Enterprise Thought Leadership Eps.83 | AVEVA's Martin Jette on why radical collaboration is replacing the build-it-all approach in manufacturing software
End users now expect access to all data, all systems, all the time. That simple demand is forcing automation vendors to rethink everything about how they build software. For an industry built on hardware, the shift is fundamental: software has become the key differentiator, the interface customers touch and see.
Martin Jette, Vice President of Partner Sales Solution Providers at AVEVA, has spent 30 years navigating this transformation. In this episode, he and host Taryn Breetzke explore the build versus partner dilemma facing automation vendors, the importance of interoperability, and why collaboration across customers, suppliers and even competitors has become essential.
The conversation examines the three-layer automation stack creating new competitive pressures, shifting hiring patterns, the Accenture-Siemens partnership and practical frameworks for partnership decisions, highlighting how companies like Rockwell Automation now generate 35% of their revenue from software.
Martin explains why the looming 2038 bug means vendors must make architecture decisions now rather than later, and how companies like Eaton and Axens are partnering with AVEVA to create entirely new service-based business models in manufacturing.
Guest bio
Martin Jette is Vice President of Partner Sales Solution Providers at AVEVA, where he leads embedded and managed solutions programmes. A chemical engineer by training, Martin has spent 30 years at AVEVA building partnerships with automation vendors including Rockwell, Honeywell, Eaton and Yokogawa. He is based in Montreal, Canada.
Timestamps
00:01:55 – Martin's background and 30 year journey at AVEVA
00:05:33 – How software has become the differentiator in automation
00:07:41 – The Accenture-Siemens partnership and what it signals
00:09:34 – Customer expectations: all data, all systems, all the time
00:11:40 – Openness and interoperability as table stakes
00:15:02 – The build vs. partner framework
00:19:11 – Radical collaboration and the Axens connected catalyst example
00:21:43 – Competitive pressures and disruption from multiple directions
00:27:31 – Why the partnership approach is here to stay
00:28:15 – Real barriers from automation vendors
00:33:05 – The Y2038 bug and why decisions must be made now
00:33:41 – Measuring success: Rockwell's 35% software revenue
00:38:40 – Three practical recommendations for automation leaders
Resources and links
Martin Jette on LinkedIn – VP Partner Sales, Embedded and Managed Solutions programs at AVEVA
Taryn Breetzke on LinkedIn – Podcast host
AVEVA – AVEVA is a global leader in industrial software, helping businesses modernise operations and improve sustainability.
Rockwell Automation – Partnership example discussed
Eaton Corporation – AVEVA Edge integration example
Axens – Connected catalyst case study
Thought Leadership research - The software dilemma in industrial automation
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