Remote - M2M 2015 - (Page 10)

Feature Article Not So Remote Any More Incorporating Wireless Connectivity into Remote Site Equipment for Anytime Access and Greater Control Dave Burleton of LS Research (LSR) This issue of Remote Site & Equipment Magazine is a timely one because it puts a spotlight on wireless technologies that are poised to have a significant impact on remote site management, just like it is starting to do in numerous other industries. The technology goes by many names - including the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technology, connected devices, smart machines, and many more - but it's all simply about taking the miniaturized wireless technology that is on your phone or tablet and placing it inside devices that in the past have never had wireless connectivity and the additional capabilities that enables. By placing this wireless connectivity into the world of industrial machinery, that equipment immediately becomes smart machines that can communicate wirelessly from anywhere, that can provide important information in real-time, and that be controlled remotely even from the phone in your pocket. That combination of qualities makes this wireless technology not simply a great fit for the remote equipment and site management field; in many ways it is a Holy Grail for the industry that solves a long list of challenges that readers of this magazine face every day. What that means for the remote site equipment industry cannot be overstated: * * * * With just a tablet or smartphone, professionals can access most or all of the same information that could previously only be done in person, providing vital information in real time and reducing the need for site visits. Many maintenance functions for remote equipment could potentially be done wirelessly rather than on site, eliminating the need for many on-site maintenance trips and simplifying the process of performing synchronized maintenance across multiple sites. Equipment can be easily augmented with wirelessly-enable capabilities that permit more sophisticated diagnostics and analysis, boosting uptime and performance in the process. And emergency situations like malfunctions can potentially be addressed wirelessly, eliminating the often lengthy amount of time it previously took to get on site and helping end outages or malfunctions more quickly. The bottom line is that IoT/M2M technology makes remotely-situated equipment much less remote, making the process of accessing, maintaining, upgrading and fixing equipment at remote sites much more like equipment in the next room rather than 100, 500 or 5,000 miles away. And given the rapid pace of adoption already in many other industrial industries, IoT & M2M technologies are not on the distant horizon for the remote site equipment field. It is coming fast and its impact will not be trivial. A Wave of Wirelessly-Connected Remote Site Equipment One of the first impacts will be on the way remote site equipment is designed, with many traditional product lines likely to be "rebooted" with RF modules being integrated into existing electronics designs, providing the connectivity to enable all sorts of new information and management capabilities. There are some important things for you to keep in mind, regardless of whether you are an equipment designer or whether you simply procure or use this new generation of machines: * If you help design those products, your pipeline of projects will likely be flooded with these equipment re-designs in very short order, if it isn't already. The complexity of IoT/M2M design projects makes it very important to have the right strategy in order to keep these projects manageable, avoid the most common pitfalls while integrating wireless, avoid long project delays, and minimize the number of expensive external resources necessary. The most important strategic decision you should make is to avoid putting everything on the product itself and to rely on cloud computing resources to keep in-product components to a minimum. * And if you procure or use this new generation of wirelessly-enabled remote site equipment, you are going to be hit with a wave of wireless lingo that is likely to make your head spin. If there is one piece of advice for equipment procurers and end users should keep in mind, it is also about the cloud. As a rule, equipment that utilizes the cloud is going to be much easier to work with, much more flexible, more future-proof and more reliable (because of "fewer moving parts" in the equipment itself) than equipment that doesn't utilize cloud computing as a core part of its architecture. Yes, IoT/M2M products can be built without cloud computing as part of its design architecture, but that requires a lot to be placed in the machine itself and likely limits the anywhere / anytime potential that IoT technologies offer. It also requires highly customized development work that is built from scratch and can therefore be quirky, buggy or unreliable. Utilizing the cloud allows so much of what would otherwise need to be custom built in the connected machine to live online using standardized, proven platforms. This is a principle that will probably resonate with many readers of this magazine: components that live in remote places are 10 www.RemoteMagazine.com http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - M2M 2015

Editor's Choice
Safeguarding the IoT: Putting Security Front and Center
Remote Device Management for the Internet of Things
Not So Remote Any More: Incorporating Wireless Connectivity into Remote Site Equipment for Anytime Access and Greater Control
M2M with HMI
OMG Standards in the Oil & Gas Industry
Internet of Things West Preview
Modern IT Solutions Turn Worry into Confidence
IoT Products and Services
Industry News

Remote - M2M 2015