MES: The market for MES reached an estimated $3.25 billion in 2010, about half of which applies to solutions for the discrete manufacturers that comprise Modern’s audience, according to Greg Gorbach, vice president of collaborative manufacturing at ARC. Not only has growth returned to the market, Gorbach expects the MES space to grow at roughly 10% a year for the next five years. The most significant driver for MES in recent years has been the need to connect the plant with the rest of the business. However, Gorbach sees four “megatrends” driving MES, including the rise of emerging markets; changing workforce demographics; the availability of cost effective technology tools; and environmental concerns. “Each of these is going to require manufacturers to become more innovative in their processes and that opens the door for MES,” Gorbach says.