New Mobile Devices and Server Deployment Drive Growth
As the global economy stabilized in 2010, the worldwide Human-Machine Interface (HMI) software and services industry experienced strong order recovery and growth. Higher HMI software and services revenues were driven by growing industrial demand for energy efficiency and sustainability. Modernization requirements to improve manufacturing productivity and safety, as well as investments for new and upgraded power and infrastructure projects, also drove growth.
As HMI software shifts from standalone computing towards client/server architecture, demand for the ability to view and/or control a process via the Internet or corporate intranets increase dramatically. Demand continues to increase for HMI ‘thin-client’ products, which users utilize to view and/or control a process from a computer or browser-embedded device on which no HMI software is installed. Thin-client HMI products also enables end users to be able to remotely execute applications.
Operating systems, such as Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, as well as Blackberry’s OS, are the foundations for a great majority of the smart phones and tablet PCs. These devices can be used for thin client browser access to view HMI data. However, when the HMI software package itself is embedded in a smart phone or tablet PC, the device typically will be running an operating system capable of supporting real-time applications without extensions.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are an important customer type and a key market for HMI software and services. Examples of OEM applications include plastics or packaging machinery where the machinery supplier purchases HMI software products, embeds them in its machine, and then sells the machine to the end user as a value-added product.
Strategic Issues
Demand for improved collaboration between suppliers, customers, production management, and plant floor operation is driving the shift to server-based platforms and solutions. Remote HMI software viewing and control capabilities, increased interaction with legacy systems, and plant control information made more accessible to enterprise applications, is driving this shift. This is a key strategic issue for future HMI software solutions, along with:
- What operating systems should suppliers to the HMI software market offer as their major primary software platforms?
- Where are the fastest growth areas for HMI software in the industrial markets, including discrete, process, and batch?
- Which software segments are HMI software and services suppliers planning to expand their application space?
- How will offering a full portfolio of HMI supervisory and server software solutions affect a supplier's market share?
