NEWS RELEASES

EXTON, PA, January 25, 2007 – Advanced Automation, a leading provider of manufacturing technology solutions to Fortune 500 companies and other businesses, has been named “2007 System Integrator of the Year” from among peer companies worldwide.

The Exton, PA, company, which will mark 23 years in business this year, earned the distinction in the first year of the award competition, which the program’s sponsor, Reed Business Information’s* Control Engineering magazine, characterized as “system integration at its best.” Advanced Automation is a CERTIFIED MEMBER of CSIA, the largest organization in the world that certifies manufacturing technology system integrators.

Thousands of system integrators, consultants, and contract engineering firms that design and install custom manufacturing technology systems were invited to participate in the competition. Judging was performed by a panel of industrial experts from the worlds of publishing, academia, consulting, association management, and market services/research.

Companies were asked to submit extensive documentation describing their achievements in the areas of technical expertise, business skills, and customer satisfaction — areas that Control Engineering Contributing Editor and project designer and administrator Vance J. VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., described as “criteria that make quite a difference in a project’s overall success.” He explained,

• “Their technical abilities are demonstrated by number and type of degreed engineers, certifications held, memberships in associations, and successful projects highlighted.
• “Business skills show up strong in internal processes of training and project management, as well as in partnerships with other companies.
• “Customer satisfaction was conveyed by the satisfied customers themselves through letters and testimonials.”

Bob Zeigenfuse, president and chief executive officer of Advanced Automation, described the company in its competition entry as “an independent systems integrator committed to working in partnership with clients to develop cost-effective, integrated industrial control systems that improve productivity, competitiveness, and profitability.”

“Those sound like ambitious goals,” said judge Dennis Brandl, who noted that “Advanced Automation representatives say they make good on commitments. I liked the way they evaluated themselves. They seem a little harsh; not promising more than they can deliver, but that is a good thing for an integrator.”

Judge Shari Worthington agreed. “Advanced Automation has an integrated system that rewards employees for quality work and customer satisfaction. They are obsessively dedicated to internal processes that control business development and workflow.” That’s supported by Advanced Automation’s work to be among the early adopters of CSIA’s “Best Practices and Benchmarks” and among the first class of integrators to pass CSIA’s certification audit, she added.

Worthington was also impressed by a project that Advanced Automation completed successfully after an architecture and engineering firm lost control of it. Part of Advanced Automation’s advantage, says Zeigenfuse, is using “a structured approach, applying field-proven strategies and methodologies in a consistent style to minimize client risk and promote client self sufficiency.”

For all projects, Advanced Automation can provide software development, consulting, project management, systems engineering and design, field installation and start-up, training, and continuing system management and support. The industries they serve include Food, Beverage, CPG, Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Oil, and Gas manufacturing.

What one customer had to say “We consider Advanced Automation an extension of our internal resources. We appreciate and recognize in A2 an automation firm with practical experience and good project management skills. Excellent communication has been part of the various projects, from the initial sales effort to commissioning and transfer of ownership. We consider A2 a valued resource and intend to further our relationship over time.”

Advanced Automation provides a comprehensive package of manufacturing technology solutions that enables its clients in the Food, Beverage, CPG, Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Oil, and Gas, and other process industries worldwide to control, improve, and optimize their manufacturing process.

For more than 23 years, Advanced Automation has led the industry in the successful design, deployment, and implementation of control automation systems, data interoperability and visibility solutions, manufacturing execution software, turnkey project management, and 24/7 maintenance support services.

Advanced Automation is located at 640 Rice Boulevard, Exton, PA 19341. Telephone: 610-458-8700, Fax: 610-458-0606, Web: www.advancedautomation.com

For more information, contact:
Martin Michael, Vice President, Sales and Marketing
610-247-5403, mmichael@advancedautomation.com

* Reed Business Information is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK and ENL) – a world-leading publisher and information provider operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business industry sectors