Schneider Electric has launched EcoStruxure Foxboro Software Defined Automation (SDA), the industry's first open, software-defined Distributed Control System (DCS). This innovation combines Foxboro's reliability with the flexibility of open, software-defined automation, enabling hybrid and process industry customers to modernize faster, reduce risk, and future-proof their operations.
Foxboro DCS has long served as the "brain" of industrial operations, but today's landscape demands greater agility, fewer costly upgrades, and simplified compliance. EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA addresses these needs by offering flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency without compromising reliability.
Recent research by Schneider Electric and Omdia revealed that closed systems cost mid-sized industrial companies 7.5% of revenue annually through downtime, inefficiencies, and compliance retrofits, highlighting the importance of open industrial systems.
"EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA marks a defining moment for industrial automation. By embracing openness and software-defined architecture, we're giving our customers the agility to modernize without compromise, protecting their investments while unlocking future-ready capabilities. This evolution is a strategic enabler for digital transformation, and Schneider Electric is proud to lead it," Hany Fouda, senior vice president of process automation at Schneider Electric, stated.
Foxboro SDA decouples hardware from software, protecting existing investments and enabling a smoother, lower-risk modernization path. The system offers open, software-defined architecture, cybersecurity, and future-readiness. It simplifies operations, reduces costs, and provides a validated, software-defined automation architecture powered by EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE).
"The launch of EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA marks a major milestone in the evolution of process automation. By decoupling control logic from hardware, Schneider Electric is providing manufacturers with the agility to scale, adapt, and simplify their operations," Craig Resnick, vice president at ARC Advisory Group, commented.
He added: "This software defined approach helps to reduce maintenance costs, protect legacy automation investments, and ensure digital continuity throughout the entire plant lifecycle. With cybersecurity built into its core, and a commitment to open, interoperable standards, Foxboro SDA enables manufacturers to modernize at their own pace, accelerate IT and OT convergence, and increase their adoption of next generation technologies, such as AI, edge computing, and autonomous operations."
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