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Who is this Documentation For?

Who Is This Documentation For?​

The SEW-EURODRIVE documentation is designed to support everyone involved in modern industrial automation — from control engineers on the factory floor to IT administrators, developers and business leaders driving digital transformation.

Because SEW bridges the gap between operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT), the documentation serves multiple audiences, each with their own focus and depth of interaction.

Operators and Automation Engineers​

Operators, maintenance teams and controls engineers use SEW to:

  • Connect and manage PLCs, gateways and devices across distributed sites
  • Perform secure backups and restores of control logic
  • Deploy updates and monitor device health
  • Standardize development workflows and version control of automation assets
  • Enable remote access while maintaining safety and compliance
  • Edit PLC projects directly in the browser using IDE-as-a-Service (IDEaaS) and securely connect to devices to download, upload and monitor

This documentation provides detailed walkthroughs, configuration examples and troubleshooting guides to help these users become productive quickly.

IT and OT Administrators​

Administrators and security professionals use SEW to:

  • Manage user accounts, permissions and access policies
  • Integrate SEW with corporate identity systems (e.g., SSO, LDAP, Azure AD)
  • Define network, proxy and firewall rules for secure connectivity between OT and IT environments
  • Monitor platform usage, audit logs and system events for compliance and traceability
  • Ensure alignment with organizational cybersecurity standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2, IEC 62443)

The Administration and Platform Overview sections of this documentation include the information needed to deploy SEW at scale, enforce governance and maintain a secure, Zero Trust environment.

Developers and Integrators​

Developers, system integrators and solution architects use SEW to extend automation workflows and build new digital capabilities.
They rely on:

  • APIs, webhooks and integrations to connect SEW with existing systems
  • CI/CD pipelines for industrial automation projects
  • SDKs and example scripts for custom extensions

The API and Tutorials sections provide reference material and code examples for building and automating with SEW.

Business and Technical Decision Makers​

Engineering managers, digital transformation leaders and solution owners use this documentation to:

  • Understand SEW’s architecture, security model and compliance posture
  • Evaluate platform fit for their enterprise automation strategy
  • Estimate costs, licenses and deployment options
  • Plan migrations, proof-of-concepts and phased rollouts

For this audience, the Introduction and Platform Overview sections summarize the value proposition and governance features that make SEW suitable for enterprise-scale industrial operations.

Partners and Ecosystem Contributors​

System integrators, OEMs and technology partners collaborate with SEW to deliver integrated solutions.
This documentation helps partners:

  • Embed SEW capabilities into their products and services
  • Standardize integrations with supported vendors (e.g., Siemens, Beckhoff, Rockwell, Schneider, SEW-EURODRIVE, CODESYS, Mitsibushi, Kuka, IGUS, B&R Automation, Wago, etc)
  • Learn SEW’s data, API and security models for certification or joint offerings

Partners will find additional guidance in the Integrations and SEW Academy sections.

Summary​

Whether you are connecting your first PLC, securing a multi-site deployment or integrating SEW into a digital factory ecosystem, this documentation is intended to guide you through every step — from first login to large-scale automation at enterprise level.