The Quantum Design PPMS represents a unique concept in laboratory equipment: an open architecture, variable temperature-field system, designed to perform a variety of automated measurements. Available measurement options include all required hardware and electronics to immediately begin collecting publication-quality data, while the system is also easily adapted to custom user experiments. Sample environment controls include fields up to ±16 T and a temperature range of 1.9 - 400 K. The expandable design enables combining many features in one instrument to make the PPMS the most versatile system of its kind.