As originally featured in 7×24  Alternate E Source continues with two more years of IoT application success!

As Alternate E Source expands in IoT application success it is important to emphasis what can be delivered.

Information and analysis as the new networks link data from products, company assets, or the operating environment, they will generate better information and analysis, which can enhance decision making significantly. Organizations are starting to deploy these applications in targeted areas, while more radical and demanding uses are still in the conceptual or experimental stages.

In the business-to-business marketplace, one well known application of the Internet of things involves using sensors to track RFID  (radio-frequency identification) tags placed on products moving through supply chains, improving inventory management while reducing working capital and logistics costs.

In the data center RFID is used for access security, and asset management. access security can feature RFID readers for Mifare, legic or other card readers; the addition of sensing doors for physical access security is already commonplace.

Having “smart sensing” layered on top, where unique profiles can be created for doors themselves, where bio-metrics, and facial recognition interface with the function of doors opening and closing, and restricting entrance in certain areas provides a much more comprehensive way of deploying physical security. In addition, as threat detection is monitored real time and  logged , triggering with IP cameras,  offers live video as a new ways of alerting and sending messages to facility directors, emergency teams, and your mobile device – all at the same time, real time.

1. Tracking behavior seamlessly when products are embedded with sensors, companies can track the movements of these products and even monitor interactions with them. Business models can be fine-tuned to take advantage of this data. Who is in the Colocation (colo) area?  Who is in the server rack? was it left open? what was the consumption of the rack during July 4th holiday? How is my Crac unit running in this warmer than usual July 2016? what is the current condition of temp, humidity, dew point, is there any equipment oscillation from an overworked fan motor?   With new intelligent” smart building” sensor units, events, alerts, and all data is monitored and tracks everything, and it is all time stamped, documented and available.

New sensors are being deployed for industrial applications to track equipment health and protection.

It is the anticipated that is prevented – and the unexpected that is avoided. When systems are constantly being monitored and logged, you can prevent the “rude surprise” of a breech, and  will know immediately to take action  which leads to –

2. Enhanced situational awareness  Data from large numbers of sensors, deployed in infrastructure (such as roads and buildings) or to report on environmental conditions (including soil moisture, ocean currents, or weather), can give decision makers a heightened awareness of real time events, particularly when the sensors are used with advanced display or visualization technologies. security personnel can use sensor networks that combine video, audio, and vibration detectors to spot unauthorized individuals who enter restricted areas.     We already use elements of these technologies, and more far-reaching applications are in the works as our sensors become smaller and more powerful, and software systems that we interface with become more adept at analyzing and displaying captured information.

Managers are increasing their ability to have control of critical facilities and mitigating costs for any equipment disruption. In addition ensuring a network’s effective capacity, increased ability, and uptime.

3. Sensor-driven decision analytics  The Internet of things also can support longer-range, more complex human planning and decision making. the technology requirements – tremendous storage and computing resources linked with advanced software systems that generate a variety of graphical displays for analyzing data – rise accordingly. In health care, sensors and data links offer possibilities for monitoring a patient’s behavior and symptoms in real time and at relatively low cost, allowing physicians to better diagnose disease and prescribe tailored treatment regimens. we consider it the same application – knowing the “health of your facility and equipment at any time.” allowing the authorized systems manager to analyze thermal conditions, power conditions and consumption, assists in making decisions of possible equipment upgrades, deployment of equipment re circulation barriers, or containment, and even analyzing when these measures are used.

Knowing when conditions have repeatedly occurred, multiple power supplies failing in one location repeatedly, or continued humidity alarms in one area only; allow for assessing larger equipment or power concerns. or consider that when the decision is made for “mapping and modeling” with software for efficiencies, you should and now can have tools in place that keep those new measures monitored, and stable. after all, why go through the process when you cannot effectively keep conditions optimum, and in the “best health”. smart sensing, and right at the edge of the data – assist in lower Capex and saving opex.

Automation and Control -Making data the basis for automation and control means converting the data and analysis collected through the Internet of things into instructions that feedback through the network to actuators that in turn modify processes. Closing the loop from data to automated applications can raise productivity, as systems that adjust automatically to complex situations make many human interventions unnecessary. Similarly, automated systems will be adopted by organizations as these technologies develop further.

1. Process optimization the Internet of things is opening new frontiers for improving processes. some industries, such as chemical production, are installing sensors to bring much greater granularity to monitoring. the information is provided real time, and can lead to adjustments in processes – for example, by modifying ingredient mixtures, based on temperatures. new technologies provide the real time information on the status of the network and the servers that are processing this data. this improved “edge instrumentation”, layered through an entire process, allows for major reductions in waste, energy costs, and human intervention.

Continuous monitoring of networks allows for instant response of any network issue, or subsequent physical disturbance. several companies have increased energy efficiency by utilizing new edge sensing and monitoring, at the server rack level, and network edge. It is informative and allows for data that is always automatically logged. It could be physical aspects, thermal and environmental conditions, or power applications. By offering “smarts” in industrial and equipment areas; building fluctuations during seasonal shifts can have improved performance quality and eliminate the need for frequent operator intervention.

2. Optimized resource consumption Networked sensors and automated mechanisms can change usage patterns. Commercial customers can shift energy-intensive processes and production away from high-priced periods of peak energy demand to low-priced off-peak hours. Data centers, which are among the fastest-growing segments of global energy demand, are starting to adopt power-management techniques tied to information feedback. Power consumption is often half of a typical facility’s total lifetime cost, but most managers lack a detailed view of energy consumption patterns. Obtaining  such a view isn’t easy, since the energy usage of servers spikes at various times, depending on workloads. Furthermore, many servers draw some power 24/7 but are used mostly at minimal capacity, since they are only tied to specific operations.                 This is why it’s important to deploy sensors that can monitor each server’s power usage, this can provide further information for employing software that balances computing loads and eliminates the need for underused servers and storage devices. Power that is monitored and logged over time, with critical alerts on voltage fluctuations, saves the detrimental risks to computing devices. New storage devices that serve your converged infrastructure require monitoring and care, the hardware providing this technology is expensive, and storage is a critical foundation block to overall IT operations. Allowing for reporting and security, as in the example of a remote team managing multiple fiber sites across the US;  having  smart sensors serves as a ” sentry ” in those locations.  Having the ability to remotely monitor and control through new IoT devices, saves operational resources and the need for expensive travel. Systems can be much simpler, and cost effective and combine access, video surveillance, environment, power and more. With the ability to report at any time – to your tablet or phone. Several data centers have already adopted new sensing technologies, which could assist in IoT becoming a standard feature of data center infrastructure within a few years.
3. Complex autonomous systems the most demanding use of the Internet of things involves the rapid, real time sensing of unpredictable conditions and instantaneous responses guided by automated systems. This kind of machine decision making- mimics human reactions, and at vastly enhanced performance levels. The potential for capital expense reduction flowing from wider deployment of IoT could surpass several billion annually. Some companies and research organizations are experimenting with additional forms of deployment that monitor at the very small level. Government agencies, financial institutions, hospitals and medical centers, universities, data and fiber carriers, all have equipment that’s critical, supporting day to day backbone of our lives. It is even more important to make these critical infrastructures as secure as possible. With new developments in IoT, we have developed a more efficient way of looking at edge processes, infrastructure and building management than previously available in the marketplace. In a simple effective way, in the dawn of this new IoT frontier; we have significantly improved the monitoring of small, and large IT infrastructures alike. We will rely on new technologies that interconnect products and systems over the “Internet of things “letting them communicate faster and more reliably. And as a result we will be able to deliver better efficiencies, increased security, and facility performance. Originally Published 7×24 Fall 2017 -Today we have championed many installations -contact us for info on smart sensor applications.