VIPA story

IN FAST MOTION: FROM COMPONENT MANUFACTURER TO SYSTEM SUPPLIER.

1985 Founding of VIPA GmbH in Erlangen

1988 The world's first Inrack PC for Simatic from Siemens

1990 Strategic orientation of the company towards hardware components

1995 The world's first TCP/IP prozessors for Simatic from Siemens

1996 Premiere of their first own PLC system 200V

1997 Founding of the ASIC-Design center

1999 Founding of the sister company profichip GmbH

2000 The company moves to Herzogenaurach

2001 Premiere of the Micro-PLC System 100V

2003 Premiere of the SPEED7-Technology, the fastest Hard-PLC in the world

2005 Premiere of the Touch Panel Family

2006 Premiere of the SPEED7-Chips 7001

2007 Premiere of the C-class CPUs with SPEED7-Technology

2008 Premiere of the Profibus Interface for the Integration of S7-Systems in S5-facilities

2009 Extension of the company headquarters with fully automatic high-bay storage, training rooms and new office space; Premiere of the I/O system SLIO®

2010 Certification of the company in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001

2011 Premiere of the first PROFINET products

2012 Presentation of the VIPA automation framework SPEED7 Studio

2012 YASKAWA Europe GmbH Acquisition of majority of the shares of VIPA GmbH

We always wanted to improve what already exists. Already the first offices.

VIPA GmbH was a start-up before the word was ever invented. Founded in 1985 by Wolfgang Seel, driven by his enthusiasm for automation and the necessary vision for the possibilities of this industry. And all this at a time when the Commodore 64 was considered to be the top performer. It's true the first company address wasn't a garage, but nevertheless only a three-room apartment. For the business plan however that's all the room that was needed: Thinking laterally, offering alternatives but remaining compatible.

The first products were supplements and optimizations for existing Siemens systems, then in the nineties the first PLC-Systems of their own were added, after that innovation followed innovation. Today, with its range of products, among others one of the fastest Hard-PLCs worldwide, VIPA is now completely established. But we continue to follow the principle of open interfaces. So successfully, that in the mean time even S5 and S7 systems can be combined together. 

A global player with a commitment to the region.

VIPA GmbH is now represented in over 60 countries, has almost 300 employees and is (with an annual turnover of around €35 million) a company at its healthiest. One that is still native to Franconia, produces here and creates jobs. One that grows continuously but wants remain medium sized. Because the ways are shorter and decisions can be made like our best PLCs are called: with Speed.

That is not only honored by our customers by the way, but also by the community: Recently VIPA received the Jobstar, and the Bavarian State Secretary for internal affairs once sighed „We need more entrepreneurs of this kind in the country.“

Industries

Also in your industry we know our way around. 

The world of our customers is the one, which we are to be interested in. And so we have already worked in the most diverse range of industries.
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