IIoT Data Delivery in Oil and Gas Production: How to Cut Through the Noise and Cut Down the Costs
When it comes to IIoT data transmission, “talk” isn’t cheap. Here’s how to reduce data transmission costs and make sense of endless, ever-increasing chatter across IIoT devices. In the oil and gas (O&G) industry, where remote and harsh production sites abound, reliance on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is growing by the day. Sensors in the field transmit real-time data on equipment performance, environmental conditions, and safety parameters — often to a SCADA system that’s been in service long before IIoT devices became ubiquitous. Some data points mean the difference between success and failure — or even life and death. By reporting elevated pressures in pipelines, for example, IIoT sensor data helps avert disaster. By measuring the volume of oil that flows from a wellbore into pipelines, companies can collect every penny owed to them for what they extract. Because safety, profitability, and other business imperatives rely so heavily on vital measurements, this data is sometimes hailed as priceless — provided companies alchemize it into insights. Nevertheless, companies don’t want to overspend on leveraging data regardless of its potential ROI. At the same time, however, they keep adding more and more IIoT devices out in the field, raising costs as well as other concerns associated with data transmissions. What’s That Noise? One concern is the unintelligible noise created by devices using all sorts of different messaging protocols that the SCADA system can’t understand. Imagine for a moment that the United Nations has erupted into bedlam. Representatives from different nations are shouting in different languages. The poor secretary charged with taking minutes only speaks English and can’t make sense of the rapid-fire information coming at her in French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, and a whole host of other languages. The scene is chaos. Something similar happens on a production site where IIoT devices use different protocols, or “languages,” to transmit and receive data. Existing SCADA systems can be scaled to “comprehend” more than one language, but implementing this capability for various and sundry protocols can be cost-prohibitive. Adding to the confusion, some sensors have a voltage output as opposed to a protocol output. Some communicate via an Ethernet port while others use a data or digital link. Some devices use obsolete or proprietary protocols that aren’t readily understood by SCADA systems. By and large, companies that use SCADA networks experience this as a massive problem, as though a Tower of Babel is impeding dataflow and, therefore, operational efficiency. But the solution to the problem is rather simple and comes in the form of an actual tower — a radio tower, to be exact. Translating IIoT Data for SCADA Networks Atop of this tower is a radio that serves as a communications hub, or gateway, collecting data from all the IIoT devices within its range and sending it to FreeWave Insights® Data Platform for instantaneous cloud-based translation into language the SCADA system understands. It’s a plug-and-play solution that works with any SCADA system, with limited — if any — upgrades or installations required. For example, FreeWave’s Fusion Bridge radio gateway offers these and other benefits, as well, including cost savings on cellular data. Where cellular is used for connectivity, it’s sometimes the case that each and every IIoT sensor connects to its own cellular device, which transmits the data. This is a spendy setup because each of those cellular devices, which could number in the hundreds or thousands, costs between $8 and $20 per month to keep in service whether data transmits or not. Cell phone users of a certain age can recall being billed for every outgoing text message. Later, your provider only charged you for text sent to users of a different provider. Next, you could buy data plans and send texts to whomever, so long as you didn’t exceed your plan limits — in which case you’d be charged a pretty penny for the overage. Today, consumers can buy unlimited data plans for cellular phone usage. As of yet, however, there’s no such thing as an unlimited data plan for IIoT data transmission. Data plans are available for purchase, and providers — knowing that data stream disruptions can upend business operations — have mastered the art of the upsell: persuading companies to pay for more data than they’re likely to use as a “just in case” insurance measure. The alternative is exceeding the data limit and getting stuck with a hefty surcharge. By connecting directly to the IIoT sensors and sending the combined data in fewer packets, FreeWave’s radio gateways reduce the number of cellular data transmissions, thereby reducing costs. The Business Case for Satellite Remote Monitoring for SCADA Systems So far, we’ve focused on data transmission via cellular, but many O&G operations are located in remote places where cellular service is spotty or even nonexistent. That’s where satellite connectivity comes into play, but satellite’s playing field is about to expand. In a bid to reduce telemetry costs, O&G companies have started to deploy satellite networks even in situations where cellular is a viable option. That’s because the cost of data transmission via satellite has decreased so much that it’s practically neck-and-neck with cellular. Cellular still outpaces satellite in terms of latency, but the distance is narrowing. As a Global Authorized Reseller of ORBCOMM© and a Connectivity Wholesale Partner in Viasat’s ELEVATE program, FreeWave believes that satellite is a future-proof connectivity solution for remote operations. But why not have the best of both worlds? ORBCOMM’s dual-mode terminals switch from LTE to backup satellite transmission when needed for cost-effective, fail-safe routing. You Have More Control Over Transmission Costs Than You Think When it comes to IIoT data transmission, “talk” isn’t cheap. Whether hitched to cellular or satellite, overly “chatty” sensors are another driver of data transmission costs and bandwidth consumption. You know how you can set up bank alerts to tell you when transactions occur and your balance changes? Imagine if your bank app pinged you constantly to let you know where your balance stands regardless of whether it changes.
FreeWave Joins Viasat ELEVATE Partner Program To Provide One-Stop IIoT Solutions
ELEVATE membership will support the IoT providers’ global growth across range of industries including energy, agriculture, utilities, and mining. CARLSBAD., Calif., December 14, 2023 – Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced FreeWave Technologies, an industry Internet of Things solution manufacturer, has joined its ELEVATE program. ELEVATE is a growth program, ecosystem and marketplace for ambitious IoT solution providers, connectivity wholesalers, enablers and OEMs who want to work with Viasat to use its network and footprint to scale. As an ELEVATE partner, FreeWave will offer an ecosystem of IoT data-driven network solutions – helping customers to connect, visualize and future-proof remote operations. As part of the program FreeWave will have new access to Viasat’s global L-band network to provide Internet of Things (IoT) and satellite connectivity services. This will enhance the company’s ability to deliver robust IoT solutions in challenging environments where demanding performance and exceptional support are crucial for its customers’ network productivity and revenue. FreeWave, headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is a global IoT full-solution manufacturer specializing in edge computing devices and applications, providing data brokering, visualizations, and analytics through its FreeWave Insights™ Platform as a Service for remote networks. As part of the program, FreeWave will gain access to Viasat’s broader partner network, creating opportunities to collaborate on additional niche data-connected solutions for its customers. ELEVATE’s marketplace will help the company attract new customers in locations without reliable connectivity, or those which have mission-critical connectivity needs. For customers, it gives access to a broad choice of satellite connectivity and IoT solutions developed by a range of providers to enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of their businesses. Simon Hawkins, Vice President, Enterprise Commercial & Innovation at Viasat said “ELEVATE is the go-to destination for satellite IoT innovation. It’s a one-stop-shop that helps our partners easily leverage the latest technology to meet some of the greatest challenges the planet faces today. By combining forces, we will accelerate the development of IoT solutions to meet our clients’ mission-critical requirements across diverse industries.” “Through partnerships with forward-thinking companies like FreeWave, they can rely on our highly reliable L-band network to deliver groundbreaking solutions at speed. That means more industries will be able to benefit from the wide-ranging benefits offered by industrial IoT.” Michael Tate, Chief Operating Officer and SVP Sales and Marketing, FreeWave, said “We are optimistic for the future opportunities that becoming an ELEVATE partner brings to our customers. Viasat’s cutting-edge satellite connectivity ensures our customers’ remote networks consistently deliver critical data, empowering them to make better-informed business decisions.” “This collaboration opens new avenues for us to innovate and further develop customer-centric solutions, expand our IoT footprint and benefit IoT solutions that span industries bringing customers data-driven decisions no matter where they are.” Viasat’s ELEVATE program is open to new entrants, disruptors and established brands of any size who have developed an innovative digital product or service and want to access the power of satellite enabled IoT solutions. Viasat provides dedicated technical guidance on how to integrate and support its highly reliable satellite services, go-to-market strategy planning and exposure to its distribution channel to enable access to new markets. Providers working across a diverse range of industries, including, but not limited to, agriculture, aid and NGOs, energy, exploration and leisure, media, mining, transport and utilities, as well as agnostic technology providers, will be considered for membership. Organisations join the ELEVATE program here. About Viasat Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. On May 31, 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner. Learn more at www.viasat.com, the Viasat News Room or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X or YouTube. About FreeWave Technologies Based in Boulder, Colorado, for 30 years, FreeWave Technologies has connected the unconnected with a reliable ecosystem of edge intelligent radios and solutions – manufactured in the United States – to optimize the extreme edge of remote industrial operations. FreeWave has a legacy of solving thousands of customer challenges globally across multiple industries, FreeWave can help transform and future-proof an operation now. Visit to get started at: www.freewave.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, or YouTube Copyright © 2023 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks in the U.S and in other countries to Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. FreeWave Contact PR Contact – Sue Moore, +1303 381 9213,smoore@freewave.com Viasat, Inc. Contacts PR Contact – Richard Jones, +44 7843 819611, Richard.jones@inmarsat.com Paul Froelich/Peter Lopez, Investor Relations, +1 (760) 476-2633, IR@viasat.com
SCADA + Satellite Equals Industry’s Latest Power Couple
When it comes to remote industrial operations, there’s only one constant, and that is change. Change can occur in an instant — a burst pipe, an equipment malfunction, a flash flood. But, more often, change creeps up slowly and then suddenly looms large. Take, for example, the worsening labor shortage. Nowadays, if something does go wrong in the field, you might be hard-pressed to find someone to go out and fix it without leaving a gaping hole in another part of your operations. Changes give way to more changes, but they also give rise to certainties. For instance, industries with large-scale remote operations know that automating equipment and functions — and monitoring those automated systems from afar — is imperative in today’s world, where resources are short yet production demands are a tall order to fill. That’s one reason why the global industrial internet of things (IIoT) market size is projected to reach a staggering $1,683.30 trillion by 2030, up from last year’s value of $321.81 billion, according to a market analysis by Grand View Research. It’s also certain that, in some respects, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As digital transformation across various industries kicks into high gear, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) — a decades-old but highly implemented technology heavily used by oil and gas, water treatment, energy and manufacturing — is adapting to meet the demands of the modern industry, proving it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. And that brings us to another certainty that still comes as a surprise to some SCADA users: Satellite connectivity has emerged as one of the fastest, most reliable, and most secure methods of transferring data from remote IIoT devices to existing SCADA systems. Today’s satellite systems are easy and inexpensive to deploy, and they make IIoT technology easier to scale. Space, it turns out, is the next new frontier for industrial leaders. During “McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2023,” futurists predicted the space market to reach $1 trillion in the next decade with the number of satellites tripling during that time. While quick to acknowledge and adapt to changes that affect day-to-day operations and key performance indicators, SCADA users by and large have not been early adopters of satellite technology over the past decade, in part because of its historic reputation of being pricey, having high latency, and providing limited bandwidth. The world of satellite has changed. And FreeWave is stepping up to play matchmaker. We’re building an evolutionary path toward an end-to-end solution (more on that in a bit). Reliable, consistent connectivity is key. FreeWave is a Global Authorized Reseller of ORBCOMM and a Connectivity Wholesale Partner in Viasat’s ELEVATE program (Viasat, headquartered in Carlsbad, California, just completed its acquisition of London-based Inmarsat). It’s time, in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, for one of industry’s long-standing staples, SCADA, to join forces with modern industry’s rising star — satellite connectivity. Satellite Adoption’s Meteoric Rise How can companies be certain that satellite is the future-proof connectivity solution for remote operations? Follow the money. Satellite IIoT revenue is expected to surpass $130 million by 2032 in North America alone, according to Viasat. Globally, the compounded annual growth rate in that time span is estimated at 27 percent. By sector, the oil and gas (O&G) industry leads the pack, with satellite IIoT investment more than doubling over the next decade to about $115 million worldwide in 2032. Smart agriculture, transportation and mining also are pack leaders, with the utilities industry not far behind. Growth might accelerate even faster were it not for the persistence of outmoded notions about satellite communications. When they think of satellite, some corporate decision makers picture a dish as wide as an above-ground swimming pool that costs about $5,000 just to set up, plus $500 to $1,000 a month to operate. But that’s like judging a job candidate based on his 10-year-old paper résumé instead of his up-to-date LinkedIn profile. It’s true that satellite communications were relatively slow and clunky a decade ago, but satellites these days can be as small as a petri dish and cost as little as $500, with monthly service available for as low as $30. Companies with remote operations have relied mostly on cellular connectivity and other terrestrial solutions to transmit remote data to their SCADA networks. But as IIoT continues its push into underserved locations — from remote grazing pastures in Wyoming to rugged open-pit lithium mines in Western Australia — satellite offers distinct advantages. Going back to our earlier example of a burst pipe, equipment malfunction or unexpected weather crisis – that is all too common for remote industrial operators – satellite provides reliable and real-time connectivity. Here’s why this is important. In sparsely populated or harsh environments, cellular service might be limited, spotty, or altogether unavailable. In especially isolated areas, where a cell tower sighting is about as likely as a Yeti sighting (not the outdoor product goods, but the fabled ape-like creature), satellite connectivity may be the only viable solution for monitoring SCADA equipment. Where cellular coverage is available, sensor data travels wirelessly from tower to tower until it reaches the SCADA master station. Along the way, landscape features like mountains, buildings, and even clumps of trees can interfere with transmission. For this reason, satellite is a great “insurance policy” for remote connectivity that needs continuous uptime. By contrast, satellite communication does not depend on land-based transmission, so landscape features won’t block the signal. Data travels from sensors to a satellite in space and bounces back to the master station without interference except for extreme weather events that can sometimes cause a signal delay commonly called “rain fade.” FreeWave and its partners have an answer for that. With the acquisition of Inmarsat, Viasat’s fleet provides full global coverage via 19 satellites in space spanning the Ka-, S-, and L-bands. L-band signals can penetrate through rain, snow, and other inclement weather, so signal reduction is not an issue. L-band communication also offers
3 Customer Impacts for Satellite Connectivity from Viasat’s ELEVATE Partner Event
With a plate of bangers and mash in front of me and a bank of windows, I marveled at the views. We were on the 40th floor of Duck & Waffle, with a bird’s eye view of Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, London Bridge, and Wembley Stadium. We were at the epicenter of everything British. I visited none of these places. Instead, I experienced something even better: a front row seat into the dramatic impact satellite connectivity is defining success for industrial companies. The Viasat ELEVATE Partner Event was the first of its kind. Tech innovators from around the world gathered to learn and share stories about how satellite is transforming communications for remote operators in oil and gas, agriculture, mining, logistics, and more. Viasat’s ELERA coverage map Beyond the event, ELEVATE is also a partner program to ramp up the IoT ecosystem through education, collaboration, and idea-sharing for IoT solution providers like FreeWave, system integrators, machinery manufacturers, and OEMs. Viasat is a global company of more than 8,000, a rising Fortune 1000 enterprise, which acquired UK-based Inmarsat in early 2023. Viasat covers 99% of the U.S. with Inmarsat’s ELERA satellite network providing satellite access to many parts of the world using the reliable and weather-resistant L-band network. Together, they are driving new terminal development, lowering the cost of satellite connectivity, and speeding up real-time, two-way information for remote operators who previously felt satellite communication was cumbersome, expensive, and slow. And it was. But that’s the old story. That’s why I’m excited to share three themes that emerged for me during our visit across the pond. 1. Radical innovation is driving IoT adoption in new markets and lowering the cost threshold. Here’s a non-scientific way of summing up the first theme: there’s a whole lot of R&D going on in the world! Viasat has 19 satellites in orbit with 11 on order. Impressive. They are investing in teleports for the L-band network, undeniably the best spectrum for data transfer over satellite. Translation for the rest of us? Mobile satellite communication became 20x faster in Q1 of this year. Using the same terminals with new software, this means you can send data more efficiently and more affordably. Spectral efficiency will exponentially increase the functionality of IoT devices for many solutions. Technology, and specifically data, only has meaning when people use it to better their lives. Earlier this year, as part of our 30th Anniversary vision for the future, FreeWave recommitted to not only building great tech, but to understand our customers’ day-to-day needs, tech stack outlook, revenue goals, challenges, and business vision. We talked to hundreds of customers, beta testers, and potential customers. At the top of their list: zero trust security, compliance monitoring, a leaner tech stack, real-time connectivity, remarkably better operational performance, and cost effectiveness. This is why we went to ELEVATE: to keep delivering on that wish list. And while we may have missed the sights of London, we saw our collaboration with other partners as being like a pit crew for remote industrial companies in hard-to-reach places. One company, for example, has reduced video compression by 80%. This is a game-changer for a rancher with thousands of acres because while sensors might show how much water is in a tank, ranchers are spending 100K a year to see their cattle. With video compression integrated into FreeWave solutions, they can save time and money on truck rolls. Many applications, from homeland security to smart oilfields to refrigerated cargo on a ship, can benefit from this. With the progression of satellite reliability, we’re excited to be able to bring solutions that include data-intensive video streaming requiring IP cameras. We’re designing solutions for a customer installing electric fences around government and private campuses. New IoT tech tied to satellite defies the myth that we can’t be everywhere all the time. Turns out we can. 2. Channel partners are not afraid to build things, together. The ROI of mobile satellite communication is really impressive when you are able to enhance production, throughput, and safety. Fearlessly building things together, for the betterment of our collective customers, is definitely a second theme we took away from the event. Companies we align with have deep roots in specific technologies: push-to-talk, remote employee safety, cameras, backhauling unmanned vehicles for government, just to name a few. Bringing complementary pieces into our portfolio solves customers’ bigger problems. Attending ELEVATE signaled the dawn of a new age where technology is amplified by software, satellite terminals, and collaboration of many great minds thinking together. In the end, we are made better together as channel partners, leveraging strengths, knowledge, and abilities. It makes us better, faster, stronger. It makes us better for our customers. That’s our goal as an innovator. 3. Satellite aligns with a more sustainable future. While Sputnik, the first satellite, was launched in 1957, I feel like the Space Age is just beginning here on earth. It is a key part of a more sustainable future. In an article in SpaceRef, Inmarsat’s President Mike Carter put it this way: “The ELEVATE community will play an active role in addressing the planet’s really big challenges, helping build a more sustainable, efficient, and safe global supply chain.” After experiencing ELEVATE, I’m a believer. Here’s why. If you can get real-time data remotely, you’re not burning fossil fuels to gather insight. If there is machine-to-machine “dialogue,” you streamline people’s time. If you let the ground reveal what a sprayer needs to know, you might use water more efficiently. The role of satellite communication helps solve today’s critical issues. Increasing yield and output without increasing the percentage of cost keeps consumer goods affordable. Making lives and work better is what IoT is about. It’s what FreeWave is about. Helping make lives better has been a core belief of ours for decades. FreeWave’s Platform-as-a-Service Brings Remote Operators Closer to the Truth We’re not alone. For me, that was the big takeaway from Viasat’s ELEVATE. We have access to many different ELEVATE partners and their technology superpowers. These will help us bring to market
Shedding New Light on Industrial Solar Power System Performance
It’s not easy to write about solar energy without getting carried away with metaphors. In a world facing a worsening climate crisis, solar power — as a renewable energy source — represents a ray of hope, a bright spot, a beacon of light. Solar power’s day in the sun has been a long time coming. Before he died in 1931, inventor Thomas Edison reportedly told friends, “We are like tenant farmers, chopping down the fence around our house for fuel, when we should be using nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind, and tide. … I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!” Today, many diverse industries are putting their money on solar power. But, in many cases, it’s not a sense of urgency about “going green” that drives them. In industries operating in farflung, remote locations, the use of solar power is usually driven by pure necessity — there’s simply no other viable power source. While there’s excitement around the promise of solar energy, my conversations with industry leaders often center on the problems associated with remote solar power systems, including a lack of visibility around solar-powered battery performance. Since battery failure can cause safety hazards and even halt production, operators take extreme — and expensive — measures to prevent it. Our customers’ pain points led to the development of a breakthrough, all-in-one-box solution that can be easily added to existing infrastructure to slash maintenance costs and reduce risk factors by providing critical data on remote solar power system performance. I invented this technology, but before I tell you all about my “baby,” let’s look more closely at the pain points it helps to address and the cost savings and other benefits it provides. Eliminating the Guesswork Around Solar-powered Battery Performance While solar-powered devices reliably monitor field operations as a whole, a lack of visibility around the performance of the solar-powered batteries themselves is a huge blind spot and cost driver. Oil and Gas (O&G), wastewater management, and utilities are among the major industries that rely on solar power, principally to operate remote sensors and devices that send critical information back to a centrally located SCADA system. This data tells the SCADA operator what’s going on in the field. For example, O&G personnel are alerted if equipment goes down or if various pressures and temperatures reach unsafe levels. Powering the devices that relay this information depends on reliable battery performance, which, in turn, depends on the availability of sunlight to power the batteries. Touting the pros of solar power, Elon Musk famously said the sun “shows up every day” and “just works.” In reality, the sun doesn’t always shine sufficiently to fully charge solar batteries, and, as we all know, it clocks out every night without fail. So, operators have tried to optimize battery performance by doing calculations to determine the amount of current needed to power the devices, including an estimate of autonomy time — the number of days that a battery charge will last should the solar panels stop absorbing sunlight. While these calculations initially suggest which sizes and configurations of solar panel and battery systems are needed to produce the required current, they don’t take into account equipment deterioration over time or the power requirements of any equipment added down the line. Hours of autonomy, so painstakingly calculated in what amounts to a paper exercise, are also affected by extreme ambient temperatures and other conditions. To avoid power disruptions and production downtime, O&G producers have taken to replacing all of the batteries every six months, regardless of need or individual battery performance. It’s not uncommon for a major producer to have several thousand remote, solar-powered sites, so battery storage and replacement are substantial budget items. One major producer mentioned they spend $1.4 million annually — just on batteries. Callouts and lockups are also expensive — and less predictable. A callout occurs when a system goes offline and stops sending SCADA communications, triggering a truck roll to the site to determine the cause. Equipment lockups require technicians to drive to the site to power-cycle the affected assets no matter where that site is, all for a process that takes 20 seconds to perform, sandwiched between hours of drive time. Considering that each and every truck roll costs as much as $2,400, eliminating set-schedule battery replacements, manual power cycling, and most service calls could easily save millions of dollars. So, let’s talk about the solution. Introducing Solar Site Analytics Having collaborated with customers to understand the problems and limitations they were experiencing with solar-powered operations, we developed a patent-pending solution that provides complete visibility of solar-powered field operations, along with other essential features. Contained in one compact box, the product packs smart monitoring and analytics capabilities that prevent production losses, reduce labor costs, improve worker safety, and predict power system degradation or failure, including: Accurate hours-of-autonomy calculations in real time Real-time updates on battery and solar panel sizing requirements for maximum efficiency Battery capacity levels, which indicate when a battery actually needs to be replaced Automatic power cycling in the event of a lockup Analytics that detect anomalies and predict maintenance needs before solar power system components go down Automatic load shedding and load prioritization to protect batteries from excess voltage As an added feature, it also includes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller — the most efficient controller for industrial solar power system applications The product can connect to a customer’s existing SCADA system or connect directly to the FreeWave cloud-based data analytics platform. With it, operators can monitor temperatures, pressures, and other metrics, along with battery and solar panel status and performance — from capacity levels and days of autonomy to predictive maintenance forecasts. FreeWave’s patent-pending remote solar power system manager has been in development for years and, in nearly a decade of field testing, not one instance of critical failure to monitored system components has been reported. And, the monitor offers a swift return on investment, paying for
A Story Three Decades in the Making
Milestone birthday alert. FreeWave turns 30 in 2023 and I’d like to take you on a journey of data over the last three decades – taking a look at where data has been and its sci-fi-like role in our future. Since FreeWave is all about transforming data into real knowledge for real people, I drew from a broader perspective about the bits and bytes of the data of life. The ideas here are inspired by FreeWave’s innovation team. From a serial inventor to our founder, each has shaped the field of technology in their own right. Sure, the first time someone uttered the words “big data” (October 1997, in case you’re curious) is interesting, but how has the term itself changed the way we live and work? As Steve Jobs said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” Thus, this is more taking stock of data’s backstory over a cold IPA than a mundane timeline. Thirty candles on the cake commands a little self-reflection. The wild days of our youth are behind us. We’re all grown up now, and while data may be following its own trajectory, the parallels are pretty fascinating. I start where all great stories begin. My “why.” I grew up in the Midwest where a lot of the technology that we use today was born and innovation spans generations. I remember “playing office” with with my father’s paperwork at home (I guess remote offices were a thing, back in the day). He worked at Motorola (a company I would later join) for decades. He was a regional sales rep during the the early 80s when he was on special assignment, working on this thing called “cellular.” His company car’s trunk was filled with black boxes – and there was even a phone mounted in the center column between the front seats. It was cool to use. I thought I was cool for being able to use it. So, I was hooked, not only on technology, but the data seemingly flying there and there to make that all possible. From there, I guess I just followed in Dad’s footprints, although I chose a marketing path, and 40 some years later, here I am, still watching technology expand. Still fascinated by how those ones and zeroes are writing the world’s story. It’s 1993: Do You Know Where Your Floppy Disks Are? The year is 1993. Bill Clinton is president, Beanie Babies have hit the market, Intel has introduced the Pentium microprocessor, and 3½ inch floppy disks in bright colors are scattered across desks (unlike its austere sibling, the silver compact disk). In a small office somewhere in Boulder, Colorado, the FreeWave cofounders are meeting with a couple of ladies who make dreamcatchers. FreeWave was born among the likely stacks of floppies used to store code for FreeWave products to come. And, we can’t forget that the then new Colorado Rockies threw out its first pitch in the National League West (to date, we have never won our division – but, boy, we’ve got great mountain views!). “When we first started, wireless was used in many applications, but not to anywhere near the extent it is today. The early applications for our products were the precursor to IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and showed how important data was,” says Steve Wulchin, CEO and cofounder of FreeWave. After earning his MBA at the University of Texas, Steve was hired by Hewlett Packard. His first desktop computer at HP had a 5MB hard drive (yes, megabytes!). Cell phones and the internet didn’t exist, and Apple was a company that was pretty much left for dead by the rest of the tech world. That, he says, is the cool thing about technology. “Look at where we are now,” he says. “We may not have flying cars, but we do have a lot of unbelievable things that few could have imagined back then.” Like technology, life has its own twists and turns. “I never planned to move to Houston post-college, never planned to get an MBA, and absolutely never planned to start a company,” says Steve. Yet, he did. FreeWave has come a long way and is now innovating around end-to-end solutions so companies better understand operational, performance, and revenue opportunities through their data. Also from the 90s, computer scientist Michael Lesk writes: “There may be a few thousand petabytes of information all told.” (IDC predicts the global datasphere will reach 175 Zettabytes by 2025.) Using data as insight also saw the light of day. In 1993, digital mobile phones went from analog to digital, giving way to applications, data transfer, and mobile hotspots. In 1995, M2M began using cellular as a backhaul solution. And in 1999, SMS pricing and data plans fell to affordable rates. Things, the Rise of Data in the Aughts and the Value of Insight Once people realized Y2K (for zoomers, this was the potential crash of computers on December 31, 1999) was a non-issue, the world was off and running. We snapped photos with our phones, put our taxes on flash drives, carried a thousand songs in our pocket, and connected on Facebook. During the 2000s, “things” like washing machines were predicted to connect to the internet and order detergent. So far, most of us are still putting Tide on the grocery list. However, IoT has indeed given rise to a tsunami of data. According to the IoT Analytics “State of IoT—Spring 2023” report, the number of global IoT connections grew by 18% in 2022 to 14.3 billion active IoT endpoints. In 2023, the global number of connected IoT devices is predicted to grow another 16%, to 16.7 billion active endpoints. In the plainspoken world of marketing where I play, a “billion active endpoints” is a lot of data flowing through a lot of connected things. The term “big data” was first used at an IEEE conference on visualization in 1997. Michael Cox and David Ellsworth authored “Application-Controlled Demand Paging for Out-of-Core Visualization,” stating: “Visualization provides
The Whats and Hows of the Ultimate Dashboard for Industrial IoT
If you use the internet of things (IoT) devices to monitor or automate certain business operations, you may be wondering what to make of all the data those devices generate. Collectively, IoT devices across the globe will generate almost 80 zettabytes of data by 2025, according to International Data Corporation (IDC) projections. A zettabyte equals a trillion gigabytes. In layman’s terms, we’re talking about oodles and scads and gobs of data. At the business level, data collected from IoT-enabled devices could conceivably be entered into a spreadsheet, but data presented in this manner becomes overwhelming and even incomprehensible. A much better way to store and make sense of your data comes in the form of an IoT dashboard, which visually represents relevant data in such a way that you gain at-a-glance, actionable insights regarding your operations. An effective IoT dashboard allows you to make data-driven decisions to optimize efficiencies, troubleshoot problems, and make other adjustments and improvements that could potentially impact profit margins. Dashboard Design and the KISS Principle — Keep it Simple, Stupid Think about the dashboard display in your car. It doesn’t show you everything there is to know about the vehicle. Imagine how overwhelmed and distracted you would feel if it presented you with minutiae such as the condition of your tire tread, how many cubic inches of trunk space you’re using, the precise amount of antifreeze you have, the decibel level you top out at when singing along with the radio, and so on, ad nauseam. All this information crammed onto your dashboard would make it difficult for you to drive and make important, time-sensitive decisions, like when to stop for gas. That’s why the dashboard display is limited to what you need to know to drive safely and efficiently: How much fuel do you have? How fast are you going? How many miles per gallon are you getting? A well-designed IoT dashboard also only shows you data that you’ve prioritized in accordance with your business objectives, with the ability to pull up additional data points as desired. A well-designed dashboard prompts you to a view of data sets that you can select, creating an unfussy, easy to understand, and up-to-the-minute snapshot of in-field device and system-level performance. Effective Dashboard Design — It All Starts with You When it comes to selecting the best IoT dashboard for your organization, the first step is to define your business goals. Before requesting demos or engaging an IoT dashboard vendor, identify what you want to learn and achieve with the data you collect. Your business goals will determine the dashboard design you choose, as well as the type of data and performance indicators you need to track to meet your goals. For example, if your business goal is to improve the efficiency of your manufacturing process, you might want to track equipment downtime, production output, and raw material usage. Another scenario might be an oil and gas company wanting to track performance by optimizing existing wells, improving oil recovery, and minimizing its carbon footprint or emissions. Having defined your business goals, you can then determine which metrics matter most and how best to display them to facilitate decision making. Then, you can look for a dashboard that has the necessary features and functionalities to help you meet your business objectives. Dashboard Deliverables — What You Should Look for When Evaluating Your Options IDC estimates there will be 55.7 billion connected IoT devices by 2025. The IoT dashboard and platform market, though still quite young, is growing exponentially. With an ever-increasing number of options, choosing which vendor and product will best support your business goals can be as easy as working with a leading IoT network provider. We will discuss what to look for when considering your options, after a brief clarification of terms. You may hear the words dashboard and platform used interchangeably, so think of the dashboard as the user interface within an IoT platform that allows you to interact with your connected devices. The dashboard is both a control panel and a visual representation of key data your IoT devices collect. The platform is the dashboard’s pre-built foundation. Platform-based dashboards are typically more practical than out-of-the-box dashboard solutions, provided the platform is well-engineered. And a well-built platform is, first and foremost, generic. A Solid Generic Framework with Customizable Features and Functionalities In the case of information technology platforms, “generic,” ironically, is a positive descriptor, synonymous with user-friendliness and adaptability. Generic IoT platforms allow for customization, and FreeWave’s data platform comes with an array of templates and widgets that allow you to create a custom dashboard almost as easily as snapping together those beloved Lego® building blocks from your youth. The lesson here is the less “generic” the platform, the greater the likelihood you’ll need to hire someone to configure your initial dashboard and reconfigure it time and again as your business strategy evolves. Effective dashboards are intuitive and interactive. They are not a data dump, but rather convey information hierarchically through charts and other data visualizations, enabling you to extract actionable insights, receive alerts, identify patterns and trends, make projections, and run various scenarios with the aid of built-in analytics and machine learning. If you want to dive deeper into your data, interactive drill-down and click-to-filter features guide you through multilayer displays. You by no means have to be a programmer to design an effective IoT dashboard, but if you need a little extra assistance, look to an IoT platform provider for help. As a convenience to customers, FreeWave is enhancing its distribution network with specialists trained to assist in defining your user interface, in accordance with your business goals. Decision-making Support Through Data Storytelling Designing an industrial IoT dashboard begins by defining what data you want to see and why. It’s an involved process, but the end result should be a simple data story, with key takeaways highlighted. Once you’ve created your ultimate IoT dashboard, you’ll gain a competitive edge for your organization as the intelligence embedded
Ranch Life: Water Visibility is Critical Part 1
There is no average day in the life of a rancher. Many kickstart their morning at 4 a.m., when most people are still fast asleep. After breakfast, the real work and the long day begins. It might include mending fences, checking grass levels across thousands of acres, rotating cattle or even being called unexpectedly to tend to a neighbor’s sick animal. All this is done by riding the land or rolling out trucks in hard-to-reach places with little or no cell coverage – and so much connects back to water. From land and hay operations to logging and livestock operations, water conservation touches almost every aspect of ranch performance and profitability. Take JJ Goicoechea, for example, who travels at least 40 miles a day (one way) to check on the viability of the water on his land for the surrounding cattle and wildlife. Or Bob Skinner, who used his own funds to purchase an airplane as a means to check on his pipelines every 48 hours. These examples, courtesy of the Public Lands Council, show observation and measurement for better on-ranch performance is nothing new for ranchers. What has evolved is how the modern rancher observes and measures today with near real-time visibility, particularly when it comes to water management. Water Becomes a Commodity It’s no secret that water is a rancher’s most valuable asset. Safe, clean, abundant water sources are necessary for the health of the herd. Water impacts the profitability of ranch operations, many of which were handed down from previous generations. There’s a new challenge, though, that the men and women who homesteaded the land did not have to contend with: extreme weather and unreliability of water sources. Case in point: 2012, when two-thirds of the lower 48 states were in a drought. Or earlier in 2022, when according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 32% of western states, including Texas, Utah, Oregon, and New Mexico, were in a severe drought – the worst megadrought reported in 1,200 years, according to Scientific American. With the unpredictability of nature and the need to conserve reliable, clean sources of water, a better, more efficient way to store and sustainably save water is surely needed. What if You Could See the Entire Ranch on Your Device? Just like their forefathers, a rancher’s keen eye for observation and measurement serves them well. There’s a gut check to making decisions, and experience guides the way. That will never change. The modern cowboy, however, is evolving in one significant way: they can now see their entire ranch operation in real-time on a connected device: cell phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Here is how near real-time visibility – being able to see the different parts of a ranch without physically being there – works. Sensor technology “carries the water” for ranchers and farmers, helping them visualize what’s happening across thousands of acres without having to physically roll out trucks. These devices, or “things,” then relay data back to ranchers so they can make informed decisions based on near real-time visibility. It’s like having extra “eyes and ears” spread across the ranch. In short, these connected devices are the Internet of Things (of the ranch) or IoT, for short. FreeWave provides a drop-in solution – our Tank Level Monitor – that’s easy to install, set-up, and manage. For any of us, you don’t know what you don’t know. For ranchers, this knowledge gap comes with a price as rising fertilizer, equipment, and input costs squeeze margins. Every unexpected cost is closely watched. A dehydrated calf in peril costs more than a thousand dollars to replace. A blown tire on a truck shows up on the P&L. Man-hours spent checking water levels and the status of equipment add up. When it comes to water consumption, IoT is making a difference. According to a research report conducted by Transforma Insights and 6GWorld, by 2030, connected devices and the information they impart will help conserve close to 230 billion cubic meters of water. What does that even look like? Here, we turn to beer to help us out. Considering 40 million cubic meters of water is equal to about 300 billion pints, IoT is predicted to save the same amount of beer consumed at Oktoberfest in Munich for two straight decades. That’s a lot of water saved. While 35% of those savings will come from smart water grid operations, the remaining 65% will be driven by “IoT-enabled agricultural operations like crop management and remote pest control,” according to the report. What Observing and Measuring Means Today Connected devices save valuable time, money, and resources. They give ranchers “eyes and ears” into their entire operation and support what these stewards of our land have always done well: observation and measurement. Modern ranchers are using technology to ask – and answer – critical questions about the status of physical assets, water tank levels, water flow, weather, and soil, like: Do the stock tanks have enough water to keep the livestock healthy? Is there excess water in the soil that will lead to ponding? Are we irrigating the hay fields with too much or too little water? Are equipment like livestock trailers and tractors running smoothly? What’s the condition of remote pumps – are they working, is there a leak, is the herd getting what they need when they need it? A long-held rule for ranchers is that they don’t quit when they’re tired, they quit when they’re done. We aim to support ranchers in getting more of the right things done – with less water, waste, and worry. Talk to FreeWave today and see how our solutions can help you save time, energy, and money with a drop-in solution that just makes sense.
The Impact of IoT on the Future of the Oil and Gas Industry
A global expert in telecommunication, Dennis Stipati talks about how today’s energy companies are doing more with the same amount of resources and how FreeWave sees the future for smart oil fields. A true industrial transformation is taking place as we speak. Connected devices delivering data to technicians and managers through the internet – what we all know as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) – are transforming efficiency and productivity for forward-thinking energy companies. Oftentimes, wells are located many miles apart in extreme weather conditions or might even be offshore on an oil rig. Through digitalization, oil and gas leaders are implementing innovative strategies to do more with the same amount of people and resources while increasing overall safety and environmental sustainability. Here, we explore the impact of IIoT in the oil and gas sector with FreeWave’s Senior Director of Strategic Accounts, Dennis Stipati. Q: The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is significantly impacting every industry; what are the top problems IIoT is solving for energy companies?? Dennis: From the operations side of things, being more efficient and increasing revenue is huge. Over the last year or two, there’s been a lot going on in our world. There’s not enough gas, not enough oil, and on top of that, we’re trying to get the oil and gas that we do have to the right places. That’s where IIoT steps in, helping us increase revenue and improve efficiency within operations. For example, if a drilling rig is down for a short period of time, that oil company could lose millions of dollars, potentially. It’s important to be able to remotely control the different sensors on that oil rig so that downtime is decreased and productivity and overall revenue is increased. That’s one benefit. On the other end, IIoT also impacts the overall safety of workers on the field and the surrounding environment. In the past, oil operators weren’t able to get the type of detailed operational information that we have access to today, and this data makes a big difference in reducing safety hazards on the field. With the right equipment in place, we can see when machine parts need to be replaced before their end of life. We can also virtually measure the amount of oil that’s coming through the pipelines and see if there are any leaks or dangerous chemical exposures before a crisis arises. IIoT also helps us control the day-to-day management of our operations from anywhere in the world, which leads to greater sustainability. Say there’s a methane leak of some sort. We can now respond to a situation like this immediately instead of after hundreds of thousands of gallons have been released into the environment. A decrease in environmental hazards means a safer and more sustainable world for all of us. At the end of the day, what IIoT really helps us create is a smarter network. With the right equipment in place, oil operators can manage changes on the field from virtually anywhere in the world, no matter if it’s a change flow, tank pressure, or even the temperature. With a smarter network, these decisions can be made on the edge. Q: How does the use of IIoT in the oil and gas industry impact the everyday person? Dennis: IIoT in oil and gas is important for a number of reasons, but the biggest thing most people pay attention to is gas prices. Whether it’s filling up their car or paying for natural or propane gas, this is an industry that affects all of us. It’s important for oil operators to be as efficient as they can so that they can make a profit and then pass along those cost savings to everyday consumers so that we can continue to do the things that make up our daily lives. Q: What FreeWave products are currently being used in the oil and gas industry? Dennis: It seems like every day, a new app is invented to help make our lives easier. I think FreeWave products function in the same way. Our IIoT solutions, including Zumlink™, ZumEdge®, Fusion™ Bridge radios along with our FreeWave Edge software platform, help our customers operate with greater efficiency and make better decisions on the edge. We currently have our products right on the drilling rigs. A lot of times, these platforms are fairly large, and they’ll have five or six radios on a drilling rig, maybe even more, that are wirelessly interconnected. Our products are also used on the pipeline to measure the flow of the natural gas going through that pipeline as well as the temperature. Some of our radios are used in the terminals to connect a tank to the back office or monitor a fracking pond to make sure there are no leaks. Honestly, I feel like every week, I learn a new way a customer uses our products. You think you know it all, and then someone else comes back and shares a different way they are using our solutions within their remote operation. Q: As you look at the future, and the role of IIoT within it, what excites you the most? Dennis: The common theme I keep seeing in technology is automation. Our population here in North America and even in Europe is decreasing. Recently, I read a report that said there are two jobs available for every person that’s looking for employment. How do we fix that? Automation. The more we use IIoT, the more we can make better decisions without human intervention. Machine learning, autonomy at the edge, and computerized systems, these things all make a big difference in the day-to-day management of our operations. I think we forget just how much more efficient and productive our lives are today because of technology. When I look at my life and think about the evolution of basic TV to streaming services or the transformation of the bag phone to the iPhone, I’m really amazed at how far we’ve come in such a
Unlocking Creativity within the Industrial Sector
Never content My friends and coworkers can attest that I live by the basic life philosophy: “never content.” I believe in pushing boundaries and resisting the status quo, both in business and leadership. As I see it, we have two options in this life: we can sit on our laurels and wait for change or take things into our own hands and innovate. Thanks to the industrial internet of things (IIoT), our opportunities for change and transformation are endless. The more willing we are to be free thinkers — expanding the territories of our respective industries, the larger the impact we’ll witness in the world around us. The key to true transformation Most people can agree that innovation is the key to success in the industrial sector. If we keep doing things the way we’ve always done them, we won’t have much of a world left in short order. My kids are now in their twenties, and quite frankly, they’re pissed at the environment the generations before them left behind. I understand their frustration; it’s no secret that we’re facing a global environmental crisis, and without positive change, things will only get worse. If we truly want to be a part of the solution, we have to think bigger. We must become free thinkers, willing to do more than what’s been done to actually see the kind of transformation we’re looking for. Today, IIoT helps us expand our thinking. We are only on the cusp of what edge computing and data analytics can do in remote areas. Data helps us make sound decisions. When you think about where our day-to-day information is generated and how it is analyzed, you can actually imagine a world where operational managers don’t have to walk the fields, manually check pressure gauges, or physically adjust pumps to gather intel. With the right technology in place, these tasks can all be automated, which means a natural skyrocket in productivity and efficiency for remote operations worldwide. This is truly exciting because it means a shift in the culture of business, environmentalism, and sustainability. When industrial leaders and remote operations managers are given more time and space to think, they can innovate on a whole new level. Where does this lead us? Straight to the intersection of modern technology and inventiveness, where we all have the opportunity to create a safer, stronger, and more innovative world. This is great news for the modern business owner because it means the opportunity to create stronger work models and a more efficient workflow, which naturally leads to greater employee retention and better cash flow. This is truly a win for all. The big picture As a whole, technology has provided extensive upgrades within the industrial sector over the last few decades, but in reality, until IIoT came around at a large scale, just within the last few years, we didn’t have the data needed to actually know or understand what was going on. Data is great, but intelligent insight into that data is even better. Now, thanks to the ever-expanding world of technology, we can analyze data intelligently and utilize it more effectively. With this type of smart equipment on the market, field workers can do things like monitor a banana plantation from formation all the way to the supermarket. Where before, we could only know that a banana was picked and on a boat to its next destination, we now have the technology and subsequent opportunities to see things, like product quality, faster and more clearly. Free thinking at an industrial level requires our willingness to try new things. It means creating and implementing out-of-the-box solutions to common problems. It means searching for new ways to perform basic tasks and habits. It means finding new solutions for life’s tried and true issues. Sure the modern farmer may be used to turning the same lever on and off every single day, but with the right technology in place, they don’t have to. Free thinking means moving beyond the status quo to see and receive a world filled with new possibilities. Over the next few years, we’re going to see billions of dollars spent on data processing and analysis solutions. The more we know, the more we can respond to real-life situations with confidence and precision. The current financial trends and predictions are important because they reveal that our world is ready for change. Now is the time to innovate. Think bigger A crucial part of our strategy at FreeWave is implementation without dictation. This means we fully empower our customers to be free thinkers within their own environments. We want you to have full control over the information you receive and how you use it. Our job is simply to make your life easier by deploying the technology you need — edge computing capabilities, wireless connectivity, sensor technology, and more to help you manage your operation from anywhere in the world. Our IIoT solutions are designed with a simple-to-use control panel (aka our single pane of glass dashboard) so that you can run your entire operation from a singular entry point. We are no strangers to the work of free-thinking here at FreeWave (it’s part of our name as well as our culture). In our own business model, we’ve had to expand our ideas and our identity as a leader in the tech space. For many years FreeWave rode its pedigree of building and selling narrowband radios without much thought toward innovation, but then, we recognized the need our customer base faced as they searched for help in understanding what IIoT could mean for their businesses. We could’ve stayed as we were and continued to do what we did best at the time, but instead, we chose to pivot and really dig into our customers’ needs and how we could best serve them. Now, our solutions include multi-radio edge computing solutions with gateways, edge data analytics and applications, and it all started with our team’s willingness to think bigger. Free