Automation for the Live Entertainment Industry

Our Mission

To make automation systems accessible to all live entertainment venues and productions.

What We Do

XM Automation is a pioneering British theatre automation company, established in 2021 by Mark Ager, who brings over 30 years of industry experience, having previously founded theatre automation company Stage Technologies, which later merged with TAIT.

At present, most automation systems are expensive, complex and difficult to access for the majority of users. Suppliers provide complete, closed systems, making it difficult for the end user to modify or expand their system without the supplier’s continued involvement, which can prove costly.

We intend to disrupt that model. We aim to enable end users to select their own automation system components, working together with the wealth of engineering talent available to them locally.

We do this by providing the following key components:

XMove – The automation front end –  a fully featured, graphical user interface, with emphasis on ease of use. Sold on a licensed model, including software upgrades and support, providing transparent pricing and accessibility.

XMD – A simple, open protocol for communication between that front end and the underlying control system, available to any engineering team wanting to design an interface to their existing control system.

Open source Beckhoff PLC code – This allows integrators to communicate simply and effectively with XMove. In addition to this base code, we can also provide the interface to an ever-increasing variety of manufacturers’ drives and associated controls equipment.

Engineering guidance to assist users and project companies in designing an automation system for their venue, identifying any existing reusable capabilities and helping to fill gaps in delivery, thanks to our international network of contacts already familiar with the engineering requirements for such projects.