This is your opportunity to converse with me and ask your questions that you would like to have me answer in my blog.  I encourage you to send e-mail directly to me with the questions and issues that bug you the most, and specifically all those questions that you are afraid to ask.  Please send e-mail to

thomas.burke@opcfoundation.org

with the subject line [BLOG REQUEST]

I figured it was time to get off my soapbox with respect to the rationale and the fact that a lot of my blogs have dealt with the OPC foundation changed to restrict access to the technology to only members of the foundation.

It is definitely true the only dumb question, is the question that never gets asked.

I'm also looking to know what types of applications are using OPC that you know of that are outside of the automation industry.  It's amazing the number of events that I attend I always come back with learning new ways that people have used OPC that we never dreamed of in the last year or let alone 10 years ago.

Someone asked me what's it been like spending the last 10 years of your life developing standards.   The reality is I probably started doing the development of standards both external and internal since the beginning of my career without even realizing it.   The best thing about OPC is really the people that I'm afforded the great opportunity to work with.  The OPC foundation has been blessed with the cream of the crop of volunteers from numerous companies they truly have demonstrated their dedication and commitment to developing standards and adopting the standards in the interest of interoperability for automation and beyond.  Over the last 10 years working with so many competitors and working with so many good people is really the lifeblood of the organization.

We work hard and play hard is the general role of the OPC standards committees.  Last week we conducted a series of OPC UA meetings in Portland, Maine that was hosted so graciously by Kepware(and if you don't know who they are, let me tell you you really should).   The meeting on Wednesday started at 8:30 AM and literally went to 8:30 p.m. and they slid pizza in under the door,   the next day the meeting started at 7 AM...

and of course there are always a lot of stories that result from the multitude of meetings in advance at the OPC "staff", where staff primarily composes of volunteers, some of which really result in the creed in philosophy of what happens in an OPC meeting, stays at the OPC meeting...

One of the things I'm considering doing is starting to identify and just blogging some of the people that have made the history of OPC.  Please e-mail me if you have a favorite story that he would also like to talk about from your OPC history....

I'm not sure I could even go back and list all the people that have been so fundamental and committed to the success of OPC.   There are literally probably close to 500 people who over the course of the last 10 years that have participated in the OPC foundation standard development process.   The number might even be more than 500 I'm just taking a quick swag.

So consider this more ramblings from the president...