Kepware Technologies, Portland, Maine, has licensed weather information from weather network operator WeatherBug that will be made available to automation users through Kepware’s KEPServerEX OPC technology. OPC is an open connectivity standard for moving information in automation systems. KEPServerEX is the latest generation of OPC server technology from Kepware, which specializes in communication software for automation. KEPServerEX was designed to allow users to quickly set up communications from equipment to control systems via a wide range of available "plug-in" device drivers and components. KEPServerEX will now support Internet connectivity to real-time weather information, available as a licensed service. The WeatherBug for Automation driver will be delivered as an additional plug-in, joining more than 100 automation protocols already supported. Weather variables include: date, time, station location, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, average speed, max speed, light intensity, rain levels and more. All weather, no ads As part of this relationship, WeatherBug, a Germantown, Md.-based provider of weather information services, will also create a joint venture, advertiser-free, version of the WeatherBug Desktop application, WeatherBug Plus. The application will highlight Kepware as the solution provider and will highlight WeatherBug as a source of real-time, local weather information. This customized version will be available from the Kepware Web site, free of charge, and will allow automation professionals to review local weather conditions, forecasts and severe weather alert information.By combining its proprietary assets, said by WeatherBug to be the world's largest network of live weather sensors, with publicly available weather data from around the world, the WeatherBug network provides data used by millions of consumers, television broadcast partners, businesses, energy companies and federal, state and local government agencies every day. WeatherBug information is available in real-time, with variable updates on the order of seconds. “No other weather source can match the accuracy and timeliness that the WeatherBug network provides. Kepware is very excited to have been chosen by WeatherBug as their exclusive partner for delivering their weather information to the automation marketplace,” says Roy Kok, vice president of sales and marketing for Kepware. “We approached WeatherBug with the concept of licensing weather information for control purposes, highlighting that we are the ideal choice as the leading provider of communications for automation. They immediately understood the value of this offering, and our support for industry standards, enabling their weather data to be used by any automation system or vendor,” he added.Kepwarewww.kepware.comWeatherBug www.weatherbug.com
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