- July 10, 2025
- Webinar
- Sponsored
Open, Software-Defined Automation–The Evolution from Hardware to Software (Part 1)
A Webinar by Schneider Electric
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 from 10-11 a.m. EDT
As digital transformation sweeps across industries, industrial automation and control systems are evolving away from hardware-dependent, mechanical systems to software-defined automation (SDA) paradigms. With control logic decoupled from the physical devices it runs on, operational technology (OT) systems can be more programmable, flexible and scalable. Users of SDA OT systems enjoy many strategic advantages, especially when the software they use is based on open rather than proprietary standards.
In this four-part webinar series on open, software-defined automation, experts from Schneider Electric discuss the origins, structure, advantages and use cases of this new automation approach using their EcoStruxure Automation Expert software.
Through conversations, presentations and demonstrations, we explore the evolution and history of SDA, why open standards and technology partnerships are important, and what successful use cases look like today and in the future Register today for "Part 1: Open, Software-Defined Automation–The Evolution From Hardware to Software." This discussion between Automation.com’s Chief Editor Renee Bassett and Schneider Electric’s SDA Country Director Andre Babineau provides an overview of what software-defined automation means, how it is different from legacy systems and the advantages it can provide now and in the future—autonomous operations, anyone?
What the audience can expect to learn from the webinar:
- Insights on how OT systems have moved from the hardware era to the software/virtual/cloud systems era
- What software-defined automation means and the advantages it provides
- Examples using Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert software
- What’s next: autonomous operations, software-defined everything (SDx) and more
Andre Babineau is the software-defined automation country director for Schneider Electric. Based in Montreal, Canada, Andre brings 30 years of global experience in marketing, software development, and large project execution. He has a BSC in Electrical Engineering from Université Laval and worked for more than 15 years for Invensys. He then moved to CAE to become an engineering director in charge of redesigning a new instructor station using modern user experience technologies for a flight simulator. Before joining Schneider Electric to handle strategic initiatives for process automation, he worked as a pre-sales director for Velan, a valve manufacturer.