Kepware Technologies, the leader in Communications for Automation, announced today that it has been selected as the device communications provider for APC by Schneider Electric.

APC's InfraStruxure® Management Software portfolio provides data center managers and IT executives the ability to take a holistic view of data center physical infrastructure service quality, end-to-end energy use, facilitate short- and long-term planning, and properly forecast costs. The vendor-neutral software provides the industry's first and broadest integrations with critical IT support systems, including Schneider Electric's PowerLogic ION-Enterprise power management, building management and enterprise management, enabling the monitoring, controlling and resolving of issues in a user-friendly environment.

As part of the solution, APC will use Kepware's "IT and Infrastructure Suite" with its InfraStruxure Central platform to deliver the latest OPC interoperability standards, including OPC DA, OPC AE and OPC-UA, ensuring interoperability with as many client applications as possible. This capability expands the ability to manage all devices supporting the data center. The OPC offering will maintain an OPC Foundation "Certified" status.

InfraStruxure Central provides an efficient way for organizations to monitor their company-wide multi-vendor data center physical infrastructure including power, cooling, security, and environment. Real-time monitoring, user-defined reports and graphs, and instant fault notification and escalation enable quick assessment and resolution of critical events that can adversely affect IT system availability. This centralized repository of information can be accessed by multiple users from anywhere on the network, creating a consolidated view of the physical infrastructure. The open and flexible architecture expands with changing business needs through additional device licenses, add-on surveillance, and operations modules, and through integration with enterprise, power and building management systems.

"Kepware has been enabling automation infrastructure monitoring for over two years now, both in data center environments and out on the plant floor," states Roy Kok, VP of Marketing and Sales of Kepware Technologies. "This partnership enables APC to deliver the industry's leading solutions to their customers, proven with their own products for example - PowerLogic ION Enterprise Energy Management (EEM), enabling the monitoring and management of all the products that can be found in today's leading data centers."

"By connecting with Kepware, APC brings customers an end-to-end view of all critical infrastructure in the data center from rack to row to room to building," says Dave Guidette, senior vice president, Enterprise System and Service, APC. "Kepware pioneered and has significantly improved Industrial SNMP technology. Their adherence to industry standards for interoperability ensures our products will connect to our own software as well as third party solutions that may already be in place."