I’ve been in the automation industry for more than 30 years, and there’s been one saying you could always count on hearing: “You never get fired for buying Rockwell.” And for decades, that saying was true. It was the easy answer, the corporate safety net. If something went wrong, no one would blame you, because you bought the most expensive gear from the biggest name in the industry. For years, that decision felt like a no-brainer to many people. Rockwell had the brand, the market share, and the reputation. You didn’t question it. You just bought it, installed it, and moved on.
However, that logic no longer holds up. Not in today’s market. Not after the last five years. And especially not after COVID exposed the cracks that many of us had suspected were already there.
Over the past five years, I’ve visited hundreds of machine builders and OEMs across North America, and I can honestly say I haven’t heard a single customer rave about Rockwell. Not one. I’ve heard a lot of frustration. I’ve heard numerous complaints. I’ve heard a lot of resentment. But I haven’t heard anyone rave about Rockwell or say they love the direction they are going. And that shift, those growing voices of discontent, is what pushed me to write this article. People have asked me to say what they’re thinking. So here it is. These are my own views and observations, not affiliated with Murrelektronik in any way. This is me calling it like I see it.
And for the record, this isn’t about beating up on Rockwell or the people who work there. It’s not questioning the quality of their products or comparing one product to another. It’s about pointing out some facts that are now too obvious to ignore. And more importantly, it’s about showing machine builders, OEMs, and manufacturers that there’s a better way forward.
COVID Didn’t Break Rockwell – It Just Revealed Who They Really Were
Let’s go back to the early 2020s. The global supply chain went into meltdown. Everyone had problems, of course, but Rockwell’s inability to deliver core components forced machine builders and OEMs to scramble. And in that scramble, something interesting happened: they started looking elsewhere.
They didn’t have a choice. Rockwell simply couldn’t supply the PLCs, HMIs, I/O blocks, drives, or power supplies they needed to ship machines. So they started using alternatives. A lot of them turned to Murrelektronik. Others turned to Wago, Lenze, SEW, Siemens, Beckhoff, Omron – you name it. And guess what? The machines got finished. The machines still ran. In many cases, they ran better than before. They were easier to commission. Support was faster. Costs were lower. Suddenly, the “safe” Rockwell bet didn’t look so safe anymore.
I spoke with one customer who swapped in a Cube67 I/O system after waiting months for ArmorBlock modules that never arrived. They got everything installed and configured in a couple of hours, connected over Ethernet/IP, and it worked flawlessly. Another team integrated a Siemens PLC with a Weintek HMI. Again – no drama. And it started to sink in: they didn’t need Rockwell to build a reliable, high-performance machine.
That realization has only intensified since COVID. And it’s reshaping conversations across our industry.
The Day the Pricing Curtain Was Pulled Back
Here’s where things really get uncomfortable.
Before COVID, Rockwell customers were told all kinds of things to justify higher prices. Take I/O modules, for example. Many customers were paying $750 or more for an ArmorBlock module. They were told things like, “That third-party block isn’t really compatible,” or, “You could always go with a card on the rack if you want it cheaper.” It was a playbook designed to keep people inside the Rockwell ecosystem, by fear or by force.
But then COVID hit. And customers had no choice but to try third-party I/O modules. And you know what they found? A $250 IP67 block from Murrelektronik worked just fine. It was easy to configure. It was supported. It did the job, and it saved them two-thirds of the cost.
Now here’s where it gets wild. When Rockwell came back with stock after the shortage, those same customers pushed back. They said, “No thanks, we’ll stick with the $250 Murrelektronik block.” And magically, Rockwell matched the price. Suddenly, their $750 block was available at $250.
Let that sink in.
For years, those customers were told they were getting the best price. But when push came to shove, the margin dropped like a rock. It exposed something ugly: they weren’t paying for better technology. They were paying for brand markup, and they were being ripped off!
Distributor Dictatorship: The Loyalty Problem No One Talks About
Now let’s talk about their archaic distribution model. Rockwell doesn’t just control what you can buy and the price you pay; they control who you buy it from.
Picture this: you’ve built a decade-long relationship with a fantastic Rockwell distributor rep. This rep knows your machines, your bill of materials, your quirks, and your commissioning team. You trust them. They’ve been through fire with you. But then they change jobs and go to work for a different Rockwell distributor in a different territory.
You want to keep working with them. Of course you do. That’s the rep you rely on.
But Rockwell says no. You’re locked into your assigned distributor. You’re now forced to work with someone new – someone who doesn’t know your business, who doesn’t understand your standards, who maybe doesn’t even return your calls.
And it gets worse. Let’s say your local distributor is out of stock on a critical part. But another Rockwell distributor across the country has it on the shelf. Can you just buy it from them? Nope. You’re blocked. Rockwell won’t allow it. You’re left scrambling while the parts you need sit collecting dust in someone else’s warehouse.
That’s not a partnership. That’s a hostage situation. And it’s one of the clearest examples of how Rockwell has lost touch with the people who made them successful in the first place.
In today’s world, loyalty should flow both ways. You should get to buy from the person or company that delivers the most value, not the one the industry bully assigns you.
That’s not how trust is built. That’s how it’s broken. And customers are waking up to it.
Firmware Nightmares and the Support Paywall
Firmware updates should be simple. But in Rockwell’s world, they’re a minefield.
You update a drive, and suddenly the PLC firmware is incompatible. So, you update the PLC. Then your older HMI stops talking. Or the safety network drops out. Now your I/O cards are throwing warnings. And before you know it, you’ve spent hours, maybe days, chasing down compatibility issues and trying to piece together a stable system. All because one firmware update set off a chain reaction.
Then comes the kicker: you call support. And they tell you your TechConnect contract has expired. If you want help, you’ll need to pay up. Again.
That’s not support. That’s extortion with a service desk smile.
Now compare that to how other platforms work, especially the newer generation of manufacturers building on Codesys and other modern control platforms. These systems are designed for flexibility. Update your CPU firmware? Great. You don’t need to update all your I/O cards just to keep up. Things just work. Drivers are easier to manage. Versions aren’t chained together in a tangled mess of dependencies.
And the support? It’s often free. Actual humans you can talk to. No credit card required. In fact, many of these companies go out of their way to make sure you don’t need to call support, because their software tools are intuitive, well-documented, and plug-and-play out of the box.
This is what innovation looks like.
Rockwell’s model of “locked-down hardware, paywalled support, endless version control headaches” is from a different era. It made sense when you could sell an ecosystem and keep people inside it for decades. But we’re not in that world anymore.
Today’s engineers, especially the younger ones, have grown up with open tools, collaborative development, online forums, and platforms that just make sense. They want structured text, function blocks, version control, and the ability to work across multiple vendors. They expect clean upgrades, modular architectures, and support that isn’t a separate invoice.
They’re not going to tolerate a system that breaks every time you update a card. And they’re certainly not going to tolerate paying for the privilege of being stuck.
Rockwell’s firmware fragility isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a sign of deeper stagnation. And customers are taking notice.
A Platform Stuck in 1999
Let’s talk about ControlLogix.
When it hit the market back in 1999, it really was a big step forward. It brought together Rockwell’s legacy into a modular, rack-based system that felt cohesive and powerful. It had a clean software interface, tag-based programming, strong diagnostics, and, for the time, a very forward-looking approach to modular programming and system design.
But here’s the problem: it’s now 2025, and Rockwell hasn’t moved on.
In the 26 years since ControlLogix was introduced, the automation world has undergone a revolution, marked by decentralized architectures, open-source programming environments, edge-based control, software-defined automation, and IP67 I/O platforms that have eliminated control panels altogether. And yet, Rockwell is still doing laps around the same old track. They’ve polished the dashboard a few times. Sure, they’ve improved firmware, added a few cards, and modernized the interface a little. But the core architecture? It’s essentially the same. It’s still rigid. Still centralized. Still dependent on a cabinet full of gear and a proprietary software license.
And if anything, they’re digging deeper into it, trying to lock customers in even further with tightly coupled ecosystems, backward compatibility hooks, and minimal disruption to their own legacy install base. While the rest of the world is opening up, Rockwell is digging in.
Compare that to what’s happening elsewhere.
Vario-X from Murrelektronik is a fully decentralized, IP67-rated automation system that completely removes the need for a traditional control cabinet. It’s clean. It’s modular. It installs faster and gives you more flexibility in how you build your machine. SEW is doing the same on the motion side – IP67 drives that mount directly on the machine, slashing install time and complexity. Codesys has become a global standard, offering engineers real choice in how they write and manage control logic across vendors and platforms.
And here’s Rockwell – still anchoring everything to a metal box on the side of your machine, still selling you in-panel I/O, still forcing you to pay for firmware and support just to keep your system running.
It’s like they’re trying to sell mainframes in a world of mobile computing. The rest of the industry is moving faster, leaner, and more open. Rockwell’s still asking you to buy another rack and another license.
And the truth is, people are noticing.
The Big Blue Playbook Is Still Alive
What we’re seeing from Rockwell today isn’t new. In fact, it’s straight out of the old IBM and GE playbook from the 1980s and 90s. Back then, Big Blue told everyone how business was going to be done. If you wanted computers, you bought them from IBM. They told you what to buy, when to buy it, who to buy it from, and how much you were going to pay. GE under Jack Welch had the same playbook. They dominated their industries and called the shots. They didn’t listen. They dictated. And you, as the customer, were just expected to fall in line.
Rockwell is walking that same path today. They’re still trying to tell customers what’s compatible and what isn’t. Still telling you which distributor you have to buy from, even if your trusted rep is no longer there. Still dictating pricing like it’s 1992. Still holding onto proprietary software, locked ecosystems, and support paywalls like we haven’t moved on from the dial-up era.
That kind of business model doesn’t work anymore. Customers are smarter. The market is more transparent. And there are too many other options now – automation companies that are hungry, agile, innovative, and genuinely focused on helping you succeed.
Rockwell might not realize it yet, but the industry has moved on.
What Can You Do About It?
If you’re still locked into Rockwell, don’t panic, and don’t feel like you need to throw everything out and start over. You don’t. This isn’t about blowing up your control cabinet. It’s about reclaiming your choices. One part at a time.
Start where it’s easy. The unspectacular but essential stuff. Power supplies. Contactors. I/O modules. Sensors. Cables. Those are the things that quietly eat your margins while no one’s looking. They aren’t typically tied to a PLC spec or locked into a corporate mandate. You have freedom here. And when you start swapping them out for alternatives – many of which cost 50% to 70% less and offer better support – you’ll quickly realize just how much flexibility you’ve been missing. That’s your first step in taking back control.
Then it’s time to talk to your customers—the end-users and manufacturers who buy your machines. They’re not coming to you to buy a Rockwell machine. They’re coming to buy your machine. Your value. Your design. You own the architecture, so help them see what’s possible. Show them the price difference. Show them the improved lead times, the faster service, and the access to support that doesn’t cost extra. Let them see that there’s a world beyond one brand. And once they’ve had a taste of that, they rarely want to go back.
Still using Rockwell for PLCs and HMIs? That’s the harder part, but it’s not untouchable. Start planning the shift. Because now, more than ever, the alternatives are strong. Platforms based on Codesys are exploding in popularity for good reason. They’re open, flexible, and affordable. They let you program in multiple languages – ladder, structured text, function blocks – all in one unified environment. They’re designed for the future, and more importantly, they’re designed for the next generation of controls engineers. These are the platforms younger programmers want to learn today. Not RSLogix 5000. Not proprietary walled gardens.
So don’t wait for another supply chain crisis to force your hand. You can chip away at the Rockwell dependency now, piece by piece. Reclaim control over your margins. Regain flexibility in your design. And start building machines the way you want to, not the way Rockwell tells you to.
So… Can You Get Fired for Buying Rockwell?
Honestly? Yes.
If your projects are over budget because you’re paying three times more than necessary. If your machines ship late because a firmware update takes days. If your team can’t get support without a credit card. If your customers are asking for open, innovative and flexible solutions and you keep handing them 1990s architecture… then yeah, you’re putting yourself at risk.
The old saying doesn’t protect you anymore.
Let’s Talk About It
This article might be a little controversial. That’s okay. Some people will nod the whole way through. Others will want to push back. Good. That’s what this industry needs: honest dialogue.
So, let me ask you: what’s your story?
Did you uncover pricing games during or after COVID? Have you lost a trusted rep because of out-of-date distributor policies? Are you still paying for firmware updates and support contracts just to keep things running?
Let’s stop whispering and start talking. Share your experience. Pass this along to someone who needs to read it. Drop a comment. Send a message.
Goliath is falling. The industry is changing. And now, more than ever, you get to choose how you run your machine-building business.
