their data and information among multi-vendor applications. To that end, the OPC Foundation has been working with the ProdML Group, which is an initiative launched by a group of energy companies, software and service providers, and an industry standards organization, and is focused on helping producers independently optimize their oil and gas production by improving data exchange and work process efficiency through development of the ProdML standard (PRODuction xML). In an upcoming edition of the OPConnect newsletter in 2008, I will provide an update on the OPC partnership and collaboration with ProdML.

I also will be talking in upcoming newsletter editions about the widely acclaimed  EDDL  and FDI collaborative efforts with OPC. The concept of partnering with the industrial Ethernet consortiums was the original concept behind OPC DX, which was developed in 2001. With the OPC Unified Architecture, OPC DX shall be deployed into embedded devices. 
 
The Foundation will continue to focus on certification in the new independent certification test laboratory. The lab is already up and running, and is actively testing all vendor products to ensure the highest quality, most interoperable experience that the end-users can dream of.
 
We continue to measure our success by the level of OPC adoption. With that in mind, I’m very interested in your direct feedback on what the OPC Foundation can do for you. I encourage you to regularly check the events section of the OPC Foundation website, at www.opcfoundation.org, to make yourself aware of the opportunities from both the OPC Foundation and its vendors to help you benefit from the use of OPC technology.