InterOp Workshop
In March we held our IOP Workshop North America, in Phoenix, Arizona hosted by Honeywell. We saw great participation with 44 registered products showcased by 12 companies. We want to send a big thank you to Tim Fortin, Honeywell Process Automation, for his invaluable contributions to the success of the North American IOP Workshop. Tim Fortin has hosted the IOP Workshop in North America since 2014. This year’s event was centered around the secure configuration of OPC UA enabled applications, with a particular focus on three commercial Certificate Management applications (commonly known as GDS). Attendees received valuable insights shared by Mike Clark, Director of North America, into the North American market, its requirements and OPC Foundation marketing activities. Additionally, for the first time, an application from the hydrogen industry attended this workshop. This industry model is still in progress, but vendors are already preparing products. As a reminder, any OPC UA enabled application, device, machine connector can attend these IOP Workshops and we would be happy to see your registration for one of the future events. Please see https://opcfoundation.org/events/ and send any questions via email to iop[AT]opcfoundation.org.
Open Process Automation Forum
In related news, anticipation mounts as the Open Process Automation Forum gears up to commence certification activities related to the O-PAS standard. Their certificate program includes and mandates OPC UA certification for OPC UA enabled components and devices. The process has required detailed exchanges and synchronization between the two certification programs. This shows the industry’s commitment to ensuring interoperability and adherence to standardized protocols, laying a solid foundation for seamless integration and robust performance across various industrial landscapes. As the certification process unfolds, stakeholders can anticipate heightened quality assurance measures and enhanced compatibility, paving the way for streamlined operations and accelerated innovation in the OPC UA ecosystem.