TAC Names Clive Smith Industry Marketing Manager

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation, a leading high-tech manufacturer of “Smart Building Systems” for HVAC, security management, and process control applications, has named Clive Smith as its new Industry Marketing Manager. Smith, a resident of Newburyport, Massachusetts, will be responsible for launching TAC’s new 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance program aimed at FDA-regulated industries, including Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage, and Biotech markets.

In place since 1997, 21 CFR Part 11 was developed by the FDA to promote and regulate the use of electronic signature, record keeping and reporting practices for all business disciplines under its control. To enable compliance, all operational and environmental changes able to affect product safety, efficacy and quality must be recorded along with details of confirmed operator identity and explanation of actions taken.

TAC has taken a leadership role in an effort to help FDA-regulated businesses comply with 21 CFR Part 11 regulations by developing a new software feature set that provides accountability and traceability of both the security and environmental conditions in the plant manufacturing process. 

“We are seeing a marked increase in awareness of not only the obligation to comply but also the real, tangible business benefits of CFR compliance,” says Rainer Wischinski, Vice President of Marketing, TAC. “Smith’s expertise in this area backed by TAC’s products and services will help FDA-regulated companies achieve and maintain compliance as technology evolves."

Smith is a 1985 graduate of the Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology in Cheltenham, U.K. He has more than 18 years experience in the controls industry, with emphasis on product marketing, management, and research.

TAC Releases Continuum® Cyberstation Revison 1.5

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation, a leading manufacturer of smart building solutions for HVAC, security management, and digital video surveillance applications, announced today that it will begin shipping its CyberStation® Software Revision 1.5 Upgrade.

The Company’s latest software release offers a host of new features to enhance the performance of its Continuum® facility management system.

Enhanced graphics, increased folder level security, expanded logging and database synchronization capabilities, support for SNMP protocol, WML wireless web technology, and SQL Server 2000 — these are just a few of the many new features Revision 1.5 offers facility managers to further enhance the ease-of-operation, system customization, and the communications capabilities of their Continuum system.

TAC Introduces Infinet II

Andover, MA — The company recently rolled out the first three Infinet II (i2) product models — the i2865 and i2866 controllers, both with built-in actuators for VAV applications, and the i2867 model for fan coil or terminal unit control applications.

The i2 family offers end-users increased reliability for even the most challenging control applications with features such as FLASH memory, an enhanced processor, additional program memory, and easy hardware installation.

The FLASH memory feature in all i2 controllers means reduced service commissioning and maintenance costs for users. Because operating system software can be stored in FLASH memory, new software releases can be updated to all controllers at the same time over the network — eliminating the need for time-consuming EPROM change-outs in the field. In addition, in the event of a power loss, application programs stored in FLASH are not lost.

All i2 controllers provide extended data logging capabilities with 128K of program memory. Users can easily log and trend over 30 days of critical point data locally in a single i2 controller! Data stored locally at the controller level provides even greater reliability for end-users.

The i2 controllers operate on TAC’s existing RS-485 field network and are backward-compatible to the Company’s previous generations of controllers.

Find out more about the Infinet II product family.

TAC Names Jeffrey A. Templer Chief Financial Officer

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation has named Jeffrey A. Templer as its new Chief Financial Officer. Templer, a resident of West Newton, Massachusetts, will be responsible for the Company’s financial, human resource, and information technology operations.

Templer is a graduate of Salem State College, Salem, Massachusetts, with a degree in Economics, and received an MBA from Harvard University. He has over 20 years experience as a financial and operating executive in technology-based manufacturing companies. Most recently, Templar was Chief Financial Officer of CyOptics, Inc., and Inverness Medical, Inc., both of Waltham.

Previously, Templer served as CEO and CFO of Freudenberg Nonwovens of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He has been a member of the Financial Executives Institute for 15 years.

TAC Announces Video Monitor

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation, a leading high-tech manufacturer of integrated building management systems, announces Video Monitor, a new camera surveillance utility that links access control systems to digital video recorders.

Video Monitor software provides a seamless interface between TAC' Continuum® or XPress Access front-end workstation and Integral Technologies' First Line™ DVX or DigitalSentry digital video recording units. With Video Monitor, users can view live and recorded video from multiple DVX or DigitalSentry units located anywhere in the world from their TAC front-end workstation.

Trigger, Assess, and Monitor!
Video Monitor is loaded with convenient alarm and video features. Up to four cameras are linked to each door or alarm input. When an alarm is triggered by a specific point, live video pops up automatically on the workstation screen, providing immediate alarm assessment using the four camera angles. At the same time, the video recorder switches to continuous recording with pre/post-alarm video capturing. Plus, users can also launch Video Monitor independently from a graphic to view live video or review any recorded video clip by alarm.

Easy Operation
Video Monitor is intuitive — a point-and-click interface, drop-down down menus, slider controls, etc., make Video Monitor easy to operate.

TAC Completes First Phase Of Multi-Million Dollar Contract With Puerto Rico Telephone Company

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation, a leading high-tech manufacturer of "Intelligent Building Systems" for HVAC, security management, and digital video surveillance applications, has completed the first phase of a multi-million dollar contract with Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC), a subsidiary of Verizon.

PRTC, which is the largest provider of telecommunications services in Puerto Rico, provides wireline, wireless, long distance, paging, and public telephone services to both business and residential customers throughout the island.

A TAC Continuum® system is providing environmental monitoring and card access over a wide-area network from PRTC’s headquarters to more than 280 remote switching sites around Puerto Rico.

According to Rod St. Amand, TAC’ Global Accounts Manager for Telecommunications, Phase II of the PRTC project has already begun. "In the second phase," states St. Amand, "the TAC system will expand to include fuel tank and generator monitoring, HVAC controls, CCTV, and fire system monitoring. These applications will be added to the recently installed base system, providing a fully integrated solution for PRTC's three central data centers."

TAC has partnered with Verizon for similar projects in Venezuela and Dominican Republic, as well as throughout the United States.

TAC Announces XPress Access

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation, a leading high-tech manufacturer of integrated building management systems, announces XPress Access, an easy-to-use, affordable access control system for smaller facilities.

Perfect for small sites, but expandable to enterprise-level applications, XPress Access provides access control for 28 doors and up to 78,000 cardholders, plus a host of security management and monitoring utilities.

XPress Access is ready to go right out of the box. You can be up and running — controlling doors, adding card records, responding to alarms, viewing history reports — in no time! XPress comes with step-by-step instructions, built-in menu pages, and a pre-configured database. On-line help and system diagnostics are also built in.

XPress Access is sold as a cost-effective bundled hardware/software package— the XPress Windows-based workstation software plus TAC’s Continuum® network controller and power supply. Add up to 32 Continuum® I/O field modules per each network controller to meet your exact application needs — door control, intrusion detection, alarm annunciation, etc. Additional operator workstations, network controllers, and I/O modules can be added later to meet your growing access control requirements.

Because XPress Access is fully compatible with TAC’s flagship Continuum® Security Management System, you can integrate XPress with all your facility subsystems — HVAC, lighting, CCTV, digital video recording, fire alarms systems, power monitoring, and more.

TAC Provides Valley Tech Students with Advanced Learning Opportunities

Andover, MA — TAC Corporation, a leading high-tech manufacturer of "Intelligent Building Systems" for HVAC, security management, and process control applications, recently donated building automation equipment valued at more than $50,000 to officials at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Massachusetts. This donation will allow students in the local vocational technical system to strengthen their familiarity with state-of-the-art building automation controls they will encounter in today’s technically oriented workplace.

Tom Belland, the team leader of Valley Tech’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration program, and John Thomas, the school’s director of quality initiatives, accepted the gift from TAC New England regional sales manager Frank Urro, thanking him on behalf of the future workforce for the corporate investment in the school.

"This equipment will give our students the opportunity to attain skills needed for the higher end HVAC careers available today," said Belland, explaining that a team of eight Valley Tech HVAC students are now using the equipment to assemble a building control system from scratch. The system is being designed to control the HVAC laboratory’s interior climate, as well as security and networking facilities.

Thomas noted that extensive training for Valley Tech’s staff in the use and maintenance of this new equipment was also arranged by TAC director of educational services Peter Wilson and that approximately $5,000 worth of ancillary equipment was donated to the project by Fred Ferrara, the New England area sales manager for Belimo Air Controls.

Belland reported that the partnership with TAC is already returning dividends. Paul Mandeville of Blackstone, a senior in the HVAC program, has begun an internship through the school’s co-operative education program with in-Control, a Cranston, RI distributor of TAC equipment

Given the multi-faceted capabilities of this highly technical equipment, students being trained for electronic, electrical, drafting, and automotive technology careers could also benefit from the donation. School officials hope that the TAC equipment will form the nucleus of a two-year selective course to be offered to juniors next year.

This is TAC’ first training endeavor at the secondary school level. Until now, training in the use of the company’s equipment has typically been provided in the workplace or in a post-secondary technical training center or college setting.

"In the controls industry, one of the most important tools we rely on is knowledgeable people," said Urro. "If we can assist in the education of these future field technicians, it’s a beneficial situation for everyone. Students gain valuable work experience while training on the latest hardware and software technologies. At the same time, TAC can continue to grow its engineering talents and assure the building occupants of the future even more comfortable and safe environments."

Valley Tech Superintendent-Director Dr. Michael F. Fitzpatrick also thanked TAC for the donation. He noted that the school system aggressively pursues corporate and local business support for its programs, seeking to give students access to the latest technology through donations that compliment the investment made by the taxpayers of the district. He also pointed out that the valuable training in the latest building automation equipment is particularly beneficial in light of the fact that the planned Valley Tech building expansion and upgrade will incorporate the newest automated controls for energy efficiency and conservation as well as for security and networking capabilities.