That's a fascinating question about the future of industrial automation! By 2030, if every component can 'phone home' with real-time performance data, we'll see a complete transformation from selling hardware to delivering outcomes. Here's what I imagine:

First, the business models will shift dramatically. Instead of just selling machines, suppliers will offer 'Equipment as a Service' where you pay for uptime, productivity, or specific outcomes rather than owning the hardware. Think about paying for 'parts produced per hour' instead of buying a machine outright. Predictive maintenance becomes a subscription service - you pay for guaranteed uptime, and the supplier handles all maintenance based on the real-time data streaming from your equipment.

Performance-based contracts will become standard. Suppliers might charge based on energy efficiency gains, quality improvements, or production output increases. There could even be 'shared savings' models where both the customer and supplier benefit from performance improvements.

This transforms the supplier relationship from transactional to partnership. Your automation supplier becomes more like a strategic partner invested in your success. They're no longer just selling you a machine and walking away - they're continuously optimizing your operations based on the data their equipment generates. The relationship becomes more collaborative, with suppliers providing ongoing value through data insights, optimization recommendations, and guaranteed performance.

Suppliers will compete on their ability to deliver outcomes rather than just hardware specs. The best suppliers will be those who can use the data to drive the most value for their customers. It's a win-win: customers get better performance without capital expenditure, and suppliers get recurring revenue streams while building deeper, more valuable relationships.