Mining in the mainframe
May 9 - 15, 2012
MAY 8 - NEARLY one billion dollars worth of mining IT sector deals in the past two years shows the market is now really being discovered by big technology firms while doors to greater innovation in the sector have been opened. HighGrade found in a series of interviews over the past week widespread optimism about technology advances, powered in part by miners keen to break from the past. Stand by, too, for more consolidation.
Block model engine powers GEMS 6.4 update
May 9 - 15, 2012
MAY 7 – GEMCOM’s new patent-pending block model conversion engine is the standout update in GEMS 6.4, the company’s flagship geology and mine planning software.
Acquisitions plant ABB near the top in EAM
May 16 - 22, 2012
ACQUISITIONS have pushed ABB to No.2 in the world in the expanding enterprise asset management segment of the global enterprise software market.
IT Notebook: Mintec, Modular Mining, Quintiq
May 16 - 22, 2012
US-BASED Mintec has rebadged its international seminars for software users, launching the MineQuest series of “global learning experiences” in Arizona last week. About 170 MineSight clients heard about a short-term planning tool set to achieve “killer application status”, Mintec’s Mine Performance Management system, and new MineSight Stope tool.
Ambre set to grow with Ventyx
May 9 - 15, 2012
THE growth of a US coal company will be reflected in expansion of its asset management and ERP software user base under a $US2 million deal with the ABB software business Ventyx.
Immersive expands underground offering
May 9 - 15, 2012
MAY 8 – MINING simulator training technology company Immersive Technologies has gone deeper into underground simulation with the addition of popular mine truck and jumbo ‘Conversion Kits’ to its product range.
Mining assaut all in the planning
May 2 - 8, 2012
DASSAULT Systemes’ assault on the mining software market won’t start officially until July, but past ‘intellectual’ barriers to the integration of market leading mine planning software and the 3D platforms of the French company are already down.
IT notebook: Intergraph, SEEK, NeCTAR
May 2 - 8, 2012
SMARTPLANT 3D engineering design software author Intergraph has released an updated version of its AutoCAD-based, intelligent 3D plant design and modelling suite, CADWorx.
Gemcom to become GEOVIA
April 25 - May 1, 2012
APRIL 27 - MINING software is becoming more expensive, as Dassault Systemes’ $US360 million acquisition of Gemcom shows. The latter, a Canadian-based global mining software developer and supplier that earned $C6.7 million on sales of $C54.2 million in 2008, was bought for $C190 million a few months after those results were reported.
MineRP promises smooth Mine2-4D transition
April 18 - 24, 2012
MINERP (formerly GijimaAST) is seeking to regain the front-running from former collaboration partner Datamine (now CAE Mining) and others in the battle for Mine2-4D users, saying this week the mining industry wanted a “clear answer” to questions about the future of the brand.
Minemax software reboot built on new architecture
April 18 - 24, 2012
WITH the “rebirth” of Minemax Scheduler getting close, the developing company’s founder Jim Butler remains confident the product will retain its strong positioning in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Gemcom releases Surpac 6.3
April 18 - 24, 2012
LEADING international mining software supplier Gemcom has updated solids validation, pit design, block modelling, CAD import, and support of third party file formats in the latest version of its Surpac geology and mine planning software.
Researcher says optimisation challenge solved
April 18 - 24, 2012
A UNIVERSITY of Queensland openpit mine planning researcher says he’s tweaked the conventional floating-cone based pit optimisation algorithm, and come up with improved scheduling tools, with potentially significant results.
Atlas Copco taps the app
April 18 - 24, 2012
SWEDISH mining equipment manufacturer Atlas Copco says it is tapping into increased use of smart phones, tablets and other hand-held devices with new customer product ‘apps’. First into the app world at the end of this month will be the company’s Underground Rock Excavation division.
Oracle improves enterprise systems
April 18 - 24, 2012
IT GIANT Oracle has unveiled new “industry-specific functionality” in its JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 9.1 enterprise resource planning software, which an executive with one large gold company said demonstrated the supplier’s focus on “providing the tools for a company to grow and adapt to the changing global environment”.
Auto-mining’s missing pieces
April 11 - 17, 2012
HOUSTON, we have a small problem.
Interoperability and the mine of the future
April 11 - 17, 2012
INTEROPERABILITY is a fundamental component for the mine of the future. To achieve success at a mine we must optimise mine and treatment processes using all available knowledge, including mineral resources, environmental and economic constraints. Interoperability between the systems used to facilitate core mining functions is essential and will become even more vital with wider adoption of automation.
Mining IT in brief: Ventyx, SolveIT, Mintec
April 11 - 17, 2012
‘GRAPHICALLY traversing a product assembly’ may not be quite the way mining maintenance managers put it – ‘check the gearing’ perhaps – but no matter, they can now do it faster and better with Ventyx’s LinkOne WebView 3.7.
User says software comes with kid gloves
April 11 - 17, 2012
APRIL 10 - A LONG-TERM user of MineSight software can’t wait to get his hands on the next generation of Mintec’s flagship mine planning package.
Expomin provides stage for first Vulcan 64-bit release
April 11 - 17, 2012
APRIL 10 - MAPTEK has commenced the formal release of Vulcan 64-bit to global mining customers at Expomin in Santiago, Chile.
