RAMS® 2014 will be held on JanJanuary 27-30 at The Broadmoor, a luxury hotel and resort located in southwestern Colorado Springs, Colorado. Build in 1918, The Broadmoor is situated at the gateway to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

The Annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS®) is a yearly gathering of the product assurance disciplines where training, tutorials, and the latest technical practices, procedures, and results are presented in easy-to-utilize forums and proceedings.

Now in 60th consecutive year, the RAMS® has consistently provided value for the “ilities” through published papers, informative tutorials, and excellent networking and product demonstrations.

Coupled with RAMS® Vendor trade show, RAMS® continues to be one of the most comprehensive gatherings of Product Assurance professionals available in today’s competitive business environment. Event focus on providing real-world value for commercial and government applications through succint delivery of the latest techniques and business practices.

RAM Organizers says:

We understand what it takes to succeed in today’s market place, as our Symposium is organized and staffed by over 40 individuals, most volunteers, who are currently supporting these disciplines in some form or fashion.

We are led by a standing Board of Directors, have a dedicated Management Committee, are sponsored by 9 Technical Societies, and advised by a group of executives and industry captains who make up our RAMS® Advisory Board.

Our governance model allows for the delivery of the latest and greatest information on how to ensure product success and mission assurance.

Our focus is on helping you to identify and mitigate risks in the most optimal manner.

Register Now at Event website

Event Website

The Automation Federation is assisting the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the US Department of Commerce, organize a fifth NIST workshop on the federal government’s national cybersecurity framework initiative.  This fifth workshop, to be held 14-15 November 2013 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, USA, provides another opportunity for leading cybersecurity experts across America and the world—as well as other key stakeholders in industry, academia, and government—to weigh in on the merits of a national Cybersecurity Framework called for by President Barack Obama.

“The Automation Federation accepted the invitation of NIST to assist in the scheduling and organization of this fifth workshop,” reports Michael Marlowe, Automation Federation Managing Director and Director of Government Relations. “NC State University, located just a few miles from the RDU International Airport and the Automation Federation headquarters, is an excellent location for this meeting.”

According to NIST, the key target audience for the workshop includes “critical infrastructure owners and operators and cybersecurity staff, specifically those who have operational, managerial and policy experience and responsibilities for cybersecurity, technology and/or standards development for critical infrastructure companies.”

The workshop will be held at NC State’s Hunt Library, Centennial Campus, 1070 Partners Way. The precise meeting times, other information, and a registration link will be available shortly. For answers to immediate questions, contact Angela Ellis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

At NIST’s request, the Automation Federation and its affiliated organization, the International Society of Automation (ISA), have actively participated in all four previous workshops, serving as advisors to the federal government in the development of the framework. In fact, well before the President in February of this year called for a federal proposal on cybersecurity, Automation Federation and ISA leaders have been consulting with White House National Security Staff, US federal agency officials, and members of Congress on the critical need to establish national cybersecurity standards, guidelines and compliance testing.

Since standards are widely viewed as essential to any effective cybersecurity initiative, the Automation Federation and ISA are strongly recommending the inclusion of the ANSI/ISA99, Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security standards—widely recognized for their comprehensive approach to industrial cybersecurity.

The ANSI/ISA99, Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security standards—developed by a cross-section of international cybersecurity subject-matter experts from industry, government and academia—apply to all key industry sectors and critical infrastructure, and, as a result, provide the flexibility to address and mitigate current and future vulnerabilities in industrial automation and control systems (IACS).

Putting widespread cybersecurity standards in place is vital since many of America’s industrial production settings and infrastructure environments are woefully under-prepared to address cyberwarfare. If industrial control systems and critical infrastructure—such as a power plant, water treatment facility, or transportation grid—are attacked, the result could be significant equipment impairment, production loss, environmental damage, and public endangerment.

The Program Committee of the 57th Annual ISA Power Industry (POWID) Symposium has issued a Call for Papers, inviting authors, innovators, thought leaders and other professionals in the power-generation industry to submit abstracts for presentation consideration at the conference.

The symposium, the largest conference dedicated to automation, control systems and instrumentation in the power generation industry, will be held 1-6 June 2014 at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

The theme of the 2014 ISA POWID Symposium: “Instrumentation and Control Solutions for Today’s Industry Challenges”

The theme of this year’s gathering, “Instrumentation and Control Solutions for Today’s Industry Challenges,” underscores the need to provide answers to the critical dilemmas in power generation, namely:

• Maintaining reliability of power generation while managing fluctuating load demands (known as cycling)

• Securing critical data and information through advanced cybersecurity

• Meeting increasingly stringent environmental controls regulation

“All of these difficult challenges require instrumentation and control technology as part of the solution,” declares Aaron Hussey, Director of Technical Services

at Expert Microsystems, Inc., and General Chair of ISA’s 2014 POWID Symposium. “Utility companies need to address them head on as they organize their current business units and plan for the future.”

“For instance,” he points out, “maintaining and improving reliability in the face of increased cycling is increasing the demand for technical talent that can create and apply innovative solutions for new types of operations, such as low-load and faster ramp rates.

Prospective authors are invited to submit original contributions by 15 January 2014. Abstracts, whether they include a technical paper or a presentation only, must be submitted through the X-CD system on the conference web site at www.isa.org/powersymp. A link to the X-CD system is expected to be posted on the site shortly.

The 2013 Emerson Exchange is developing into another highly valuable conference. This year's Call for Presentations produced over 750 abstracts—a new record! The presentations committee has been reviewing these informative and diverse presentations and has painstakingly selected some 400 sessions we believe will give you the breadth of opportunities at "Combining the Elements" that you've come to expect from Emerson Exchange.

This year, attendees will be able to take advantage of a wide range of exciting resources, including:

• More than 400 Sessions and Forums
• Technology Exhibits with more square footage and solutions than ever before
• Certified Professional Development with 16 courses offered by Emerson Educational Services
• A Networking Event you will not forget – at Cowboys Stadium

Why Attend ?

• To learn best practices and see how colleagues are improving efficiency and reducing costs with automation. Several hundred workshops and short courses are specially selected each year for practical results on pertinent issues such as reducing production costs and improving agility.

• To understand what your peers, other suppliers, and customers in your industry are doing to compete in challenging economic times. Industry specific forums will cover pertinent topics such as operational strategies for uncertain times and meeting new regulatory requirements.

• To touch and experience the breadth of innovative Emerson technologies all in one place. More than a football field-sized area of Emerson technologies and complementary vendor solutions will be exhibited with live hands-on demonstrations.

• To meet with the Emerson experts behind the technologies and learn how innovative technologies can be put to work for you. Emerson subject matter experts will present product and service roadmaps, host demonstration booths, and provide opportunities to speak specifically to your needs.

• To network with your peers and other industry leaders and make the right connections. Throughout the conference you can meet face-to-face with industry and process experts, speak with Emerson leaders, interact with fellow automation professionals, and make new contacts.

• To receive complimentary certified training and earn CEU credits. Several popular short courses will be taught focusing on many of the most prevalent industry technologies and products. (courses valued at several hundred $USD each if taken independently)

• To get the most out of your automation investments and realize its true value. The Exchange is a user community committed to extracting the most from their automation investments and sharing their learning with each other.

Who should attend?

• Control Systems Manager, Engineer, Specialist
• Instrumentation Supervisor, Engineer, Technician
• Maintenance Manager
• Plant Management, VP Manufacturing
• Production Operator, Supervisor
• Project Director, Manager
• Reliability Manager or Engineer
• VP or Director of Engineering or Operations
• EPCs and OEMs

Click on the PERSONAL SCHEDULER button to log into a webpage containing all the sessions available for the conference. The scheduler is intuitive and easy to use - play around and decide the best schedule for your needs.

Registration Packages and Prices