Ignition can be expanded with fully integrated software modules. Because the platform is modular, organizations select and pay for the functionality they need. Modules can be installed, removed and upgraded without interrupting normal operations.

Ignition is installed centrally on a server and applications are deployed from the Gateway. Designers create projects once, then make them available to operators, supervisors and other users through desktop, web and mobile interfaces.

Ignition takes about three minutes to install. It is installed once on the server, after which client screens can be launched on virtually any supported device.

Ignition connects to SQL databases and virtually any PLC through its built-in OPC UA server or third-party OPC servers. It can also integrate with SMTP, VoIP, SMS, serial devices, web services, MQTT and many other technologies.

Ignition is cross-platform and can run on Windows, Windows Server, Linux and macOS. Its applications can be accessed from PCs, laptops, servers, tablets, smartphones, remote field devices and industrial touch panels.

An Ignition license is installed on the server and can provide unlimited clients, tags and connections under the selected module package. The practical limit is the capacity of the hardware and architecture on which the system is deployed.

The complete version of Ignition can be downloaded at no cost. It installs with the main modules and runs in trial mode for two hours at a time; the trial can be reset for continued development and evaluation before purchasing a license.

Ignition is developed by Inductive Automation in Folsom, California. The company was founded in 2003 by Steve Hechtman, a systems integrator who wanted to remove the technical and licensing limitations of traditional industrial software.