Siemens Virtual Client May 2026

Siemens Virtual Client concept refers to the software-based components and terminal access methods used within Siemens' broader virtualization ecosystems, most notably SIMATIC Virtualization as a Service (SIVaaS)

The Story: A company like Wipro PARI needs to set up a new assembly line. Instead of waiting for the machines to arrive, they use Virtual Commissioning tools to create a digital twin. siemens virtual client

Defining the Virtual Client

To understand the Virtual Client, one must first understand the fragmentation of modern industrial automation. Traditionally, an engineer programming a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) had to wait for the physical hardware—the PLC, the Human Machine Interface (HMI), the conveyor belts, and the sensors—to arrive on the factory floor to test their code. This "debug-on-site" methodology was costly, time-consuming, and prone to error. Siemens Virtual Client concept refers to the software-based

3. Primary Use Cases

| Use Case | Description | Benefit | |----------|-------------|---------| | Remote Engineering | A programmer connects from a home office to a virtual TIA Portal instance hosted in a secure data center. | No need to carry powerful laptops or travel to site. | | Centralized License Management | Software licenses reside on the virtual server; clients check them out dynamically. | Reduces license conflicts and theft risk. | | Operator Mobility | Factory floor operators use rugged tablets as virtual clients to view WinCC dashboards. | Improves mobility and real-time decision making. | | Disaster Recovery | Virtual clients connect to redundant VM hosts; if one host fails, sessions migrate seamlessly. | Minimizes production downtime. | Hardware Audit: Assess the required CPU/RAM for your

Precision and Safety: With the 3D option in Run MyVirtual Machine, users can visualize the machine body's movements and set up complex jobs with vices, tool holders, and clamps before ever touching the physical machine.

  1. Hardware Audit: Assess the required CPU/RAM for your specific Siemens apps (TIA Portal needs 16GB+; NX needs vGPU).
  2. Hypervisor Installation: Deploy VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V.
  3. Golden Image Creation: Build a Windows 10/11 LTSC VM, install all Siemens software (TIA, WinCC, Startdrive), and optimize the OS for VDI (disable animations, set power plan to high).
  4. GPU Passthrough: Configure vGPU profiles (e.g., "grid_v100q-4q") to allocate 4GB of VRAM per user.
  5. Broker Configuration: Install the connection broker (e.g., VMware Horizon or Citrix) and point it to the Siemens License Server IP.
  6. Client Deployment: Deploy thin clients on the factory floor running the Siemens Virtual Client Agent (a lightweight wrapper for PCoIP).

The two main flavors:

  1. SIMATIC Industrial Thin Clients (ITC): Fanless, rugged hardware that connects remotely to a virtualized engineering workstation.
  2. Virtualized TIA Portal: Running Siemens engineering software inside a VM, accessible from anywhere via a secure client.

Licensing Models: Pay-as-you-Grow

One of the most attractive features of the Siemens Virtual Client is the shift in licensing.

  • Produce a 1‑page executive summary for stakeholders;
  • Create a detailed pilot plan with server sizing estimates (tell me concurrent users and typical apps);
  • Compare Siemens Virtual Client against alternatives (Citrix, VMware Horizon, Microsoft RDS).