EDMONTON, April 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MatrikonOPC, the world's largest OPC developer, is pleased to have OPC Exchange Blogger Eric Muphy, BSc, PEng selected by the OPC Foundation to launch the official OPC Foundation Technical Advisory Council (TAC) Blog. As OPC UA technology evolves there are many questions and concerns that arise. The Technical Advisory Council (TAC) Blog will demystify OPC UA and make OPC UA information accessible to end-users, integrators, developers, and major industry players. Simply put, it connects them with the OPC UA community. The TAC Blog combines technical OPC information with the ease and accessibility of blogging, providing users with a high-quality, vendor neutral, integrated 24/7 online resource.

"MatrikonOPC has long been regarded as a pioneer in the field of OPC, and we are extremely pleased to be able to continue showing our commitment to both the OPC Foundation, and the evolution of the new Unified Architecture specification by being a contributor to the Technical Advisory Council." says Sean Leonard, Vice President MatrikonOPC.

"MatrikonOPC truly shows its leadership in the field of OPC by continually being a strong supporter of the OPC Foundation. They understand that the philosophy of "true interoperability" does not stop at product development, but should be easily recognized by the user throughout the business process. The Foundation is pleased to welcome Eric's experience and down-to-earth writing style to the OPC Foundation Technical Advisory Council Blog. I see him bringing great contributions toward the development, education and adoption of OPC UA." Says Tom Burke, President of the OPC Foundation

Industry professionals from virtually every industry can come to the vendor neutral TAC Blog and share ideas about OPC Unified Architecture; discuss problems, or access OPC literature and information sources.

Eric Murphy, BSc, PEng, is a Chemical Engineer with a Process Control specialization and an OPC expert. Eric has been a part of the OPC community since its early beginnings in the mid-1990s. Eric is heavily involved with the OPC Foundation and currently acts as the chair for the OPC Historical Data Access (HDA) working group. Eric is also a member of the OPC Technical Advisory Council (TAC) and an active member of the OPC Unified Architecture (UA) working group.

Eric has worked for companies including Honeywell and Matrikon holding positions including software development architect, OPC R&D Manager, OPC Project Manager and OPC QA Manager. Eric has acted as chief consultant on hundreds of OPC projects where he has architected standards based OPC solutions.

If you use OPC, or have an interest in industrial connectivity, then the TAC Blog is the online resource for you. Join the online community of OPC users at http://lists.opcfoundation.org/TACblog/default.aspx.

About MatrikonOPC (a division of Matrikon Inc. (TSX:MTK))

With a collection of more than 500 OPC products and over 100,000 installations worldwide, MatrikonOPC is the world's largest OPC company. Matrikon is a charter member of the OPC Foundation, and has demonstrated a commitment to developing OPC as the industrial connectivity standard.

A wide range of global companies rely on MatrikonOPC products for their connectivity in industries such as: discrete manufacturing, process control, building automation, alternative energy production, commercial and military applications. With clients and installs throughout North America, Australia, Europe and the Middle East, the reach of MatrikonOPC Connectivity is truly global. Visit MatrikonOPC at http://www.matrikonopc.com/.

CONTACT: Manny Mandrusiak, MatrikonOPC Marketing Manager, (780) 448-1010,
extension 4606, email: manny.mandrusiak@matrikonopc.com