Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems Ltd has announced a UKP2m order from oil company Fina Plc for a Namos 2000-based automation system to be used in the forecourts of Fina service stations in the UK: at a current installation rate of 10 sites per week, the partnership aims to have kitted out 185 UK sites by the end of the year, and then Northern Europe will be tackled; seems Fina, like most service station owners these days, is heading towards having an entire hypermarket behind its pumps; Fina admits that 50% of its profits from service stations comes from sweeties, barbecue charcoal, and flowers – one wonders how much longer it will be before the petrol pumps disappear altogether?
