Software-defined automation (SDA) has moved from vendor keynote to procurement checklist. On 17 September 2026, Austrian independent software vendor COPA-DATA released zenon version 16, a platform update that packages modular automation, biometric cybersecurity, web-based operation and expanded Linux support into a single engineering environment. The timing is not accidental: control architectures are decoupling from proprietary hardware, and security is no longer a bolt-on layer but a design constraint. For plant managers, systems integrators and PLC engineers, zenon 16 is a useful proxy for where the entire industrial control stack is heading.
Analyst Insight: The most telling detail in this release is not the feature list ā it is the framing. COPA-DATA describes zenon 16 as a "milestone on the path toward Software-defined Automation." Vendors rarely commit public roadmaps to a concept unless customer RFPs are already demanding it.
Why zenon 16 Matters Now: The Software-Defined Automation Race
The economics behind SDA are straightforward. Hardware refresh cycles are slow, expensive and increasingly difficult to staff. Virtualised and soft controllers promise cloud-like flexibility on the shop floor ā deploy code, not cabinets.
Industry forecasters have put numbers behind the shift. ABI Research projects the virtual and soft controller market will reach US$4.5 billion by 2035, driven by modernisation pressure and chronic skills shortages. Schneider Electric fired the first high-profile shot in February 2026 with EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA, positioned as the industry's first open, software-defined DCS. COPA-DATA's answer is different in emphasis: rather than a single DCS product, zenon 16 hardens the platform layer that sits across manufacturing and power grid operations.
Market Data: The numbers behind the SDA transition
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Virtual/soft controller market: forecast to reach US$4.5 billion by 2035 (ABI Research, November 2025).
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Primary drivers: legacy system modernisation, operational efficiency targets, workforce and skills shortages.
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Architectural pattern: decoupling PLC and DCS control logic from vendor-specific hardware into containerised or virtualised runtimes.
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Competitive field: Siemens, Schneider Electric, Beckhoff, CODESYS, Red Hat and a wave of soft-PLC start-ups.
Biometric Security Is Now Part of the Control Layer
As production networks converge with IT infrastructure, identity becomes an attack surface. zenon 16 introduces biometric authentication based on the FIDO2 standard ā the first time the platform has supported it. Operators can log in via biometric wearables, replacing shared credentials and weak password policies with cryptographically bound identities.
Supporting changes reinforce the same theme. The Identity Service inside zenon IIoT Services has been redesigned for a consistent look and feel, and Identity Service login is now supported in the Web Visualization Service, giving tighter control over user permissions inside a project. Engineering gains Equipment Model based access control, which ties permissions to physical asset structures rather than flat user lists.
Market Trend: Identity is becoming the primary security perimeter in industrial environments. Regulation across pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and energy is pushing traceable user activity from a compliance nice-to-have to an auditable requirement ā which is precisely the gap FIDO2-based authentication closes.
Modular Automation, Linux and Interoperability
Version 16 leans into modularity through MTP 2.0 (Module Type Package), the standardised interface that lets process modules plug into a supervisory system with minimal custom engineering. For brownfield plants, that means faster commissioning of skids and packages without rewriting the control layer.
Expanded Linux support matters for a different reason. Virtualised automation increasingly runs on IT-grade hypervisors and container platforms, where Linux dominates. Broadening the supported footprint makes zenon a more credible candidate for containerised or edge-deployed deployments rather than a Windows-only supervisory server.
Interoperability and expanded Web Visualization Service capabilities round out the release, allowing browser-based operation across multi-location projects. COPA-DATA's wider portfolio ā including zenon OpenDCS, positioned as a software-defined, hardware-independent control layer for pharmaceutical and process industries ā shows how the platform strategy connects to the SDA narrative.
What This Means for PLC and Control Architecture
Three practical implications for automation engineers and plant owners:
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Hardware independence becomes negotiable leverage. When control software is portable across virtualised and conventional targets, vendor lock-in weakens and multi-sourcing becomes realistic.
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Cybersecurity moves into the engineering workflow. Access control tied to asset models and biometric login means security configuration is now part of project engineering, not a separate IT exercise.
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Web-first operation reshapes HMI strategy. Browser-based visualisation reduces the dependency on dedicated operator stations and simplifies multi-site supervision.
Analyst Insight: Platform vendors are converging on the same architecture: open software layer, standardised module interfaces, hardened identity, and virtualised runtimes. The differentiator is no longer the SCADA feature list ā it is how cleanly a platform absorbs legacy hardware assets during the transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is software-defined automation (SDA)?
SDA describes an architecture where control logic is decoupled from proprietary hardware and executed on a flexible software layer ā often virtualised or containerised. It enables faster updates, standardised module interfaces and greater hardware choice. COPA-DATA positions its zenon platform as an enabler of this transition across manufacturing and energy.
What are the headline features of zenon 16?
Biometric authentication based on the FIDO2 standard, expanded Linux support, MTP 2.0 for modular process automation, enhancements to the Web Visualization Service, Identity Service improvements within zenon IIoT Services, Equipment Model based access control in engineering, and broad usability and connectivity upgrades.
Does this replace the PLC?
Not immediately. Most facilities will run hybrid architectures for years, with conventional controllers alongside virtualised runtimes. The strategic direction is to make control logic portable, so hardware decisions can be made on cost, availability and lifecycle rather than software compatibility.
Why does biometric login matter in an industrial setting?
Shared accounts and static passwords create audit gaps and lateral-movement risk in converged IT/OT networks. FIDO2-based biometrics bind access to a specific human identity, which improves traceability, reduces credential-sharing, and supports regulatory requirements for documented user activity.
The Bottom Line
zenon 16 is less a product launch than a positioning statement: COPA-DATA is betting that the next generation of industrial control will be defined by software portability, standardised modular interfaces and embedded identity security. For operators weighing a modernisation path, the useful question is no longer whether SDA arrives, but how much of the existing hardware estate can be carried into it.
