management level. The connectivity software should be flexible enough to connect to a wide variety of software and systems, yet reliable enough to meet the exacting standards of OPC and the process environment.

Yogi Berra once said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” Nor, for that matter, is the present. Plant engineers and IT departments can maintain the separation between their worlds, but the company is likely to suffer. Those with a broader vision, those with an interest in maximizing profits, are looking at integration. OPC can play a pivotal role in making the connection, if businesses take advantage of the standards it sets, and use it to its full potential.

For more information on OPC solutions from Cogent Real-Time Systems, visit www.cogent.ca.