Agreement: Kepware names Software Toolbox as its Wonderware Center of Excellence

Portland, ME , and Charlotte, NC —

Kepware

has expanded its relationship with partner

Software Toolbox

by designating the company as its Center of Excellence for supporting and promoting use of Kepware OPC technology and native interfaces with

Wonderware

products.

Software Toolbox has marketed and supported TOP (Toolbox OPC Power) Server OPC & I/O Server, a branded version of KEPServerEX, to its customer base, with a focus on Wonderware distribution channels, users, integrators, and OEMs. To prevent confusion of TOP Server and KEPServerEX as competing solutions, TOP Server branding includes a “Powered by Kepware” tagline.

TOP Server OPC & I/O Server incorporates the latest generation of Kepware’s OPC server technology for users to setup communications from equipment to control systems with a range of available plug-in device drivers and components. Software Toolbox has marketed and provided technical support for Kepware products since 1996, forming a partnership with Kepware in 2001, Software Toolbox, working with the Wonderware distribution channel, has installed thousands of licenses with Wonderware InTouch, InSQL/Historian, and System Platform/Application Server.

According to Roy Kok, Kepware VP of marketing and sales, “TOP Server and KEPServerEX are identical from a technical standpoint and because Software Toolbox always releases TOP Server in step with KEPServerEX, users of TOP Server will have immediate access to our latest technologies.”

John Weber, president of Software Toolbox, added, “Software Toolbox offers a variety of connectivity products as well as graphical, wizard, and HMI object add-in products that enable it to offer a one-stop shop for third-party products for automation applications. Because we have a wide range of complementary offerings specific to the Wonderware market and other products that add value to Kepware’s products, we are ideally positioned to continue to focus on the Wonderware market for Kepware.”

ARC Advisory Group

research director Craig Resnick said the agreement allows the companies to “provide the marketplace with specific choices based on differences in available HMI/SCADA technology, add-ins and complementary offerings, product support, or user preference. Offering the marketplace a greater number of choices is a positive thing, which should ensure that this announcement will be well received.”

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