Now that we’ve proved it at the recent ProveIt! 2025 Conference, I want to give our technical teams a break from providing our usual deep technical content. They will be back next week for sure, but this week, I want to share what we are planning as 2025 moves forward in solutions, blog, services, events, and an important tech tip to wrap things up.
First, don’t forget the valuable resources in one of the first blogs of this year “2025 Automation & Control Software Learning Resources” that delivered a summary of learning resources, recent product releases, and more.
Because we strive to keep this blog technical, we suggest you subscribe to blog notifications using the form at the right and follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date with news around Software Toolbox all year round.
Solutions Portfolio Updates
We know you like to learn about what’s coming on product roadmaps, and we like to share. At the same time, we appreciate your respect that it’s not great to put all our plans out on a web page for the competition to see! We are also sometimes limited by confidentiality agreements with our developer partners on what we can publicly say in advance of releases.
If there’s something you are looking for, it’s always best to work with one of our solutions consultants to discuss your specific needs.
In general, our goals with solutions portfolio are to
- Protect your investments and continue to deliver value with updates to support the latest operating system and security updates
- Deliver functionality that will support your digital transformation process in your Industry 4.0 initiatives focused on turning data into useful information that enables real-time decision-making, AI-driven automation, and more efficient operations, including UNS enablement and support
- Evolving our offerings to support new applications, solve new problems and offer evolving deployment & licensing options to support your efforts at each stage in your journey.
Let’s talk problems: One area I’m personally working on with our team is to evolve the solutions section of our website to present how we can help in terms of the problems that you’re trying to solve. We offer a portfolio of tools, but we’ve heard that we need to do more to help you understand how they solve your problems and speed your choosing the right set of tools.
Now this next part won’t help that goal I know, but for those that have invested in and trusted our offerings, it’s good to know where we are now:
Recent Product Updates & Quick Links to News In This Article
- TOP Server 6.17 R2 Maintenance Release
- Cogent DataHub API for Python and Cogent DataHub V11
- OPC Router 5.3
- OPC Data Logger 4.1
- EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform
- OPC Server Remote Config Client
We are also planning updates soon for LGH File Inspector for AVEVA InTouch and OPC Data Client Toolkit. Meanwhile here are some plans that we can share for other products.
OmniServer
In 2025, we are prioritizing the user experience for OmniServer.
- To enhance troubleshooting and project optimization, we are introducing additional diagnostic tools to improve efficiency.
- We are also continuing to refine the OPC UA stack for seamless communication and greater operational performance,
- Attending the OPC Foundation’s OPC Interop event this month to put OmniServer to work testing with as many OPC UA client vendors as are present.
- Enhancing the Visual Protocol Editor to make custom protocol development even more intuitive.
New Offering: OPC Wizard UA Server Development Toolkit
Like our OPC Data Client toolkit, this new offering for developers of custom OPC Server applications is focused on the question: “How can I accomplish this quickly and efficiently while staying within budget?” Toolkits are libraries of compiled, product managed, QA/QC tested software modules which provide simplified interfaces to a custom application/software developer that reduce development time and risk by leaving deep details to our developers.
The OPC Wizard UA Server Development Toolkit lets you add OPC UA Server capability to your existing software applications as well as develop custom OPC UA Server software applications for .NET Standard and .NET Framework in C# and VB.NET. And it has 60+ code samples already included in the Online User Guide.
Updates to OPC Server Remote Configuration Client
The OPC Server Remote Configuration client is a premise hosted application for use on your laptop, workstation or other computer to remotely and securely manage the configuration of TOP Server and KEPServerEX. This application allows you to restrict functionality, to meet cybersecurity requirements to control access to the OPC server host machine, and keep an eye on who made changes when with a SQL database based audit-log. This tool was introduced in 2024. In case you missed it, here is the recording from when we took a first look at the OPC Server Remote Configuration Client.
We listened to your feedback and your comments during that webinar and at other occasions and worked extensively on making changes and updating the tool and have a variety of additional features planned with frequent releases throughout 2025.
EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform
As the Emerson FB Automation Platform gains more adoption from users seeking to modernize their flow computers and RTUs and adhere to regulatory requirements for use of more secure protocols, we continue to innovate with this product offering. This tool pairs with TOP Server or KEPServerEX to leverage the DNP V3 driver with SaV5 security support to meet those requirements.
In the EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform we have added support for SQL (ODBC compliant) databases as an export format and are at work on configuration and management user interface improvements as well as making improvements based on user feedback.
For users seeking to speed configuration of the DNP connection to their FB Automation Platform devices, we also have a short video available that shows how to take an export of the DNP map from Emerson Field Tools and use that to rapidly configure TOP Server or KEPServerEX.
OPC Router
Did you see how OPC Router was pivotal in the ProveIt! demo that integrated low cost hardware for AI detection of an operator wearing a hard hat?
Also, OPC Router is coming soon to the Siemens Industrial Edge platform in the United States and Canada. Using the OPC Router on Siemens Industrial Edge allows for advanced connectivity options and data exchange to systems like SAP, building on a central management platform. This combines OPC Router's capabilities in connecting machines, devices, and applications, with enabling efficient data flow and process automation within the Siemens Industrial Edge ecosystem.
There also be several exciting new releases of OPC Router this year designed to continue advancing OPC Router as a tool for enabling Digital Transformation in Industry 4.0 initiatives. The plans are a surprise, but we know they will make the product even easier to configure, manage, troubleshoot, and scale.
Cogent Datahub
Did you see how Cogent DataHub was a key part of securely integrating legacy hardware with a UNS using MQTT in our Proveit! demo?
Also new Cogent DataHub Python API enables real-time connectivity to a DataHub instance for any Python project. It includes a data visualization demo that demonstrates reading and plotting data points using Matplotlib. Additionally, a PID Controller demo showcases how to simulate a PID Controller by continuously writing data points to a DataHub instance. Read more on GitHub.
Our partners are working hard to continue to improve Cogent DataHub v11. While we can’t share everything in the pipeline, we can say there are some exciting new updates coming in 2025.
Upcoming Blogs
Most of us at Software Toolbox are engineers like you, our blogs focus on "How to" descriptions, contain helpful videos, cover product update announcements or user case studies, and other technical updates.
You can subscribe to updates using the form at the top of this page. Your feedback and questions on blog posts are always welcomed.
Just in case you missed the Top 5 Blogs of 2024:
- Modbus Offset vs. Addressing: Why Does It Matter?
- Why Are My Data Values Wrong? - Exploring Modbus TOP Server Settings
- Enabling Sustainability through all Levels of the Automation Pyramid
- Video Tutorial: Integrating Industrial Data with HiveMQ using OPC Router
- Cogent DataHub V11 Features to Be Excited About
We have been building the schedule for 2025 and what we put together so far looks really promising:
- Detailed product how-to’s and learning videos
- Product update overviews and deep dives
- Concise summaries of industry tailored technologies
- More practical case studies
- Partner related blogs.
Return of our sustainability series around Earth Day – April 22, 2025, focusing on how automation empowers a circular economy to positively impact the world we live in.
Have you heard about the Software Toolbox Professional Services Offering?
Whether you are an End-User or System Integrator, you’re busy! Your resources are limited or you run into gaps in terms of having someone on your team with the right knowledge or expertise to rapidly achieve results with our software. You need back up. We can help you with that!
When it comes to applying our software solutions, our team can help you and your integrator’s team at all stages of your projects, whether that’s finding the right strategy and defining the steps to implement, applying best practices, quick start configuration, existing system-health reviews, and more. If you need full integration services or deeper help than is appropriate for us to provide, we can connect you with some of the best system integrators in the industry to help.
Start by figuring out what stage you need a little jump start by downloading our new services brochure:
Coming Up: More Educational Content
Our technical training team is hard at work to deliver more free training content for our clients on an active support subscription. These training courses, free to clients on active support agreements, will empower you to get the most from your investments in our solutions. We will kick off this free educational content with material focusing on TOP Server with additional courses to be added – including OmniServer, OPC Router and Cogent DataHub. Please contact our marketing team if there is a specific product that you’d like to see educational content for.
If you are interested in determining your eligibility to access this content, please reach out to us here »
Shows & Events in 2025
Last year we travelled within the USA, several countries in Europe and Africa to spend time with thousands of current and future clients, to listen to the issues you are facing and to discuss possible solutions. Help us to increase that number this year and meet us at one (or more) of these currently planned events (schedules subject to change):
- March 11-12: AVEVA Select Knowledge Xchange (ASKx) Conference in Malmö, Sweden
- April 7: AVEVA World, San Francisco, CA
- April 30: ATR Automation Conference in Cincinnati, OH
- June 2-6: CSIA Conference in San Diego, CA
- Tentative: August 11-14: Canary Users Conference in State College, PA
- September 23-26: Insource Innovate in Palm Coast, FL
As we learn about more events from our partners, we’ll post them on our Software Toolbox Events page. Also be sure to subscribe to our blogs and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or X to be the first to hear where we can talk face to face and an event near you.
Unsure about the value of attending industry events? Our team recently shared the top 5 practical reasons why meeting us in person at trade shows, conferences and events can deliver value for your career and business.
Are you ready for Windows 11? Make sure you are upgrading in time!
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10 and recommends moving to Windows 11.
When it is time to upgrade your Operating System, it’s probably also a good time to upgrade your other software tools as well. Make sure your Software Toolbox products are on maintenance and that you have an upgrade plan.
Software Toolbox Products Windows 11 Readiness Details
Need help? Contact our Support Team!
Conclusion
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate your reading this week’s post! We’ll take a rest from marketing content and switch back to a technical post next week that features web services integration from our technical team!
