As the lines blur between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), Aveva Group, a Schneider Electric company, is doubling down on its partner ecosystem—especially those managed service providers (MSPs) evolving into domain specialists.
The company sees strong momentum in partners shifting away from traditional project-based delivery toward scalable, service-based models powered by AI, cloud platforms, and deep industry expertise.
“We’re no longer in an era where on-prem custom solutions are the only option,” said Tim Sowell, Aveva’s Head of Digital Portfolio Strategy. “The value today is in enabling partners to turn their hard-won knowledge into reusable services.”
Aveva’s legacy tools—such as the PI System and SimSci—have long been deployed by systems integrators across sectors like energy, mining, and manufacturing. But those same partners are now repositioning themselves as service providers offering industry-specific applications through Aveva’s Connect platform.
A standout example is Harmony Gold, a major mining company in South Africa. Lacking in-house pump optimization expertise, Harmony partnered with a former system integrator that productized its know-how into a service offering. Instead of sending spreadsheet exports, this third party now taps directly into Harmony’s operational data—effectively acting as an extension of its internal team.
Alexey Lebedev, VP of Pacific at Aveva, said this is part of a broader transformation. “Partners are becoming trusted advisors, not just implementation resources. Some are even shifting toward ‘expertise-as-a-service’ models, where deep domain insights become a monetizable asset.”
This shift aligns with the broader market trend away from perpetual licenses and toward subscription-based SaaS models. Partners are being challenged to rethink how they package and deliver value—building scalable solutions atop platforms like Aveva Connect, rather than one-off deployments.
In Europe, some engineering partners are booked out for nearly a year, thanks to high demand. But in markets like Australia, where skilled labor is scarce, the need for repeatable, platform-based services is even more urgent.
Artificial intelligence is adding further pressure—and opportunity. With the rise of platform-native AI tools, the traditional license model is fading. Instead, partners can embed intelligence directly into their solutions, offering customers continuous value and updates via subscription.
Sowell sees this as part of a larger convergence. “We’re watching IT, OT, IoT, and engineering come together—and it’s reshaping how digital transformation happens,” he said.
Aveva, originally founded as a CAD software center in the UK in the 1960s, has reinvented itself multiple times through acquisitions and product evolution. Now fully owned by Schneider Electric, the company is focused on building a future where partners use Aveva’s digital building blocks to deliver sophisticated services at scale.
“In today’s industrial landscape, it’s not just about tools,” Sowell said. “It’s about packaging decades of expertise in a way that accelerates impact—for both partners and customers.”