An OPC Interoperability Workshop provides OPC Foundation members with the opportunity to test their OPC products for their ability to communicate with other OPC products. OPC Server vendors setup their servers and enable OPC Client vendors to connect to them. Similarly, OPC Client vendors attempt to connect their software to every available OPC Server. When the two vendors (OPC Server and OPC Client vendors) complete their test successfully, their products are deemed to be interoperable.

Interoperability testing is not a requirement for OPC Compliance. However, to ensure the highest chance of success, the OPC Training Institute recommends that consumers ask their vendors about their participation in an OPC Interoperability Workshop and their results. The results are posted on the OPC Foundation’s website.

The OPC Foundation hosts three Interoperability (IOP) Workshops around the world each year. In the past, these workshops took place in North America (United States), Europe (Germany), and Asia Pacific (Japan). Each member of the OPC Foundation has the opportunity to participate in each workshop. These workshops help ensure that OPC products from different companies are able to communicate with each other.

See also: Interoperability Testing, OPC Compliance Testing