Subscription set to drive serious disruption and transformation in industrial automation

Posted: June 19, 2019

It’s an extremely exciting time within industrial automation, an industry that has been renowned for pushing the boundaries of computer and information technology for almost half a century, reaching a tipping point. Innovations in technology are driving newfound levels of advancement in process automation & control – and at speed. The advent of cloud, big data analytic platforms, data centres and new communication protocols supporting the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), are pervading the industrial and infrastructure landscape. And with the convergence of information and operational technology, coupled with new commercial models helping break down silos and deliver new levels of integrated intelligence; manufacturers and operators are being forced to rethink their technology and transformation strategies.

This rapidly changing landscape warrants new thinking in terms of the traditional rigidity of industrial software licensing, an area that is ripe for disruption with Gartner predicting that by 2020 all new entrants and 80% of historical vendors will offer subscription-based business models, regardless of where the software resides¹ . Whilst subscription is increasingly inherent within our day-to-day lives with almost all of us subscribing to at least one or a combination of smart phone, entertainment, transport, communication and cloud solutions; industrial automation has been slower to respond with software dissemination largely based on traditional perpetual licensing models. However, the vast majority of enterprise-software buyers are already considering or have begun transitioning to subscription products, citing flexibility and the ability to manage costs as the main motivators driving this change².

Whilst AVEVA has been offering a variety of subscription solutions for some time, the introduction of AVEVA Flex is the market’s first end-to-end industrial software subscription program, offering customers complete commercial and technical flexibility in accessing our comprehensive software portfolio to leverage transformative technologies and expedite business value. Leveraging our leading Monitoring & Control portfolio to help connect the asset and operations lifecycle, AVEVA Flex includes a variety of subscription options that empower customers to focus on their competitive position into the future by adopting the solutions they need from the outset, with the agility to revise software and license allocation as needs and demands evolve.

At AVEVA we see subscription as a shared commitment in innovation with our customers, and with the industry continuing its progression towards Industry 5.0 technologies and AVEVA Flex already gaining traction with a number of our key customers, we are extremely excited to be advancing our solid investments in Artificial Intelligence, Predictive Analytics and Cloud technologies and working closely with our customers to help redefine what the industrial landscape may look like in the future.

Download our infographic to learn about some key motivators driving manufacturers and operators to rethink their technology and transformation strategies.