Introducing Kepware+: Accelerating Adoption of SaaS in the Factory

PTC is bringing forward a new generation of its widely-trusted Kepware industrial connectivity solution. Announced at Rockwell Automation Fair and anticipated to release publicly this quarter, Kepware+ is designed for connected enterprises looking for improved visibility across their industrial automation landscape. The new SaaS solution offers a single, simple, modern configuration and management capability for accessing industrial data and accelerating enterprise digital transformation. 

“Manufacturing is evolving,” said Abby Eon, PTC’s senior vice president and general manager for Kepware. “Our customers are looking at a world where they are standardizing their data and considering the most efficient methods to transform their entire connectivity landscape.”

Thousands of manufacturing companies use Kepware to manage hundreds of thousands of industrial automation machines deployed in the factory and the field around the world. To ensure smooth and efficient operations, companies rely on Kepware to gather and communicate equipment status, readiness, and performance. Given the increasing importance and complexity of process control in optimizing sustainable operational output in manufacturing settings, factory managers need tools that enable secure, scalable device connectivity and remote management.

With Kepware+, manufacturers can centralize and standardize remote configuration activities for IT/OT data across the enterprise. Kepware+ represents a sea change in the way controls engineers manage industrial automation environments and, specifically, how they interact with Kepware Server, the industry-leading data collection software, which is heavily deployed in those environments. Whereas today, much of the configuration and management is done locally and manually, Kepware+ will provide visibility into installations across the enterprise from a single pane of glass, saving substantial work hours, reducing security risks, and improving operational efficiency.

Kepware+ is the latest delivery against PTC’s overall strategy to introduce a new generation of SaaS products from its digital thread portfolio. In April, the company introduced Windchill+, a SaaS version of its market-leading product lifecycle management (PLM) solution. As a leader in SaaS for industrial applications, PTC plans to introduce additional “plus” products built on its Atlas SaaS platform in the coming years.