Temecula, CA — May 31, 2005 — Opto 22, a developer and manufacturer of hardware and software for industrial automation, remote monitoring, enterprise data acquisition, and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, recently started blogging—one of the newest, fastest, and most effective methods for businesses to provide company and product news, updates, and other meaningful content to subscribers and Web site visitors.Blogs, short for “Web logs”, refers to Web content created by individuals that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal or opinion platform. Opto 22’s blogs are presented in a journal format as well, and have been designed to provide timely and useful content to customers, partners, and members of the media.
Blogs are typically accessed through Web sites like Newsgator ( http://www.newsgator.com ), Bloglines ( http://www.bloglines.com ) and Yahoo News ( http://news.yahoo.com/rss ), or through add-in software available for browsers and E-mail programs.
Each provides aggregation and delivery to subscribers based on their personal choices. RSS, often referred to as “Really Simple Syndication”, is an XML-based format used to gather and distribute blogs, news, and other content to individual subscribers. “The emergence of new Internet and Web-related technologies such as RSS and blog publishing tools allow us to create, publish, and provide access to fresh news and happenings about Opto 22 on a continuous basis,” says Benson Hougland, Vice President of Marketing at Opto 22. “These new blogs, coupled with RSS to deliver them, gives us a powerful and popular new medium for reaching out to customers and partners alike.
Our Web site visitors and blog subscribers can get fresh content without having to visit our Web site each day or wait for monthly newsletters or press releases.
Our blog subscribers also receive exclusive content—such as sneak peeks at new products—that is unavailable anywhere else.”Opto 22 is currently publishing four blogs: the “OptoBlog” provides general information about Opto 22, including points of interest on its Web site, news about the company including events, seminars, and trade show attendance, and information about Opto 22’s free SNAP Ethernet Systems training; the “OptoProducts” blog offers status and announcements of new product offerings, software updates and upgrades, tech tips, and support information; the “OptoPartners Blog” accessible to registered OptoPartners in a password-protected area of Opto22.com; and the “OptoPress” blog keeps news editors and other members of the media up-to-date on interesting Opto 22 customer applications, trade shows and events, and upcoming press releases.The current popularity of blogs is evidenced by a recent CBS News report, which revealed that twenty-seven percent of online adults in the United States said they read blogs, compared with 17 percent in a survey taken just nine months earlier.
PC Magazine and Business Week have respectively identified blogs as “a phenomenon” and “the most explosive development in the information world since the Net itself.”For more information on how RSS works, or to subscribe to Opto 22 blogs, go to http://www.opto22.com/company/rss/rss_info.aspx .
About Opto 22
Opto 22 develops and manufactures hardware and software products for applications in industrial automation, remote monitoring, and enterprise data acquisition. Using standard, commercially available Internet, networking, and computer technologies, Opto 22’s input/output and control systems allow customers to monitor, control, and acquire data from all of the mechanical, electrical, and electronic assets that are key to their business operations. Opto 22's products and services support automation end users, OEMs, and information technology and operations personnel. Founded in 1974 and with over 85 million Opto 22-connected devices deployed worldwide, the company has an established reputation for quality and reliability.
Opto 22 products are sold through a worldwide network of distributors, partners, and system integrators. For more information, contact Opto 22 headquarters at 800-321-OPTO or visit our Web site at www.opto22.com .
