Wonderware is industrial automation software that lets operators monitor and control factory equipment, production lines, and plant processes from computer screens. It became the industry standard for HMI (human-machine interface) and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software after revolutionizing those categories in the 1990s. The Wonderware brand now operates under AVEVA, and its products have been renamed accordingly, but the name “Wonderware” still dominates everyday conversation in manufacturing and process industries.
What Wonderware Actually Does
At its core, Wonderware gives plant operators a real-time visual display of what’s happening across an entire operation. Think of it as the dashboard for a factory. Sensors on physical equipment (pumps, valves, conveyors, tanks, boilers) feed data into the software, which then displays that information as graphics on a screen. An operator sitting in a control room can see temperatures, pressures, flow rates, and machine statuses all at once, and can often send commands back to equipment directly through the interface.
Beyond simple monitoring, the software handles alarming, which means it flags abnormal conditions so operators can respond quickly. It includes intelligent alarm features like state-based alarming, alarm suppression, and grouping that filter out nuisance alerts and surface only the ones that matter based on severity. It also stores historical data through a specialized time-series database that captures plant information far faster than standard database systems while using a fraction of the storage space. That historical record lets engineers analyze trends, troubleshoot problems, and make data-driven decisions about process improvements.
The Main Products
Wonderware is not a single application. It’s a family of products, each handling a different layer of industrial operations. Here are the ones you’ll encounter most often:
- AVEVA InTouch HMI (formerly Wonderware InTouch): The flagship product and the most widely used plant HMI in the world. This is the visualization layer where operators see real-time process data, interact with equipment graphics, and monitor alarms. InTouch applications come in two flavors: standalone (tag-based, using native symbols) and managed (object-based, running within the broader System Platform).
- AVEVA System Platform (formerly Wonderware System Platform): A larger, enterprise-level platform that ties together SCADA, MES (manufacturing execution systems), and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) deployments. It provides a unified foundation connecting people, processes, and assets across multiple facilities, letting you visualize operations through an asset model that adds context to real-time data, alarms, events, and historical records.
- AVEVA Historian (formerly Wonderware Historian): A purpose-built database for time-series data from plant operations. Unlike a general-purpose database, it’s optimized to handle the massive volume of data points that industrial equipment generates every second.
- AVEVA Edge (formerly Wonderware Edge): A lighter-weight HMI/SCADA tool designed for machine builders, OEMs, and smaller-scale applications where a full System Platform deployment would be overkill.
- AVEVA MES (formerly Wonderware MES): Manufacturing execution software that digitally manages production rules, quality checks, compliance requirements, and operational activities in real time. It sits between the plant floor (where SCADA operates) and the business level (where ERP systems like SAP run).
The Name Change: Wonderware to AVEVA
Wonderware was founded as an independent company and eventually became part of Schneider Electric’s software portfolio. Schneider Electric then merged its industrial software businesses into AVEVA, a UK-based software company. As part of that consolidation, Wonderware products were rebranded under the AVEVA name. InTouch became AVEVA InTouch HMI, System Platform became AVEVA System Platform, and so on.
In practice, many engineers, integrators, and job postings still use “Wonderware” because the name has decades of recognition. If you see a job listing asking for “Wonderware experience,” it means experience with these AVEVA products.
Where Wonderware Is Used
Wonderware software runs in virtually every industry that involves physical processes and automated equipment. Oil and gas, water and wastewater treatment, food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, mining, power generation, and discrete manufacturing (think automotive assembly lines or electronics production) all use it extensively. Any operation where equipment needs to be monitored continuously and where downtime or process deviations carry serious financial or safety consequences is a candidate for Wonderware.
A water treatment plant might use InTouch to display the status of every pump, valve, and chemical dosing system across a facility. A pharmaceutical manufacturer might use MES to enforce production recipes and track every batch for regulatory compliance. A large energy company might deploy System Platform to unify operations across dozens of remote sites, with geographic map-based navigation linking each site’s data to its physical location.
Skills and Careers
If you’re exploring Wonderware from a career perspective, the people who work with this software typically fall into a few categories. Control systems engineers design and configure the applications. System integrators build and deploy Wonderware solutions for client companies. Plant operators and process engineers use the software daily to run operations.
AVEVA offers structured training through several channels: self-guided eLearning modules, more advanced eLearning with lab exercises and simulations, and instructor-led classroom training (both in-person and virtual). Short technical videos called AVEVA Learning Bytes cover specific features in three to seven minutes. For professionals who want formal credentials, AVEVA runs certification programs including Certified Training Provider and Certified Support Provider designations, plus a multi-tier System Integrator program that recognizes partners by their level of experience and product expertise.
Common technical skills for Wonderware roles include scripting within InTouch (which uses its own scripting language), configuring object templates in System Platform, setting up historian tags, and understanding industrial communication protocols that connect the software to physical controllers like PLCs (programmable logic controllers). Experience with Wonderware is a marketable skill in industrial automation, and professionals who can both configure the software and understand the underlying process engineering tend to command higher salaries.