COPA-DATA published a blog article by Lukas Punzenberger examining why open container architectures are becoming the foundation of software-defined automation.

COPA-DATA, as independent manufacturer of software, enables true industrial automation, digitalization and progress in industries such as pharmaceuticals & life sciences, energy & infrastructure, automotive, food & beverage, general manufacturing, and process industries. Our product – the zenon Software Platform – is the leading industrial control system, working completely vendor-independent in any hardware and software environment with 5,000+ clients worldwide including many Fortune Global 500s such as Toyota, Pfizer, Ford Motor, Volkswagen, Saudi Aramco, Abbott, AB InBev, Microsoft, BMW, Coca Cola, Nestlé, Baxter, Mondelēz, Texas Instruments or GE Energy. zenon connects and manages any data in one platform, tracks and controls any process in real-time with powerful SCADA, HMI and IIoT solutions, allows for better insights to make smarter decisions and presents a powerful base to design any kind of industrial application in a no-code engineering environment. Key benefits of the zenon software platform include: • true vendor-independence and full connectivity, supporting any communication protocol in brownfield and greenfield scenarios out-of-the-box • connecting any individual components, machines, processes and entire systems horizontally and vertically to monitor, control and analyze on one platform • rapid implementation time with full scalability and flexibility • readiness for key trends such as smart manufacturing, modular production (plug & produce), smart city solutions, big data and more • running equipment on highest security standards and fully meeting international regulations coming from IEC, ISA, FDA or EU GMP and many more We know: There is always an easier way!