Digitalization and the Internet of Things―the primary catalysts of the industrial revolution known as Industry 4.0―have enabled manufacturers to dramatically increase profitability by realizing unprecedented levels of production efficiency and flexibility, supply chain control, and worker safety. Further enabled by the increasing maturity of analytics solutions and advances in cloud- and cognitive-computing, Industry 4.0 will eventually lead to an era in which smart manufacturing and other advanced techniques are ubiquitous. As this transition gradually unfolds, today’s automation technology suppliers must continually adapt to manufacturers’ evolving product selection, deployment, and management requirements. VDC’s multi-decade coverage of key automation technology markets―including sensors, data acquisition solutions, control platforms, networking components, and industrial security―enables us to provide our clients with unparalleled insight into the changing needs of the global process and manufacturing markets.