The OPC Alarms and Events (OPC A&E) specification is used to exchange process alarms and events. OPC A&E can be used by operations to notify them of alarms, obtain a sequence of events, perform alarm strategy audits, and optimize their operation. Maintenance personnel can use OPC A&E to implement time based maintenance, condition based maintenance, or even inform them impending equipment failure. The OPC Foundation (www.opcfoundation.org) is responsible for defining and maintaining the OPC A&E specification.