Insourcing American Jobs: The Importance of “Smart” Manufacturing, Broadband, and IT

On January 11, President Barack Obama hosted a forum at the White House focused on the increasing number of companies choosing to “insource” jobs and make new investments in the United States. An important factor in this trend is the rising importance of information technology. Thanks to companies like Rockwell Automation, Smart Manufacturing is rapidly transforming the global competitive landscape by marrying industrial automation with information technology (IT) to optimize the efficiency, productivity, and output of plants and supply networks.