Abstract
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) represent a settled technology that is well established and ubiquitous within the automation of industrial processes. This technology is a significant automation foundation, and PLCs are expected to be needed in the future, even in the era of Industry 4.0. However, these controllers have to satisfy a variety of requirements in new era production paradigms. This manuscript gives a brief overview of the current state of the practice, explaining the main reasons for the persistence of PLC technology, while further examining the possibility of the shift towards the direction of their replacement by a cloud service. Thereby, the introduction of the service paradigm could also play an important role in future industrial automation. This paper discusses such a concept of production control as a service substitution of the traditional PLCs. Its application would significantly increase flexibility by fulfilling industry 4.0 requirements such as autonomy, interchangeability and reconfigurability, and would allow the creation of new business models that would lease production control processes.
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