive measures based on the system status reports.

The new offer for industrial companies is based on the Siemens Remote Service (SRS), a secure and remote platform already used by a host of Siemens customers in medical engineering and the energy sector. This platform is certified in accordance with ISO/IEC 27001 and has a field-proven security concept, which also ensures that there are no reactions by means of network separation in accordance with the DMZ (demilitarized zone) architecture. In addition, customers can also use their own web portal to view and monitor all the modifications made by the Siemens service personnel in real time. To enable later tracking of changes, the system also logs details of who had access to the individual plants and when. Siemens provides the entire technical, globally redundant remote infrastructure for operating the platform and ensures its functional capability and maintenance.

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the worldwide leading supplier of environmentally friendly production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. With integrated automation technologies and comprehensive industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 204,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry posted total sales of around €35 billion in fiscal year 2010. http://www.siemens.com/industry

The Siemens Industry Automation Division (Nuremberg, Germany) is a worldwide leader in the fields of automation systems, industrial controls and industrial software. Its portfolio ranges from standard products for the manufacturing and process industries to solutions for whole industrial sectors that encompass the automation of entire automobile production facilities and chemical plants. As a leading software supplier, Industry Automation optimizes the entire value added chain of manufacturers – from product design and development to production, sales and a wide range of maintenance services. With around 33,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry Automation posted sales of €6.2 billion in fiscal year 2010. http://www.siemens.com/industryautomation

Reference Number: IIA2011032619e