Aspen Technology, Inc. (Bedford, Mass.; www.aspentech.com) announced that it has acquired rights to Operator Training Simulator (OTS) framework software from Inprocess Technology and Consulting Group of Barcelona, Spain. Inprocess, developer of the OTS software, is a consulting service company supplying technological services to owner-operators in the oil & gas, refining and chemical process industries.
Today’s announcement extends AspenTech’s focus on asset optimization by enhancing its ability to meet the increased demand for Operator Training technology. AspenTech will now be able to offer a complete set of OTS software – adding technology that provides the end-user environment for plant operators and training instructors and helps to connect to the various process control systems that may be used in the real plant. This will complement and leverage our Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus solutions, which have long been used as virtual plant simulators at the core of OTS system deployments across the world.
Production and safety are paramount to owner-operators. Errors made by plant operators represent one of the leading causes of production losses and safety incidents. Therefore, many owner-operators mandate that operators be trained using Operator Training systems. This has been shown to lower operational risk and accelerate learning within a hands-on, safe and controlled environment. For example, oil & gas, refining, and chemical companies use OTS systems to help establish expertise and best practices among operators, reduce start-up time, and verify control and safety systems. Increasingly, Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC) companies are also required to provide OTS systems for new plant construction projects as a part of the final deliverable.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.