Critical infrastructure demanding more from communications technology

Dan Steele, FreeWave Technologies

The demand for information is pervasive. Converging mega trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and cloud computing are pushing the bounds of innovation and possibility. Industries of all types are navigating the continuous flow of data to make better decisions and improve operational efficiency, all while increasing productivity. The needs of the real-time enterprise operating within the industrial sectors are driving digitalized business models, thus creating a wider emphasis on proactive IT departments and next-generation networking technologies.

Although the concept of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications is nothing new, organizations in critical-infrastructure industries—for instance, government, oil and gas, energy, utilities and agriculture—are emerging as the biggest adopters, connecting more people, devices and sensors in the field than ever before. As the automation of manual processes continues to grow in both popularity and necessity, decision makers have an opportunity to select from a plethora of communication technologies available to the marketplace.

What’s It All About?

M2M communication technologies offer a wide variety of potential benefits, underscoring why an increasing number of industries are either currently deploying or anticipating using them in the future. The specific benefits gained vary based on the application served, but, in general, the overall benefits that can be achieved through these solutions include:

·         Leveraging resources in the most valuable way

·         Mitigating or responding to issues via enhanced monitoring capabilities

·         Achieving greater efficiencies and, therefore, enhancing productivity

·         Increasing data consumption and supporting analysis of the key operational factors that drive success

·         Diminishing the impact on the environment via monitoring/control across large geographic regions

·         Aiding the development of increased safety and security measures

·         Securing greater adherence to regulatory and compliance factors

·         Improving product quality and  organizational innovation

For industries that require many geographically dispersed assets and an increasingly mobile workforce, M2M networking technology ultimately is the glue connecting everything and, thus, the backbone of the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.

When we talk about the IoT ecosystem, most people think of data and devices, and how the two are inextricably linked together –the concept behind M2M. But this ecosystem does not, and cannot, exist without highly reliable and secure wireless communications technology. After all, connecting the unconnected to automate processes, access data and control things from afar—that’s what this is all about. It cannot be done with wires, unless our oil and gas producers, public utilities, municipalities and energy companies are willing to invest heavily in the time and resources to develop an expansive and retrenched network infrastructure across long distances, one wire at a time.

Enabling M2M applications within our nation’s critical infrastructure is a top objective today, but how can operators and IT teams leverage the best possible solution(s) for their assets and facilities? Before decision makers purchase any wireless M2M communication technologies available today, it is imperative to review two important success factors that need to be addressed with these solutions: security and reliability.