Open Platform Communications (OPC) is the interoperability standard for secure and reliable exchange of data in industrial automation systems and in other industries. It is platform independent and allows for exchange of information between devices from multiple vendors. The OPC standard is a series of specifications developed by industry vendors, end-users and software developers. These specifications define the interface between Clients and Servers, as well as Servers and Servers, including access to real-time data, monitoring of alarms and events, access to historical data and other applications.