ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, is extending the life cycle commitment for its Symphony Harmony and Symphony Melody range of control systems. The Symphony platform has one of the largest installed bases of distributed control systems (DCS) with more than 6,000 systems installed worldwide, a large part of which is in the power generation and water sectors. "This initiative is part of our ‘evolution without obsolescence' strategy and is aimed at supporting customers in finding a balance between the introduction of new technology and maximizing the return on asset investments already made," said Franz-Josef Mengede, head of ABB's power generation business, a part of the company's Power Systems division. As part of its commitment, ABB will continue to invest in the development of the Symphony product range beyond 2015, as previously announced, allowing customers to effectively manage life cycle requirements and lower their total cost of ownership. Product development will be guided by ABB's life cycle policy of ‘evolution without obsolescence,' based on the principle that no product will be removed from active sale until a compatible, equivalent or superior product is made available. ABB's investment program for Symphony includes the continued development of products that provide greater capacity, higher performance and new functionality across areas such as control, I/O (input/output), communications, engineering, operations, safety and security. These efforts will also aim to address power and water industry specific challenges. Key application focus areas will include electrical integration, operator effectiveness, plant life extension and optimization as well as integration of renewables and enabling of smarter grids. www.abb.com
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