Software is increasingly replacing hardware in automation technology. Examples: Switches and buttons are still used, but today most industrial user interfaces are implemented on touch displays with visualization software. 'Dumb' frequency converters for controlling AC motors are no longer used, nor are analog interfaces for speed specification. And the fact that machine functions are 'hard-coded' in electronics or even mechanical units is long gone. Nevertheless, it has always been the hardware that is sold and installed.

With virtual control systems, software is now finally gaining the upper hand. We still need physical devices to run them, but unlike 'normal' PLCs, the hardware is now abstracted. The runtime software that executes the control functions no longer needs to know which device it is running on.

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