Emergency Response From Sensor-2-Server
Emergency response agencies are adding Sensor-2-Server (S2S) communication technologies to their tool belt, thus changing the way our local municipalities operate. As we head in the direction of a more connected world through the Internet of Things (IoT), we see increased efficiencies within our cities and local government operations. For example, municipalities can leverage S2S technology for monitoring and control of their traffic management systems to improve flow of traffic to support community growth or pain points within the local traffic infrastructure. These Smart City types of applications also extend into emergency response. Large scale emergency situations and natural disasters often lead to disabled or overloaded cell towers and disconnected Wi-Fi. When all forms of communication are severed, first responders face the challenge of conducting rescue efforts with extremely limited visibility into identifying which locations require immediate help and conditions of the affected locations. If local government or municipalities leverage Smart City applications to stay online during emergency and disaster recovery situations, response times increase, risk decreases and lives can be saved. A Sensor-2-Server (S2S) solution robust enough to maintain communications during worst case scenarios will provide a mission critical communication link that keeps responders connected. Further, solutions that support voice, video, data and sensor (VVDS) information can aid in complete, accurate assessment during the emergency as well as detailed follow-up after emergencies and disasters are over. Finding a New Solution for Emergency Response Secure wireless communications are a key component to successful emergency response and disaster recovery for Smart Cities. With technology specifically built for harsh outdoor, industrial locations and proven to perform under the most extreme environmental conditions, local governments and municipalities can create emergency response and disaster recovery protocols that would significantly reduce collateral damage. Wireless shorthaul communications solutions with robust Wi-Fi links support VVDS, giving responders a substantial advantage during emergency situations. In a situation where every moment counts, having that connection could make the difference in saving someone’s life. Benefits of Leveraging S2S Solutions with Emergency Response Agencies Functioning even when power outages are plaguing a city, there are a number of ways a Sensor-2-Server type of network can be leveraged by the local government: ⇒ Reduce Risks Significantly reduce the risk of injury for firefighters and first responders. By leveraging video, responders can examine and assess damage after a weather-related incident without having to enter unsafe buildings or areas. ⇒ Assess the Situation Streamline the post disaster assessment by first responders from all directions and relay critical information to headquarters. By leveraging voice and video capabilities responders get an accurate assessment of a situation from every angle and create a faster, safer evaluation than a manual process. ⇒ Increase Response Time When communication networks are down, emergency crews can leverage the secure wireless edge network. Emergency crews can respond faster because messages and instructions are relayed via VVDS rather than manually. ⇒ Protected Data Keep unwanted parties out of the network. Leverage secure encryption capabilities to prevent data hijacking and increase network security. Some solutions will offer a secure, dedicated channel for emergency communications that does not interfere with tactical plans. When a municipality becomes a Smart City, first responders can be highly effective and are better able to protect themselves from the dangerous situations they face. As S2S communications shape the future of municipal communication networks, voice and video can be incorporated into the network. With this new, rich data, emergency management teams can enhance their emergency response protocol and improve emergency planning.
The Glue that Holds Our “Connected” Dreams Together
Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons The visage of our “smart” or “connected” destiny is often presented to us in broad strokes: self-driving vehicles, connected homes, logistics, wearables – the list continues on with each piece of evolving and maturing technology. Smart cities have a bright future, and the application possibilities seem expansive, but often lost in the conversation is the technology that actually enables the connected world. Within a smart city – or even at a micro level – within one specific industry deploying smart technology, are a wide range of considerations: how much data are we transporting? How will we transport that data? How can we make our system intelligent? Where do we need to install these intelligence-driving platforms? How can we connect our data, operational technology and information technology to the necessary access points? Who/what has access to this data and control over these machines? These are only a few of the considerations that companies must address that are responsible for the industrial services driving cities and municipalities. While security is indeed a critical piece of this landscape, before any kind of connected or smart city can be achieved, the literal communication platform upon which that connectivity is deployed must first be implemented in a way that is not only compatible with current technology, but that will also be compatible with future technologies as well. From our perspective, there are five critical elements behind a smart city connected infrastructure: Robust Cloud Services Infrastructure designed to support all consumers of smart city deliverables Core Network Architecture that can rapidly expand in bandwidth and reach Extended Access Layer network architecture that incorporates a wide range of wired and wireless technologies to reach every sensor and device or that needs to connect to the smart city infrastructure A wide range of reporting devices such as sensors, visibility devices and other end points that create the data that makes a smart city work Distributed intelligence technology that allows for local execution of applications at the access layer plus global communication of data/analytics and information While each one of these tools is important in its own right, there is a common, underlying thread that connects them: each facet depends on a robust, reliable and secure communication platform. For smart cities, these communication platforms must be capable of enabling multiple methods of connectivity, but most importantly, they must be able to provide industrial-strength Wi-Fi. Wireless connectivity is the backbone of communication between the sensors that power all facets of the connected industrial infrastructure and the big data transport that is critical to the analytics that power “smart” enterprise. Not all industrial Wi-Fi platforms are created equal, and one of the major questions facing the ongoing development of smart infrastructure centers on how to ensure that these networks are secure and compatible across multiple, and sometimes proprietary, technologies. This certainly opens up a veritable can of worms, including the idea of standardization, but without the driving force of reliable and robust communication technology, most smart city dreams will remain just that – a dream.
IoT Top News: Distribution Intelligence
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, distribution intelligence refers to the part of the smart grid that addresses utility distribution systems – meaning the wires, switches and transformers connecting the utility substation to both the utility company and the end customer. These systems are designed to drastically improve the demand response times and overall efficiency of transferring electric power, thus enabling a fully controllable and flexible distribution system and giving field technicians the actionable knowledge to troubleshoot problem areas faster. As utility providers continue to move towards a digital and connected enterprise, the prospect of a self-healing power distribution system becomes extremely valuable – especially as electric power consumption continues to rise globally. That’s way this week’s round up is dedicated to distributing intelligence across one of the most mission-critical infrastructures on the planet – the power grid. State of Distribution Intelligence, per a Recent Smart Grid Report A smart grid survey of 70 U.S electric cooperatives found that, regardless of the challenges most have found a way to start incorporating smart grid technology across the board. Zpryme and the Rural Smart Grid Summit (RSGS) report that, “Nearly all electric cooperatives have some sort of smart grid effort. Many are at thestage of deploying multiple applications (31%) up from 21% last year. Pilot projects are also growing from 8% last year to 16% this year.” We Now Have Hourly Data on the US Power Distribution System The U.S. Energy Information Administration (US EIA) can now collect data on electric supply, demand and flows on an hourly basis. CleanTechnica informs us that, “EIA’s U.S. Electric System Operating Data tool provides nearly real-time demand data, plus analysis and visualizations of hourly, daily, and weekly electricity supply and demand on a national and regional level for all of the 66 electric system balancing authoritiesthat make up the U.S. electric grid.” Distribution Intelligence Starts with Proper Training India’s National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) with USAID announced they will begin a series of utility personnel training programs designed to help educate workers on smart grid functionality and design. The Business Standard revealed, “The government has taken several proactive steps towards grid modernization, including the establishment of a Smart Grid Mission to plan and monitor the implementation of policies and programs related to Smart Grid activities in India.” Cyber Attack Vulnerability in the Power Grid? We have all heard about a few of the big cyber attacks that have affected some big companies, but many don’t realize an attack on the electrical infrastructure could be crippling to our society. The Energy Collective unveiled a quiz to dispel some myths about the state of cybersecurity in the power grid. “Minimizing the risk is not just about training a network IT team. It’s about running a comprehensive and continuous scan of operational technology (OT)—the programmable logic controllers, the mobile devices, the supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA), etc.—and then coordinating OT and IT teams with risk officers and crisis management experts to form a cohesive front capable of responding to an industrial cyber incident.” Perhaps the notion of distribution intelligence systems can help address and alleviate some of these concerns. Most utilities are only starting on the road to true distribution intelligence, but the market is expected to boom in the coming years. With the advent of industrial IoT technologies and new regulatory factors, we could realize distribution intelligence in our power grid sooner than later. I hope you have enjoyed our weekly round up on distribution intelligence, and please be sure to leave your comments and questions below. BONUS ARTICLE The round up above is all about the smart grid and how to make it more efficient and resilient. Ever hear of a smart city? Smart cities are connected cities, and they work in conjunction with everything from IoT sensors to open data collection and smart streetlights to provide better services and better communication. Teena Maddox from Tech Republic wrote a great round up piece on six essential technologies that make the smart city of the future a reality today. Give it a read!
IoT Top News: Future is Now
The Internet of Things (IoT) is creeping into every aspect of our lives. With the advent of smart cities, smart manufacturing, precision agriculture, drones and digital energy, businesses and individuals alike have seen the influx of IoT technology. For example, a recent report from Gartner, “suggests that more than 26 billion devices will be connected to the internet by 2020, with 250,000 of them being vehicles.” So, with the billions of connected things, its only natural this week’s top news roundup would highlight how IoT is maturing and what experts see for the future ahead. Research Firm calls for Standardized IoT Deployments As the demand increases to make more smart cities, researchers warn of extra costsand fragmented delays if we don’t create overall IoT standards. Machina Research reports, “Using current non-standardized technologies, it would cost 1.12 trillion dollars to get smart cities up and running by 2025. Were a standardized approach adopted, the total cost would be 781 billion dollars, a savings of 341 billion dollars worldwide.” Is Automation the Key to Unlocking IoT Data? The best approach to implementation is a combination of data analytics with real-time automated wireless results Dave McCarthy senior director of products at Bsquare suggests that, “The goal of any IoT system should be to extract business value from device and sensor data.” Three Ways to Leverage IIoT Some of best ways to leverage Industrial IoT is by learning to adapt machine learning(M2M), embedded sensors and an overall operational shift allowing the wireless technology to be implemented across the business. Scott Stone with Plant Engineering informs us that, “Accenture predicts that vendor-specific and proprietary infrastructure will be replaced over time with interoperable platforms. Harnessing the data through sensor-driven computing, industrial analytics and intelligent machine applications opens the door for innovation.” Internet of Things Offers Vision of the Future IoT is not a new concept, it has actually been around for 30 to 40 years, yet the future of IoT will still be fueled by security and integration concerns as our need to be connected everywhere continues to grow. Basher Saajid with Liberty Voice reminds us that, “Forbes has reported the overall IoT potential to generate additional $10-$15 trillion for the world GDP by 2034.” We hope you enjoyed this quick look at IoT top news, as always tell us about the stories you found of interest!
Robots Will Steal Your Future Paychecks
We’ve spent many words on this blog talking through new Industrial IoT technologies, hardware and software, and the way that the status quo has shifted to demand better connectivity, smarter infrastructure, and better access to real-time data across the spectrum. Where we haven’t spent much time is considering the economic impact these technologies will have on the average person. Without looking too far into the future, we can already see the impact of a more automated workforce. With that in mind, and on top of all our other daily worries, do we need to be worried about robots stealing our paychecks in the future? Eric Brynjolfsson, recently presented a TED Talk about this very topic, but unlike the sci-fi fear mongers, Eric had a different approach. Brynjolfsson suggests we stop trying to compete with machines and focus in on how they can complement our work-life. It’s true today it takes less people to get the job done. This shift to automation is forcing companies to rethink infrastructure and think more about speed, efficiency and overall time. This isn’t the time to reinvent the wheel, it’s time to think about how that wheel can be tweaked to operate more smoothly and consistently over time. Now, before you let your imagination run wild of a robot powered world, that will be lucky to be apart of, take a moment and watch Brynjolfsson’s TED Talk. Not to worry there is still hope, you may not have to hand over your paychecks to tomorrow’s robots, just yet!
Who’s Your Betamax of IoT Standards?
Image Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons In the world of IoT/IIoT an explosion of standards has fallen upon us. While we all can agree that standards are what binds our current communication infrastructures together, it does take time for the victorious standard to rise to the top of adoption. Some of us remember the battle that arose in the video tape arena between VHS and Betamax (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotape_format_war). While Betamax’s claim to fame was the superior picture, VHS had the longer recording time and a larger backing from the industry. In the end VHS won. And who can remember the tale of HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray, token-ring vs 10Base-T or WiMax vs LTE? Enter the IoT/IIoT wannabes. In the communication protocol arena we have standards such as 802.15.4 (ZigBee), 802.11ah (Wi-Fi HaLow) and LoRa that want to use the 900 MHz spectrum to connect your devices back to a gateway and then to your cloud. There are also application software framework standards such as Thread, Alljoyn, IoTivity, Arrowhead and LWM2M. I won’t even mention all of the cloud platforms that aim to bring all of these pieces together in one place. Really, how many people think about the actual physical mechanisms that enable connectivity throughout the world? And within that, who thinks about the standards set by organizations that dictate the best method for connecting all our devices? Standards have the potential to affect ranges of communication, battery life on remote devices, signal interference, and many other things. The interesting part about the race to the top, so to speak, is that the standards mentioned above all have viable aspects that could potentially make them the ideal solution for connected infrastructure. Many of these standards have consortiums with major players such as Google, Microsoft, ARM and Samsung, all of which play at different places in the IoT/IIoT theatre. So, unlike the tail of Betamax, many of these standards have the backing of multiple entities. But, who’s going to win? Which standard will come out on top? Or, will we find ourselves with multiple standards because we can’t agree on one to do the job? What do you think? Who is your Betamax pick for IoT/IIoT?
IWCE 2016: What to expect next week?
The International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE), is an annual event for communication technology professionals working globally in a broad range of the communications field, including energy, utilities, emergency response and municipality/infrastructure. This conference will get under way next week, from March 21-25, in Las Vegas. An estimated 7,000 individual industry experts are expected to attend from government/military; public safety (law enforcement, fire service and first responders); utility, transportation and business enterprise. IWCE will also feature around 370 exhibitors ready to show you the latest product innovations and trends forecasted this coming year. Donny Jackson editor of Urgent Communications, the official tradeshow media partner, believes that this year’s IWCE will give industry professionals a chance to get educated about the latest critical-communications technology, all while making key network contacts with industry experts. So, what else can we look forward to? IWCE promises to offer engaging content–with their 5-day comprehensive conference program; more quality time with peers; industry experts providing the latest strategies and tactics; minimal expenses–when you take advantage of conference discounts; structured networking opportunities; tangible handouts you can use throughout the year; more face-to-face learning time and more educational opportunities will be available this year. Excitement is building! Here are just a few of the people and organizations excited for next week’s event! Tune in next week for our IWCE insider recaps. Vegas here we come!
Utilities: Where Data Flows Like Water at the Speed of Light
(Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons) More than a decade ago, the choices were few to address the needs of data gathering and recording. Water and wastewater utilities, for example, had to be able to use a ‘one size fits all’ unit with set parameters and make their systems adaptable to the technology of the day. Since then, many municipal water systems, such as those in Southern Utah, have had to broaden the area from which they gather, use, and reclaim water. Most growing areas are even facing the dilemma of higher demands on services while trying to stay within shrinking budgets and manpower cutbacks. This is because in the past, many viewed electronic data gathering as a ‘want’ instead of a ‘need’ until now. As with any limited resource, scarcity often drives innovation as people are tasked to do more with less. Such is the current state and convergence of water/wastewater utilities and the Internet of Things (IoT) – an emerging paradigm in which more data and information can be gathered and acted upon during the processes of collecting, treating, monitoring, and distributing water. With the unprecedented demand for cities and municipalities to maximize water resource allocation, local government officials began implementing smarter methods to address the challenges of today and hurdle the potential obstacles in the future. By using new technology in the form of sensors, IoT networking and data analytics, city officials, local citizens, and businesses are now more accurately predicting everything from crop yields to at-home water conservation. This technological evolution is part of a much larger undertaking that has both garnered international attention and prompted action all the way to the Federal level of the United States government. Smart Cities Initiative Connected In response to the new Smart Cities Initiatives, cities around the country are beginning to take advantage of the $160+ million in Federal research and technical collaborations to help their local communities tackle key challenges such as lessening traffic congestion, reducing crime, fostering economic growth, creating jobs, managing the effects of a changing climate, and improving the delivery of city services and quality of life. According to a White House fact sheet on Smart Cities, emerging technologies have “created the potential for an ‘Internet of Things,’ a ubiquitous network of connected devices, smart sensors, and big data analytics. The United States has the opportunity to be a global leader in this field, and cities represent strong potential test beds for development and deployment of IoT applications.” Given the growth of these highly connected networks, Smart Cities are using wireless communication technologies to build critical infrastructure and support public services. According to the research firm Gartner, an estimated 1.1 billion connected things were used by Smart Cities in 2015, with this total rising to 9.7 billion by 2020. What Is on the Horizon for Utilities? As Smart Cities initiatives continue grabbing headlines and captivating imaginations, public utilities and their customers have the most to gain in the short term. Coordination and collaboration amongst a cities’ local government, utility operators, researchers, and technology vendors is key to bringing these “smart initiatives” to light. For example, Orlando, Florida was a destination of choice for many involved in these smart city transformations, as DistribuTECH 2016 brought approximately 12,000 people together from more than 60 countries across the globe to keep the focus on the future of electric power delivery and a smart utilities infrastructure.
Solving The Challenges of Remote Wi-Fi in the Industrial Internet of Things
Most of us can relate to the frustration of when the Wi-Fi is down, or running slowly, or if we travel away from an established network and aren’t able to connect to another one nearby. The lack of Wi-Fi makes it impossible to check our emails, look up something on the internet, connect with others, or get our work done efficiently. In short, it makes us feel a little helpless and a whole lot of cranky because we’ve become way too accustomed to getting the information we want – when we want it – and staying in 24/7 connection with our world. Now, if we’re challenged by our Wi-Fi experiencing a service blip in a metropolitan area, imagine a remote industrial setting like an oil pad, a water treatment plant, or a rural electric tower. All of these reside in what is known as the access layer – or at the very outer edge of an IT network. Not only is there usually no internet connectivity in the access layer, but these devices are typically operating in rugged terrain where they’re experiencing extreme and volatile weather conditions such as wind, snow, blistering heat, tornadoes, dust storms, etc. Each of these access layer settings is part of a larger industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) network that connects the information gathered from local sensors that transmit or receive operational data. From there, they pass it along through subsequent network touch points all the way to the IT department at headquarters where this data is collected, analyzed, and acted upon for improved decision making. So, at the access layer – sometimes in the middle of nowhere where there can be no Wi-Fi networks for miles – talk about being disconnected from the world! Adding the environmental component to that, as well as the fact that most of these remote sites aren’t adequately monitored and data security is at risk, it makes your occasional Wi-Fi challenges seem a bit tame, yes? Here’s where wireless IIoT communications technology can help transmit this critical sensor data from remote industrial locations with no Wi-Fi connectivity all the way to where they’re supposed to go – and at very high speeds. This week, FreeWave is launching its new WavePro™ WP201 shorthaul and Wi-Fi platform that delivers secure collection, control, and transport of Voice, Video, Data, and Sensor (VVDS™) information from the access layer. Think of it as high-speed, rugged Wi-Fi connectivity that can be positioned in that oil pad, power plant or wherever Wi-Fi is needed. It will not only connect these sensors to the internet, but can also transport voice and video to create an instant in-field network, provide greater visibility into what’s going on at these sites, and better protect remote assets. The Advent of Short Haul and the Access Layer Change is inevitable, and change is taking place in SCADA, M2M and IIoT networks. SCADA networks started as networks that transported periodic process updates and used low bandwidth networks with longer links to meet their mission. Today, remote SCADA and Wi-Fi networks are transporting more data from more sensor data with greater frequency in order to drive operational efficiency into business processes. SCADA and M2M networks are becoming more multi-functional than their predecessors. These networks are transporting more than sensor data from the remote site to the enterprise. These networks linking remote sites to the enterprise network are now transporting: Video for remote process monitoring, enhanced site security and theft deterrence Voice, since cellular coverage is not ubiquitous Data so field personal have access to information needed to work efficiently This combination of data types is what FreeWave terms as VVDS™ (voice, video, data and sensor). VVDS transport is now a requirement for your wireless network. Another change occurring in traditional SCADA networks is that link distances are decreasing. In the past, SCADA networks with wireless links of more than 10 miles were common. Today, wireless links in excess of 10 miles typically use high speed, microwave, point-to-point (PTP) systems because of the increased capacity demands of VVDS. The WP201 links the formerly unconnectable and is designed to not only meet the harshest environmental conditions, but also encrypts the data to keep it secure and protected. It can be used in a wide variety of industries like oil & gas, utilities, mining, disaster recovery, facility automation – anywhere where field sensor information needs to be transmitted to servers for Sensor-2-Server™ (S2S™) connectivity. The applications are almost limitless. With higher speed, shorter wireless links, FreeWave defines wireless networks in three tiers: Long Haul (or the Distribution Layer) are wireless links from 5 miles, and greater and are typically implemented using high speed, PTP microwave systems. Short Haul (or the Aggregation Layer) are wireless links from 1 to 8 miles that are easily implemented using high speed, 2.4GHz or 5GHz radios with directional antennas to create point-to-multipoint (PMP) networks for data and information aggregation, or PTP links that provide network ingress/egress points. Close Haul (or the Access Layer) are PMP networks with wireless links operating from a few feet to a couple of miles to transport VVDS data. Designing and deploying wireless networks using a layer approach that enables each layer to be optimized for transport and for cost ─ leveraging the right equipment at the right point. The WP201 and its remote Wi-Fi and short haul capabilities is the first in a series of S2S products that FreeWave is offering to be that critical communication bridge in the IIoT world. So in your own operations, what are some ways you might incorporate the WP201 into your network?
Can You Hear Me Now? Remote Wi-Fi in the Connected World
(Image courtesy of Tony Webster, via Flickr Creative Commons) One of the more fascinating aspects of our eternal march toward ‘the future’ is the occasional, but impacting, intersection of our critical infrastructure and the general consumer. Like a sine wave across the axis, our connected world meets at points in time that catalyze technological explosions. The transition of computers from behemoth industrial-sized calculators into the first iteration of the personal computer is a good, somewhat recent example. So is the Internet. Each of those began as a fairly raw tool used for enterprise industrial services before intersecting with the consumer and birthing new innovations and applications.Today, the connected world on the horizon, envisioned by dreamers and pragmatists alike, is taking form on the backbone of wireless connectivity in a way that has the ability to impact our critical industries, our smart cities, our homes and our daily lives like never before. Remote Wi-Fi is a tool that has enabled connectivity and data transport for industries like oil and gas, precision agriculture, utilities and seismic monitoring, leading to a boom in the use of predictive analytics to better streamline the work processes in the field for these traditionally remote areas. However, two of the main problems with traditional remote wi-fi network deployment are the security of these networks, as well as the latency of the data transmission. To combat this, these industries have turned to the use of shorthaul (between 1-5 miles) wi-fi hotspots to utilize built-in security measures and decrease latency for data-intensive applications like voice, video, data and sensor connectivity. As a result, these industries have been better able to collect and transport data throughout an entire smart ecosystem, affecting everything from decision-making in the field, to the way the consumer can track personalized utility usage. Our smart cities and municipalities depend on data collected remotely to anticipate infrastructure-related resiliency issues, like grid outages, seismic events and disaster preparedness. Companies in these industries depend on remote data to solve production, maintenance and transport problems. Wi-Fi Will Save the Connected World In early January, the Wi-Fi Alliance, a worldwide network of companies trying to standardize global Wi-Fi provision, announced a new protocol that promises to trigger changes throughout the industrial landscape. Wi-Fi HaLow, as it is called, is an addendum to the IEEE 802.11ah protocol that is set to be finalized later in 2016. HaLow operates in frequencies below 1 GHz and can potentially provide a longer range than Wi-Fi has traditionally offered. The implications for remote Wi-Fi and the Industrial Internet of Things are huge. The addendum means more efficient battery usage due to operating on a lower frequency and with a lower data rate, which, in turn means a greater range and lower transmission power. This standard is still awaiting a final vote, so before we anoint HaLow as the magic bullet for which the Internet of Things has been waiting, the IEEE standards committee will have its say. To come full circle, the potential advent of better long-range Wi-Fi in remote settings could be the next intersection of the axis and the sine wave, enabling innovation and growth at both the industrial and consumer levels of connected-world technology.
