1. service team is available 24/7/365, in other
words, around the clock, the entire year. In
addition, we have expanded our business to
India and England this year – previously that
would have been a difficult step. The existing
Siemens infrastructure has made many things
easier: we are now able to offer direct local
support at these locations. The efficient con-
trol mechanisms within the organization have
allowed us to improve the quality of our soft-
ware. What’s more, this is backed up by the
figures: according to a study carried out by
ARC on plant development, COMOS achieved
more rapid growth than any of its competitors
between 2008 and 2010.
P&A: How has the software itself developed
over the last three years?
McKinley: A good example is IT security. At
Siemens, there are entire teams that are dedi-
cated to this area alone. This enables us to
make COMOS more secure, which is important
to our customers: They want software, which is
so open that it can be used to network several
sites in a large number of countries, but, at
the same time, is protected to such an exent
that it does not pose a risk. A medium-sized
software company cannot provide you with any
solutions for this situation. »
P&A: Mr. McKinley, COMOS software has
been a part of Siemens since 2008. Instead of
a few hundred, you now have several hun-
dred thousand colleagues. Do you lose track
from time to time?
McKinley: On the contrary, it is an advan-
tage. The acquisition came at a good time in
terms of our investment plans. Previously,
we were a medium-sized enterprise, compet-
ing with large, multinational groups. Becom-
ing a part of Siemens meant safety, a greater
level of support, and access to previously un-
known resources, which give us a competitive
edge. Ultimately, it benefits our customers,
above all.
P&A: What does the acquisition mean for the
customers?
McKinley: The customers benefit from nu-
merous advantages. The main benefit is the
extensive service & support network. Our
“Customers benefit from numerous
advantages”
Matthew McKinley, Head of Product Management for COMOS
Software at Siemens, wants to make it easier for globally distributed
system engineers and operators to work together effectively – in a
P&A interview he explains how integration with Siemens has helped.
“The efficient control mechanisms
within the organization have
allowed us to improve the quality
of our software.”
9 COMOS Plant Manager | 2/2012
Interview with Matt McKinley

2. the customer of innotec do Brasil, has not
only opted for our solution, they have also
asked all companies involved in the build to
exclusively use COMOS for the project. This
also had a positive global effect.
P&A: Let’s talk about the new software gen-
eration, COMOS 10. Was it mainly a matter of
adapting the software to fit into the Siemens
portfolio?
McKinley: We have, of course, intensified our
collaboration with various units within the
Siemens Group. This can be seen, for exam-
ple, in linking integrated plant design using
COMOS to the SIMATIC PCS 7 process control
system for the purpose of “integrated engi-
neering”. However, this is just one of several
developments. Overall, we have improved the
integration capability, interoperability, and
flexibility of COMOS. With the software gen-
eration 10, we have laid essential foundations
for the future in terms of the program core.
For example, XML-based Enterprise Service
Technology, which can be used by everyone,
has basically been integrated. Exports can be
automated. To date, this had been achieved
by means of manual engineering. We no
longer see engineering as a separate function
outside the familiar working environment.
P&A: Is the focus on increased collaboration?
McKinley: Yes, we are supporting the global
collaboration of companies. Therefore, we
have also developed the web-based services,
such as connection to Microsoft Sharepoint.
In a large-scale project, for each developer
that works with COMOS, you can appoint fur-
ther developers, who work with other sys-
tems, for example in Procurement or in Enter-
prise Resource Planning. Instead of constantly
exporting and then reimporting, you can now
simply work together.
P&A: Even if you are not in the same office?
McKinley: Of course, nowadays projects are
increasingly carried out on a global basis. In
order to extract raw materials, companies
must go to ever more remote corners of the
world and production is also outsourced to
companies further and further away. There
are a huge number of companies that are
spread out all around the world. Ultimately,
we simply provide our customers with the
tools required to carry out globally networked
activities.
P&A: Mr. McKinley, thank you for the inter-
view. «
It is a similar story with research and develop-
ment: we can now test COMOS on new proj-
ects in a realistic, but secure Siemens environ-
ment before implementing it for the customer.
This has considerably raised the level of quality.
P&A: Some market players are worried that this
will mean a loss of software compatibility.
McKinley: As a software provider, we are
aware of the need for open systems. We follow
and support standards which benefit our cus-
tomers. Indeed, we have no intention of re-
stricting compatibility. If we were to limit con-
nectivity with other systems, we would be
excluding ourselves from certain markets. We
would be shooting ourselves in the foot.
P&A: With the acquisition of innotec do
Brasil, you are now also more active in the
South American market.
McKinley: The acquisition was simply a logi-
cal step. innotec do Brasil was previously the
exclusive sales partner for COMOS in Latin
America and carried out very large-scale proj-
ects. This includes Premiums Refinery, the
largest refinery ever built in the world. The
plant was designed using COMOS. Petrobras,
“As a software provider,
we are aware of the need for
open systems.”
“Overall, we have improved
the integration capability,
interoperability, and flexibility
of COMOS.”
10 COMOS Plant Manager | 2/2012
Interview with Matt McKinley