Schneider Electric is throwing down a challenge to the industrial automation status quo.

 

The global energy technology leader has launched EcoStruxure Foxboro Software Defined Automation (SDA) — billed as the industry’s first open, software-defined Distributed Control System (DCS) — in a move designed to help hybrid and process manufacturers modernize faster, cut risk, and future-proof their operations.

 

For decades, Foxboro DCS has acted as the "brain' of complex industrial plants, delivering real-time control and coordination. But in an era defined by digital transformation, legacy systems are increasingly seen as a bottleneck. Companies are demanding greater agility, fewer costly hardware upgrades, and simpler compliance pathways.

 

Foxboro SDA aims to answer that call.

 

By decoupling hardware from software, the platform combines the proven reliability of Foxboro with the flexibility of open, software-defined architecture. The promise: scalability, cost efficiency, and modernization without operational disruption.

 

The urgency is real. In a recent global research report conducted with Omdia, Schneider Electric found that closed industrial systems drain mid-sized industrial companies of 7.5% of annual revenue due to downtime, inefficiencies, and compliance retrofits.

 

"EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA marks a defining moment for industrial automation,” said Hany Fouda, Senior Vice President, Process Automation, Schneider Electric. 

 

"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.”

 

The new system was shaped by direct customer feedback pointing to aging infrastructure, rising lifecycle costs, and pressure to “do more with less.” 

 

By separating software innovation from hardware constraints, Foxboro SDA offers a lower-risk modernization path — extending the life of existing assets while accelerating access to data, insights, and sustainable performance gains.

 

With this launch, Schneider Electric is positioning itself not just as a technology supplier, but as an architect of the next era of open industrial automation.