Rapid expansion; it’s a problem that many companies would like to have, but when your original communications infrastructure is unable to keep up with your plans for growth, it can raise a number of challenges.
For large construction projects to run smoothly, good communication and collaboration is a top priority. A leading construction firm operating in multiple locations required their contractors to be easily accessible on site and to have the ability to share high-definition drawings and plans with colleagues and stakeholders quickly and over a secure connection.
Increased passenger demand is leading to a significant growth in air travel, and airports all over the world are dealing with record numbers of aircraft and people. At one of the world’s busiest airports, an aircraft takes off and lands every 45 seconds. In this time-sensitive environment where seconds matter, communication is vital. The world's busiest two-runway airport needed a network that would facilitate collaboration between its teams and guarantee no communication failures to ensure the smooth running of this challenging environment.
Smart meters are poised to revolutionise the energy sector, but these meters need reliable connectivity to transmit their data to the utility companies. In Sweden, utility companies wanted to roll out smart meters on a massive scale but inconsistent wireless connectivity was a significant stumbling block. They required a long-range, low-cost network that would also deliver the deep indoors coverage they needed to access hard-to-reach locations and solve the last-mile problem.
The utilities sector has long been a pioneer when it comes to technology adoption, but recent developments in network connectivity and sensors have opened up a whole new world of opportunities. At the Integrated Transport Electricity Gas Research Laboratory (InTEGReL) we are exploring all of these opportunities, and within this environment my team at Invisible Systems is working with Northern Gas Networks on the development of a low-cost universal data capture device linked to sensors monitoring a variety of conditions across multiple gas, water and electricity networks.
Our sensors are a core part of the work at InTEGReL. Dotted around the 15-acre InTEGReL site, they are monitoring a range of conditions from network pressure to environmental data, including temperature, humidity and CO2 levels. These sensors transmit that data in real time to our centralised dashboard. From there the team keep track of the various metrics and can quickly identify and react to changes. Additionally, if pre-determined data thresholds are breached, real-time alerts are triggered and notifications are sent via text, email or in some cases, voice calls.
