No single system will deliver all the information types required to achieve efficiency and effectiveness gains in the dynamic environment of modern communications.
Simple physics and economics mean that, in the future, operators will need to deploy multiple communication bearers to access rich data sources.
Future-proofing your communications involves recognizing that the convergence of wireless communications, voice over IP, data networks, and smart devices is already well underway. However, this will need to be achieved without jeopardizing or conflicting with their critical voice communication.
One solution is to integrate multiple bearers, to create seamless communications that will link the field to the back office.
By investing in open standard IP-based technologies and utilizing only open standard interfaces you can position your LMR system to take advantage of the profound changes in communication that taking place now.
This post is the final article taken from the new guide on how to protect and strengthen your LMR system. If you missed the previous chapters you can read those here.
The Tougher LMR Networks guide investigates every aspect of wireless communications, and considers how operators might make their LMR systems more resilient. You can also download the full guide and read it on the go.
The Internet of Things
The concept of an Internet of Things builds upon this convergence by interconnecting embedded computing devices, each with a unique identity (an IP address), within an Internet-style network. These devices are inside sensors, actuators, and a variety of software-driven controllers.
They can collect data, monitor their environment, and communicate directly with each other – machine to machine – without human intervention. This advanced connectivity enables faster, smarter, more automated control of a system that is better able to optimize services, business operations, and reliability.
Far from being a distant vision, this concept is already being applied in a variety of industries:
- Utilities – the Smart Grid,
- Oil and Gas – the Digital Oil Field,
- Fire control – smart field operation devices,
- Mining – mine site automation,
- Manufacturing – the connected factory,
- Transportation – Intelligent Transportation Management and driverless vehicles,
- Public Safety – automated video monitoring and data security analytics.
Importantly, the concept of unified critical communications is compatible with The Internet of Things; multiple communications bearers integrated into a single IP-based network create new opportunities for smart services and applications.
With remote monitoring, automated notification, and self-correcting components comes improved communications system availability. Individual components will use whatever communications technology is most available and most appropriate to connect into the communications network.
Applications designed to process the vast quantities of data generated by smart, interconnected devices can develop a more detailed and dynamic picture of an organization’s business operations.
Integrating multiple communications bearers into a single IP-based network creates new opportunities for smart services and applications.
This article is taken from the 10 part guide to Tougher LMR Systems.
If you would like to download this article and the other articles in the series you can do that on the Tait website.
