How to Choose the Right Software for a New Project? TIA Portal vs. PCS 7 — Siemens Approaches to Industrial Automation

In industrial automation, there is no universal software platform for system development. Choosing between two powerful Siemens solutions — SIMATIC PCS 7 and TIA Portal — is becoming increasingly complex.
Oleksandr Shapovalov, Deputy Head of the Automation Systems Department at INFOCOM Ltd, shares insights, trends, and real-world experience with both platforms.

For the INFOCOM engineering team, selecting the right platform for a new production automation project was a key challenge. At the early design stage, the client had not yet defined strict software requirements. INFOCOM, having deep expertise in both SIMATIC PCS 7 and TIA Portal, had to make a balanced, forward-looking choice.

“A few years ago, PCS 7 had undeniable advantages — redundancy, ready-to-use libraries, and powerful tools for fast configuration. But today, TIA Portal has nearly caught up in functionality,” explains Shapovalov.

In recent years, TIA Portal from Siemens has gained new capabilities for safety logic, redundant systems, and advanced diagnostics, allowing it to compete directly with the well-established PCS 7 platform.

When to Choose PCS 7

PCS 7 (SIMATIC Process Control System 7) is a Siemens software-hardware complex for integrated process automation and control. It enables centralized management of multiple industrial processes using standardized SIMATIC components and ready-made function libraries.

As a system integrator with extensive experience (INFOCOM’s first PCS 7 projects date back to 2006 for AzovElectroSteel), the company traditionally recommends PCS 7 for complex systems that require redundancy, safety logic, and high reliability in continuous operations.

PCS 7 remains a powerful tool for traditional process control applications that use “smart” field devices with HART protocol support. In such projects, PCS 7 can automate most configuration tasks — from object creation to visualization — reducing engineering time by up to 50% compared to TIA Portal. However, licensing costs are higher due to the complexity of the system.

Strengths of TIA Portal

TIA Portal (Totally Integrated Automation Portal) is Siemens’ unified engineering framework that integrates controller programming (STEP 7 Professional) and operator interface design (WinCC Professional) within one environment.

“In TIA Portal, you don’t need to license each component separately. You buy a controller and work within its memory limits. Plus, we’ve developed our own block libraries that can be adapted to any project,” explains Shapovalov.

The latest versions of TIA Portal and S7-1500 controllers now include features previously available only in PCS 7 — such as optical redundancy, safety logic, and enhanced diagnostics. Siemens is also developing PCS Neo, a next-generation process automation platform built on similar engineering and design principles, showing a shift toward a more unified digital environment.

Which Platform to Choose

According to INFOCOM Ltd experts:

• Choose TIA Portal when the project involves numerous custom mechanisms, specific libraries, or proprietary protocols — it offers greater flexibility and scalability.

• Choose PCS 7 when the system is standardized, and fast commissioning with minimal manual configuration is essential.

“PCS 7 and TIA Portal are now almost equal in functionality for most of our clients. For new international projects, clients increasingly select TIA Portal — not only for cost reasons but because of the platform’s evolution,” summarizes Shapovalov.

The automation market is moving toward integrated digital ecosystems, where TIA Portal is positioned to become the foundation for next-generation control systems. INFOCOM Ltd actively supports this transition by developing its own libraries and standards, ensuring clients receive modern, scalable, and cost-effective automation solutions.