Meriam Process Technologies Complete Device Management Solution to be Industrial IT Enabled

Will increase asset visibility and improve overall control throughout the plant for ABB Industrial IT users

Cleveland, Ohio, October 21, 2003 —Through an on-going technical and commercial partnership, ABB Inc. and Meriam Process Technologies announce today that Meriam’s Complete Device Management Solution™ will be Industrial IT enabled. The Complete Device Management Solution is an innovative suite of hardware and software products from Meriam, which includes the MFT4000 series multi-function tester, the MFC4100 series multi-function communicator, and DMS (Device Management System™) software.

“Meriam has a long history in process measurement and calibration equipment. Integrating Meriam’s Complete Device Management solution into our Industrial IT control system gives our customers a versatile plant life-cycle management and optimization tool that will help them to get the most value out of the plant assets they already have. The integration of ABB’s Asset Optimization products with Meriam’s Industrial IT enabled Device Management Solution (DMS), and 3rd Party CMMS systems provide an unprecedented environment for early detection of field problems and streamlined work processes for remediation activities.” said Tom Mueller, Business Manager, Asset Optimization Products for ABB Inc.

Meriam’s DMS software features the ability to configure and calibrate HART and conventional field devices, and manage their life cycle costs. With Meriam’s MFT4000™ series documenting calibrators and MFC4100™ series HART communicators, conventional and HART devices are configured and commissioned in minutes. The Quick-Cal™ and Smart Trim™ features permit fast calibration of HART devices, shortening the commissioning process and minimizing the length of preventive maintenance shutdown periods.

Industrial IT Enabled products from ABB and its partners set the standard for productivity and profits in future power, automation and information solutions. This certification means the product has been tested and certified for compliance with Industrial IT standards for information, integration, and architecture.

Meriam’s DMS will provide Industrial IT users with direct access to and use of Meriam’s world-class calibration solutions to increase asset visibility and improve overall control throughout the plant. This demonstrates how Industrial IT’s openness helps manufacturing customers get the most productivity and availability out of their combined automation solution.

“We at Meriam are excited about this partnership with ABB. We feel that Meriam’s innovative Complete Device Management Solution combined with ABB’s global reach and reputation as a world class process industry supplier will create enormous value to our mutual customers, now and in the future“, said Louis Szabo, Vice President, Meriam.

ABB’s award winning suite of integrated Industrial IT solutions addresses the challenges facing automation customers in today’s global marketplace. Industrial IT provides seamless navigation, information integration and improved control throughout the whole process for exceptional productivity improvements for automation customers. ABB’s product strategy is for evolution through enhancement to protect customer investment.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance.

Meriam Process Technologies, a division of Berkshire Hathaway’s Scott Fetzer Company, is a leading supplier of process monitoring, calibration and communication instrumentation and software. For more information, please contact Meriam Process Technologies, 10920 Madison Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44102. Telephone: (216) 281-1100. FAX: (216) 281-0228. E-mail: meriam@meriam.com.