The Internet, one of the most transformational technologies of recent decades, demonstrates the value of common, open networking standards. Any Internet-connected device can use standard protocols to find and share files, which means that consumers can use any PC or smartphone without having to worry about whether it can access Web sites or play a YouTube video. The same principle applies to industrial and building automation. In the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), sensors, controllers, actuators, software and data systems are connected via a variety of networking technologies and open standards, giving users the flexibility to integrate equipment from different manufacturers. The industry bodies which maintain fieldbus standards such as Profinet or EtherCat also provide open specifications for their connectivity technologies. These specifications allow manufacturers of connected equipment to ensure that their products are interoperable. Incremental gains This interoperability across industrial and building networks is giving rise to a new approach to implementing automation technologies. To use a military metaphor, the traditional approach has been “death or glory” – committing to an all-new installation in a large, monolithic system that has been planned and supplied by a single equipment manufacturer. The rationale is that everything – network, devices and controllers – originates from a single source, so the supplier guarantees that all of the components will work together. But the costs associated with this singlesupplier approach are steep: n Financial cost: It requires users to make substantial upfront capital investments n Operational cost: The all-or-nothing switch to new components causes disruption to staff and processes as legacy equipment is being decommissioned n Configuration cost: Users, limited to products from a single supplier’s portfolio, are denied the freedom to choose other devices which might fit their application requirements better In other words, in exchange for the promise of a fully integrated, all-in-one system, users face the risk of becoming locked into the products and services from a single supplier. The interoperability provided by the IIoT and open connectivity standards frees automation users from this trap. It is now possible to make continual, incremental gains in operational efficiency – an ethos which has worked well for some sports teams, for example – without the disruption caused by an all-new installation. This approach allows operators to keep their legacy systems, while performing staged upgrades either of individual items of equipment, or sections of a complete automation system. In this approach, operators can prioritise those elements which will provide the biggest operational improvement or return on investment, while keeping the rest of a proven system in place. Open standards can also improve resilience by widening the pool of potentially compatible components and suppliers from which replacement parts can be sourced, provided that the parts are evaluated for their ability to meet the application’s functional, safety, certification and configuration requirements. This is why small and medium-sized industrial and commercial organisations are increasingly taking a fresh look at automation modernisation. A gradual approach allows them to prioritise the investments that offer the strongest operational benefit or return, while reducing the risks of disruption and implementation. By upgrading in stages, organisations can test, review and refine each element before proceeding further. For users who value flexibility, resilience and efficiency, incremental modernisation provides a practical and lower-risk path forward. n 50 n INTEROPERABILITY September 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com One step at a time: the benefits of interoperable technologies Opting for interoperable components when modernising automation systems allows users to upgrade their systems gradually, lowering their capital and operating costs, reducing risks and disruption, and prioritising their investments to obtain the best operational benefits and returns. John Mackey, Wago’s head of automation sales in the UK and Ireland, explains.
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