A software-based controller for the industrial future

(See Phoenix Contact at Machine Building North, 13 May 2026, on stand 23)

The solution is fully integrated into the PLCnext Technology ecosystem and opens up new possibilities for state-of-the-art, scalable, and resource-saving automation concepts without any physical controller hardware.

Virtual PLCnext Control is hardware-independent and is based on the Open Container Initiative (OCI). This means that the controller software can be run as a container application in state-of-the-art IT infrastructures such as Docker and Hyper-V - on Windows and Linux systems, locally and in the cloud. This architecture enables rapid deployment, simple scaling, and a high degree of flexibility when integrating into existing automation and IT landscapes.

The new solution was presented for the first time at SPS 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany. There, Phoenix Contact demonstrated how Virtual PLCnext Control will open up new degrees of freedom in automation and bring the controller directly into the IT world. "With Virtual PLCnext Control, we are taking the controller straight to where it is needed today: the IT world," explains Andre Brand, Manager Product Management Controls at Phoenix Contact. "Our customers benefit from high-level scalability, rapid deployment, and the ability to implement automation projects flexibly, while saving resources at the same time." The new solution supports all of the familiar functions such as programming in IEC 61131-3, high-level language integration, OPC UA, MQTT, and the use of apps from the PLCnext Store. This means that the familiar development environment is retained - it is just that there is no physical controller hardware.

Virtual PLCnext Control is ideal for applications in industrial digitalisation where classic control technology has reached its limits - whether for simulations, test environments, decentral control concepts, or as part of an edge architecture.