Schneider Electric launches automation modernization service with HPE

Schneider Electric (Euronext Paris: SU) announced a new offering called "Industrial Automation Modernization as a Service" on June 23, 2026, combining its EcoStruxure Automation Expert software with HPE SimpliVity hybrid cloud infrastructure.

The service is designed to allow industrial operators to update their automation systems incrementally, without replacing existing programmable logic controllers or distributed control systems. The offering shifts industrial automation spending from capital expenditure to an operational expenditure model.

The combined solution is structured in three layers: an infrastructure foundation built on HPE compute, storage, and data protection technologies; software-defined automation controls that can be deployed and updated centrally; and lifecycle services covering assessment, migration, managed operations, and cybersecurity.

According to the press release, industrial companies lose an average of $11 million annually due to aging automation architectures, with large enterprises exceeding $45 million per year. The companies claim the service can reduce commissioning time by up to 60% and cut time to market by 50%, while AI-driven optimization has demonstrated up to 40% energy reduction in some operations.

Schneider Electric and HPE are both members of UniversalAutomation.org, an industry group supporting open automation standards based on the IEC 61499 standard. Both companies said the open-standards approach is intended to prevent vendor lock-in.

"For too long, industrial enterprises have been forced to choose between operational continuity and technological modernization," said Gwenaelle Huet, Executive Vice President of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric. "Together Schneider Electric and HPE are removing that trade-off entirely."

A working deployment was demonstrated at HPE Discover 2026 and is being showcased at Automate 2026 in Chicago, where Schneider Electric is exhibiting at booth #2257.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Alphabet Sees FY26 Capex $195B To $205B, Saw $180B To $190B
• Sigma Lithium faces $540,000 in fines, begins TAC talks in Brazil
• GE Aerospace and Magellan sign F414 engine MRO deal for Canada