According to the latest research study released by Technavio, the global programmable logic controller (PLC) software market is expected to reach more than 484 million in revenue by 2020.

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“Traditionally, industrial robots, motion controllers, and PLCs were programmed separately. PLCs are programmed in ladder logic; motion controls with their wide range are programmed using a PC library or other proprietary language; and industrial robots are programmed in complex proprietary languages that are difficult for non-technical personnel to understand,” said Bharath Kanniappan, one of Technavio’s lead analysts for automation research.