(And how to make sure the answer isn’t “too many”)
The Hidden Cost of Industrial Connectivity
Let’s play another game. How many tech support specialists does it take to help a customer connect a machine to their industrial network?
Is it:
a) One wizard who knows every protocol and every PLC brand
b) A mystic cast of support engineers, each fluent in a different fieldbus dialect
c) Your entire service department, plus a few panicked calls to R&D
d) None, because the customer gave up and blamed the machine
If you’ve ever shipped a connected machine, you’ve probably seen all four.
The Real Cost of “It Doesn’t Work”
Going to market with a connected machine doesn’t just change your product, it changes your support model. Suddenly, your customers are dealing with industrial networks they don’t fully understand. And when things don’t work, they don’t blame the network. They blame the machine.
That means:
- More support tickets
- Longer resolution times
- Frustrated customers
- Strained internal resources
And worst of all? A hit to your reputation, even when the problem isn’t your fault.
In a competitive industrial automation market, a single bad user experience can ripple far beyond the initial issue.
It can affect:
- How your machine is perceived
- How your company is talked about
- Whether that customer ever buys from you again
Why Support Shouldn’t Be a Bottleneck
Let’s face it: most machine users aren’t network engineers. They don’t know the difference between Modbus RTU and EtherNet/IP. They just want the machine to work.
Your machine is smart. Your team is skilled. But if every customer needs a fieldbus expert to get started, you’re scaling complexity, not success.
What you need is a gateway that makes support easier, not just for your engineers, but for your customers.
The Anybus Communicator: Built for Real World Users
The Anybus Communicator Gateway isn’t just a protocol converter, it’s a support strategy. It’s built to reduce the number of things that can go wrong and to simplify industrial network integration for everyone involved.
HMS can preconfigure your gateway during production, locking in approved hardware and firmware versions. This means you’ll receive a gateway tailored for your machine and internal application. End-customers simply select the network they need on their side. We can even add your logo, colors, product name, and article number to both the hardware and user interface. No guesswork. No wrong part numbers. No “which version do I need?” confusion
Web-Based, User-Friendly Interface
No software installs. No command-line tools. Just a browser and a clean, intuitive interface that guides users through setup, even if they’ve never configured a gateway before.
Clear, Actionable Diagnostics
When something goes wrong, the Communicator doesn’t just throw an error code. It tells you what’s wrong, where to look, and how to fix it. That means faster resolutions and fewer escalations.
Proven Reliability
With over 25 years of industrial networking experience, the Communicator is built to work, and keep working. That means fewer support calls in the first place.
Your Brand, Your Experience
Want to make the gateway feel like part of your machine? You can. The Communicator supports custom branding, so your customers see your logo, your colors, and your commitment to quality, not a third-party product. 
Final Thought
So, how many tech support specialists do you need for a connected machine?
With the right tools, just one.
You’ve already made networking easy for your engineers. Now make it easy for your customers. Every support call you don’t get is time and money saved. Every customer who solves their own problem is a win. And every machine that “just works” builds trust in your brand.
With the Anybus Communicator, you’re not just adding connectivity. You’re adding confidence, for your customers, your support team, and your business.
For more information on Anybus Gateways and how they simplify industrial connectivity, click the button below.
About the Author
Thierry Bieber is the Business Development Manager at HMS Networks Market Unit in Central Europe. Thierry has over 25 years of technical and market experience in industrial communication and machine infrastructure applications, and actively participates in standardization organizations such as PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International). 
Want to Know What Comes Before Support?
Before customers ever call tech support, your engineers face the challenge of getting the machine connected in the first place. If you missed our first article, check it out below: