Select Page

SMART AUTOMATION market overview – the platforms at a glance

Smart Automation Market Overview – The Platforms

This page of the Smart Automation Market Overview compares the platforms with each other: The first table shows important fields of application; the second shows security certificates that have already been obtained; the third looks at aspects of interoperability; the fourth shows the target markets that the providers are primarily addressing with the platforms.

The Smart Automation Market Overview is independent and vendor-neutral. It is based on a survey in which the listed providers took part in December 2024 and January 2025.

The Smart Automation Market Overview and the survey on which it is based are continuously being developed. Monitoring the market for open industrial platforms is the central thematic focus of the news portal Industrie-Digitalisierung.

Important changes are updated promptly after manufacturers report them. The Smart Automation Market Overview is updated about every six months after the Hannover Fair and the SPS expo.

Sub Pages of individual manufacturers provide detailed information on the special features of their solutions and offerings. The Sub Pages reflect the position and market view of the respective supplier.

Fields of application

Some of the areas of application in which the platforms differ. Some fields of application that apply to all of them are not listed here, such as condition monitoring, remote access, service or IoT.

Bosch Rexroth, ctrlX AUTOMATION
FLECS Technologies, FLECS
German Edge Cloud, ONCITE DPS
Hilscher, netFIELD
KEB Automation KG, NOA
KEBA, Kemro X
Lenze SE, Lenze NUPANO
Phoenix Contact, PLCnext Technology
SALZ Automation, SALZ Controller
TTTech Digital Solutions, Ubique
TTTech Industrial Automation, Nerve
WAGO, WAGO OS
WAGO, WAGO ctrlX OS
Weidmüller, easyConnect / u-OS
SCADA / Production control
Drives
Controls
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

First approach to comparing platforms in terms of cybersecurity

In the tables of the first version of this market overview, there was no query about the status of the platforms with regard to cybersecurity. With the forthcoming legislative form of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the adopted NIS-2 directive on the cybersecurity of a large number of institutions and industrial companies, this issue will become very important in the very near future.
However, this first table should be viewed with caution.

  • Not all certifiable parts of IEC 62443 are suitable for every platform provider.
  • The certification process can be quite complex and time-consuming anyway, without the company to be certified having much influence on it.
  • Some of the platforms have been on the market for less than a year and have not even had a chance to obtain a certificate during this period.
  • The CRA is a European law. It is not one hundred percent clear whether the standards currently in place are sufficient to have CRA-compliant products. They are certainly a good preliminary step.

By receiving the answers on my survey, I already git additional information. KEBA is in the process of certification for IEC 62443-4-1, TTTech Digital Solutions for IEC 62443-4-1 and IEC 62443-4-2. Presumably something similar applies to almost all of them, and there may be a few subsequent additions here when the suppliers provide me with specific information.

Cybersecurity

The table shows who already has certificates for which parts of IEC 62443 and who offers its customers, if affected, support in complying with EU Directive NIS-2.

Bosch Rexroth, ctrlX AUTOMATION
FLECS Technologies, FLECS
German Edge Cloud, ONCITE DPS
Hilscher, netFIELD
KEB Automation KG, NOA
KEBA, Kemro X
Lenze SE, Lenze NUPANO
Phoenix Contact, PLCnext Technology
SALZ Automation, SALZ Controller
TTTech Digital Solutions, Ubique
TTTech Industrial Automation, Nerve
WAGO, WAGO OS
WAGO, WAGO ctrlX OS
Weidmüller, easyConnect / u-OS
IEC 62443-2-4
IEC 62443-3-3
IEC 62443-4-1
IEC 62443-4-2
NIS-2 Support

Interoperability

The table shows what functionality the platforms offer in terms of openness and collaboration.

Bosch Rexroth, ctrlX AUTOMATION
FLECS Technologies, FLECS
German Edge Cloud, ONCITE DPS
Hilscher, netFIELD
KEB Automation KG, NOA
KEBA, Kemro X
Lenze SE, Lenze NUPANO
Phoenix Contact, PLCnext Technology
SALZ Automation, SALZ Controller
TTTech Digital Solutions, Ubique
TTTech Industrial Automation, Nerve
WAGO, WAGO OS
WAGO, WAGO ctrlX OS
Weidmüller, easyConnect / u-OS
Open for third-party hardware
Own App Shop
White Labeling
Partnernetwork
I40 AAS
Consulting / Implementation

Target markets

Not every platform is suitable for every industry segment. This table shows who the manufacturers are primarily targeting with their platforms.

Bosch Rexroth, ctrlX AUTOMATION
FLECS Technologies, FLECS
German Edge Cloud, ONCITE DPS
Hilscher, netFIELD
KEB Automation KG, NOA
KEBA, Kemro X
Lenze SE, Lenze NUPANO
Phoenix Contact, PLCnext Technology
SALZ Automation, SALZ Controller
TTTech Digital Solutions, Ubique
TTTech Industrial Automation, Nerve
WAGO, WAGO OS
WAGO, WAGO ctrlX OS
Weidmüller, easyConnect / u-OS
Industry Automation
Mechanical engineering
Robotics
Plant engineering
Process industry
Infrastructure
Energy
Consumer goods
Building automation

Contact a provider

Please fill out the form once per provider

/ Smart Automation / Contact Provider

Data protection notice

5 + 11 =