MONHEIM, Germany, Jan 13, 2021 – At the turn of the year, EPLAN, the engineering solutions provider, started its Partner Network (EPN). It provides a framework for existing and new partnerships to jointly develop and market interfaces. The EPN partnership is based on common binding goals for enhancing and supporting interfaces. This commitment both increases customer benefits and enhances quality.
EPLAN Partner Network pools the expertise between cooperation partners with defined development goals.
Maximum advantage via perfect interaction
EPLAN CEO Sebastian Seitz explains: “Aside from using EPLAN software, our customers also use a variety of other software applications from various manufacturers in the ERP, PLM, PLC and simulation environments to name just a few. The effective interaction of these various applications is especially important to them. As part of the EPN, we will therefore be focusing on joint development of integrations as well as quality assurance and support.”
Integration is everything
Asked about the motivation to found the new EPLAN Partner Network, the company’s Senior Vice President Strategy & Corporate Program Marco Litto says: “The professionalisation of our network systematically increases the benefits for end users.” As Litto explains, the goals are ambitious: “The connectors between our systems should be planned, developed, tested, supported and marketed with the same rigour and soundness that we are accustomed to with our own solutions. Together with our EPN partners, it will allow us to achieve a completely new level of customer focus.” Open interfaces and modern integrations will create a wide range of opportunities that users of the various software solutions will benefit from, not to mention the partner companies themselves.
“The effective interaction of various applications is particularly important for our customers. As part of the EPN, we will therefore be focusing on joint development of integrations as well as quality assurance and support,” says EPLAN CEO Sebastian Seitz.
“The professionalisation of our network systematically increases the benefits for end users,” says EPLAN Senior Vice President Strategy & Corporate Program Marco Litto.
Prestigious companies on board
Global key players of automation including Bosch Rexroth, B&R, Endress+Hauser, Festo, ifm electronic, Mitsubishi Electric, Phoenix Contact, Pilz, Rittal and Rockwell Automation are already taking part in the initiative. Software partners – for example configit, Contact Software, encoway, Gain, ISD, ISG, keytech, machineering, Procad, Quanos and SAE – are also participating in the new network. Both German and international companies are being approached to participate too, and EPLAN is currently in talks with many of them. For instance, UDMTEK in Korea was the first Asian company to seal the membership deal – others are certain to follow.
The best of all worlds
Rockwell Automation/USA Vice President Global Business Development Tom O’Reilly says: “A digital thread of data within and across organizations is one of the key requirements to bringing the Connected Enterprise to life. Together with EPLAN, we support companies through their digital transformation by enabling data consistency, improving efficiency of engineering processes and shortening time-to-market.”
Also Bosch Rexroth got involved right at the network’s start. As the company’s Vice President of Sales Steffen Winkler explains, “Configuration of automation solutions and the dynamic provision of exact device data are essential with regards to Industry 4.0. The Bosch Rexroth ctrlX Configurator enables easy configuration of complete ctrlX AUTOMATION solutions. By directly integrating our configurator into the EPLAN Platform, users will receive all device data of the configured system topology including detailed product lists and CAD data at the touch of a button. This integration ensures full data consistency and reuse of product data throughout the entire digital design phase.”
In Korea, UDMTEK CEO Gi Nam Wang also has good reasons for joining, saying: “We have decided to partner with EPLAN through EPN to leverage our industry-leading offerings and combine them with EPLAN’s best-in- class engineering platform. We are excited to partner with a world-class company as we embark on our next phase of growth and innovation.”
For more information, visit www.eplan-software.com/partner.
About EPLAN
EPLAN provides software and service solutions in the fields of electrical, automation and mechatronic engineering. The company develops one of the world’s leading design software solutions for machine and panel builders. EPLAN is also the ideal partner to streamline challenging engineering processes.
Both standardized as well as customized interfaces to ERP and PLM/PDM systems ensure data consistency along the whole value chain. Working with EPLAN means boundless communication across all engineering disciplines. No matter whether small or large enterprises: Customers can apply their expertise more efficiently. EPLAN wants to grow further with customers and partners and pushes integration and automation in engineering forward. Worldwide, EPLAN supports over 58,000 customers. “Efficient engineering” is the focus.
EPLAN was founded in 1984 and is part of the owner-operated Friedhelm Loh Group. The Friedhelm Loh Group operates worldwide with 12 production sites and 96 international subsidiaries. The entire group employs 12.100 people and generated revenues of around €2,6 billion in 2019. For the twelfth time in succession, the family business has won the accolade “Top German Employer” in 2020. In addition Friedhelm Loh Group was recognized as “Top vocational trainer” according to a study of Deutschland Test and Focus Money. For more information, visit https://www.eplan-software.com.