2017 Programmable Controller Software, Hardware Study

Respondents to the 2017 Programmable Controller Software and Hardware Study identified several key findings.

By Control Engineering November 1, 2017

The 2017 Programmable Controller Software & Hardware Study unveiled several key findings regarding what end users expect and how they purchase or specify industrial controller software and hardware:

  1. Usage of industrial controller software, hardware: Programmable controller software or hardware is most commonly used for discrete and continuous manufacturing (22%), continuous manufacturing (22%), or continuous and batch manufacturing purposes (19%).
  2. Justifications: The top situations in which end users purchase new industrial controller software and/or hardware are an automation upgrade (67%), a new installation (56%), and an operations/engineering upgrade (44%).
  3. Annual spend: Over the past 12 months, the average respondent’s company was estimated to have been spent $158,000 on industrial controller software and hardware; and an average of $157,000 is expected to be spent in the next year on these products.
  4. Purpose: More than half of respondents already use industrial controllers to help with remote monitoring and maintenance tasks; another 39% use these products for simulations, and 29% as a mobile interface for alarming. (See Figure 1)
  5. Cybersecurity: Seventy-six percent of respondents reported that their companies restrict access to controllers in an effort to protect these devices; 55% have increased password protection procedures.
  6. Looking ahead: Eight in 10 end users expect to buy industrial controller software or hardware in the next 12 months; end users expect to use/purchase an average of 9 industrial controllers during this time frame.

Access the full 2017 Programmable Controller Software & Hardware report here.