Inside Schneider and HPE's Hybrid Cloud Automation Platform

Schneider Electric and HPE have launched a new service designed to help organisations modernise control systems through software-defined automation and hybrid cloud infrastructure.

The companies' new Industrial Automation Modernisation as a Service offering combines Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform with HPE SimpliVity infrastructure.

It allows industrial operators to modernise existing environments without replacing critical systems.

Bringing IT principles into industrial operations

Many industrial organisations are tied to proprietary architectures that can be difficult and costly to update.

Schneider argues that these legacy environments create technical debt while limiting flexibility as operational requirements evolve.

The new service is designed to allow operators to modernise incrementally, preserving existing investments in programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and distributed control systems (DCS) while introducing software-defined automation capabilities that can be centrally managed and updated.

Gwenaelle Huet, Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, says: "For too long, industrial enterprises have been forced to choose between operational continuity and technological modernisation.

"Together, Schneider Electric and HPE are removing that trade-off entirely, giving customers a single, governed foundation to modernise at their own pace.

"But this is about more than technology. Moving from CapEx to OpEx for industrial automation is a fundamental mindset shift for the industry – one that changes how automation is funded, consumed and continuously improved.

"No more big upfront commitments that start ageing on day one. Instead, an always-current service aligned to real operational needs.

"The industrial world is on an irreversible path toward AI: generative, agentic and increasingly physical AI embedded directly in robotics and machines.

"Getting there requires open, software-defined infrastructure built on enterprise-grade hybrid cloud, and that's exactly what Schneider Electric and HPE are delivering."

Hybrid infrastructure at the core

At the heart of the offering is a three-layer approach.

The first layer provides the infrastructure foundation, using HPE compute, storage and data protection technologies to support mission-critical industrial workloads.

Above that sits software-defined automation that can be deployed and managed across compatible hardware platforms.

The final layer covers services, including migration support, cybersecurity, managed operations and ongoing optimisation.

The architecture is designed to make operational data available wherever it is required, whether workloads run at the edge, within a private cloud environment or across both locations.

Schneider says the model can help organisations standardise automation across sites, accelerate deployment times and reduce the need for specialist personnel.

Energy optimisation capabilities have also demonstrated reductions of up to 40% in intensive operations.

Open standards over vendor lock-in

A key element of the announcement is its emphasis on open standards.

Both Schneider Electric and HPE are members of UniversalAutomation.org, which promotes software-defined automation based on the IEC 61499 standard.

The aim is to allow organisations to modernise without becoming dependent on a single hardware vendor or technology roadmap.

The model supports gradual adoption while maintaining interoperability across different environments.

"Industrial enterprises are facing the same pressures that transformed enterprise IT a decade ago – rising complexity, skills scarcity and demand for real-time intelligence at scale," says Peter Groth, VP of OEM, Service Providers and Telcos at HPE.

"EcoStruxure Automation Expert running on HPE SimpliVity and HPE software solutions gives organisations the unified foundation they need to meet these challenges head-on, with the governance, flexibility and resilience to sustain modernisation over time."

The combined solution was demonstrated at HPE Discover 2026 and is also being showcased at Automate 2026 in Chicago.