Vendor Insights
We distill the latest vendor releases and combine them with our own insights to give system integrators clear, actionable perspective on what’s shaping the market.
Latest Vendor Releases
Recent earnings releases and market commentary from major automation suppliers continue reinforcing that investment activity remains strongest in infrastructure, electrification, industrial software, energy, data centers, modernization, and operational improvement initiatives. Across the market, spending continues prioritizing productivity, resiliency, operational visibility, and long-term infrastructure demand over broad-based capacity expansion.
Rockwell Automation Sees Continued Recovery in Automation Demand
Rockwell Automation’s Q3 results indicate continued improvement in industrial automation demand, with revenue growth supported by stronger customer activity and continued investment in digital transformation, software, and strategic growth markets.
- Revenue Growth: Sales increased 8% year-over-year to approximately $2.3 billion, reflecting improving demand across Rockwell’s automation portfolio.
- Software & Control: The segment continued to outperform, highlighting increasing customer investment in software, information solutions, and connected operations.
- Growth Markets: Demand remained strong in areas including data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, warehouse automation, and energy.
- Customer Priorities: Manufacturers continue to invest in automation to improve productivity, address labor constraints, increase operational visibility, and optimize operations.
- Market Outlook: While economic uncertainty, tariffs, and capital investment timing remain considerations, Rockwell’s results suggest automation spending is gradually recovering.
Emerson Sees Strong Demand for Software and Automation Solutions
Emerson’s Q3 results reflect continued strength in industrial automation demand, with growth led by software, systems, and technology solutions. The company raised its 2026 outlook, citing robust demand and continued investment in key growth markets.
- Revenue Growth: Emerson reported Q3 sales of $4.9 billion, up 7% year-over-year (6% underlying), with underlying orders increasing 7%.
- Software & Systems: The segment grew 11% year-over-year, driven by continued demand for software and automation solutions.
- Control Systems & Software: Revenue increased 7%, highlighting continued investment in automation platforms and digital capabilities.
- Customer Demand: Emerson reported broad-based growth across North America and Asia, with continued investment supported by long-term industrial automation trends.
- Outlook: Emerson raised its 2026 outlook, expecting approximately 5% reported sales growth and approximately 5% underlying sales growth for the full year.
Siemens Accelerates Growth Through Industrial AI and Digital Transformation
Siemens’ Q3 FY2026 results highlight continued strength in industrial markets, with record orders, improving revenue growth, and increasing investment in digital technologies. The company continues to position industrial AI, software, and connected infrastructure as key drivers of future customer value.
- Revenue Growth: Siemens reported Q3 revenue of €20.8 billion, up 7% year-over-year (8% comparable), with growth across all industrial businesses.
- Digital Industries: Revenue increased 12%, with software revenue growing 16%, reinforcing the continued shift toward digital engineering, industrial software, and connected operations.
- Smart Infrastructure: Orders increased 40% and revenue grew 12%, driven in part by strong demand for electrification solutions and large data center projects in the U.S. and Europe.
- Industrial AI Focus: Siemens continues to emphasize industrial AI as a core technology priority, helping customers accelerate innovation, improve productivity, and advance digital transformation.
- Market Outlook: Siemens raised its fiscal year outlook following strong first-half performance, with continued expectations for growth in Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure.
Schneider Electric Sees Strong Demand Across Automation, Digitalization, and Electrification
Schneider Electric’s first half results highlight continued strength in industrial markets, driven by broad-based demand for electrification, automation, and digital solutions. The company upgraded its 2026 outlook, supported by strong backlog, improving industrial automation trends, and continued investment in data center infrastructure.
- Revenue Growth: Schneider reported H1 revenue of €21.2 billion, up 14% organically, with Q2 revenue reaching a record €11.5 billion, up 17% organically.
- Industrial Automation: The Industrial Automation business accelerated, growing 11% organically in Q2, supported by improving trends across both discrete and process automation markets.
- Software & Digital Solutions: Schneider continues to expand its software portfolio, with AVEVA delivering strong growth in recurring revenue and continued adoption of subscription-based solutions.
- AI and Industrial Intelligence: Schneider is strengthening its digital capabilities through investments in industrial data and AI platforms, including its planned acquisition of Cognite to enhance data integration, contextualization, and AI-enabled decision-making.
- Demand Drivers: Data centers remain a significant growth driver, with sustained demand for AI-enabled and traditional cloud infrastructure.
- Market Outlook: Schneider upgraded its 2026 targets, expecting organic revenue growth of 10–13% and adjusted EBITA margin improvement of 70–100 basis points.
While core automation demand is recovering, growth is increasingly being driven by software, data, digitalization, electrification, and connected operations.
Automation demand is improving. Rockwell, Siemens, Emerson, and Schneider all reported improving market conditions, with growth supported by investments across industrial markets, including data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure.
Software and digital solutions are becoming central to automation strategies. Across the vendor landscape, software businesses continue to outperform traditional automation offerings. Industrial customers are increasingly looking for solutions that connect operational data, improve decision-making, and optimize asset performance.
Industrial AI is moving from concept to capability. Vendors are making significant investments in AI-enabled engineering, operations, and industrial intelligence platforms. The focus is shifting from experimentation toward practical applications that improve productivity, reliability, and business outcomes.
The definition of a system integrator continues to expand. As automation converges with IT, data, cybersecurity, and enterprise systems, successful SIs will need to broaden their capabilities while maintaining the deep technical expertise that has historically differentiated them.