You can run Modbus over Ethernet, which allows redundancy and avoids having to have hardwired controls. (Should still have a hardwired ESD signal though).
When getting into decisions about adopting software communication to MCCs, make sure you scrutinise the vendor's communications architecture within the MCC as carefully as you do the communications architecture from the control system to the MCC suite.
I have seen projects go to great lengths to ensure true redundant fault tolerant communications from PCS to MCC with no single point of failure, only to accept pseudo-redundancy within the MCC comms architecture.