Knowing where assets are is important for many businesses. In many cases this is challenging involving manual counts or tracking asset location information using barcodes and scanners. On assets that are powered, electronic trackers providing location information and relaying this to applications via cellular or WiFi (where available) connections. If there is no powering for trackers available, this becomes a challenge. Triotos Asset Tracking solution addresses this challenge by using a new generation of battery powered trackers communicating over traditional cellular networks using new technologies.
Understanding the Challenge
While asset tracking is a well known IoT solution with dozens of companies offering trackers and complete web based vertical solutions, uses are limited by the need for these devices to be powered. Where power is not available there is a need for devices with reliable communication that can operate over time periods of months to years. They need to be deployable across the country connecting to nationwide networks. The costs to modify or adapt existing asset tracking solutions to these can push workable solutions out of reach financially.
Overlay Low Power Asset Tracking – an Evolved Answer
What if there were a better way? Triotos has examined this challenge and developed an answer, the Industrial IoT Asset Tracking overlay Solution. As the name implies this solution can be simply applied with or “overlaid” on an existing assets without massive investment and integration costs.
An overlay solution addresses some of the most difficult challenges in delivering the most critical functions required for a successful IoT implementation.
First and foremost, it helps ensure delivery of IoT applications that actually meets the needs of users, whether operational managers, customer support, business analysts, administrators, or executives. In other words, the applications are made available in the right format, on the right device, and with the right timely relevant actionable information that each user wants.
Additionally, the Industrial IoT overlay Asset Tracking Solution delivers:
- An IoT data model and associated data gathering capabilities designed together with each customer and customized for that customer’s specific needs.
- Industrial trackers with sensors for deployment at or on customer assets powered by long-life batteries. These battery powered trackers are installed on equipment and are connected directly to the internet using narrowband cellular connectivity (LTE-M or NB-IoT). Depending on reporting and asset movement, their batteries can last for years.
- An IoT platform that handles all the data gathering, processing, and storage of the IoT data. A processing architecture that then processes and converts raw data to meaningful data, events, alarms, and information that can be used for applications, machine learning and analytics. And, of course, a processing architecture that uses edge processing available in IoT gateways/devices to optimize data flows and efficiency.
- A secure scalable application that will meet the customer’s needs today and for the foreseeable future.
In summary – an existing IoT solution that can be overlaid on the customer’s current asset tracking solution without massive investment and integration costs offers compelling advantages in terms of cost, ease of implementation, and reliability.
Triotos Solution – Built on our Reference Architecture
Our Industrial IoT Reference Architecture is built around Amazon’s AWS IoT Core platform and associated applications/software for data management, time series storage & analytics, machine learning, and tools for information presentation as well as services for messaging and email.
On top of this we have created a complete set of applications for data/event monitoring, analytics, administration, and management of the IoT solution as well as user, device, and application provisioning. In addition to the extensive AWS IoT security architecture, we are integrated with AT&T’s extensive mobile offering for secure high speed and low speed data connectivity.
By starting with an already existing reference architecture augmented with tools for rapid development and integration we will bring up a complete IoT implementation for you in months instead of the typical year an internal effort would take. Working closely with your IoT team and using an agile approach we will start delivering your IoT applications, designed for your specific needs, in weeks rather than months. As we are already starting with a fully deployed reference architecture, we can do this at a very competitive price point and offer it as a solution owned by you or hosted on our AWS multi-tenant platform.
So, whether you are a want to know where your assets are physically at any given time, Triotos can bring you the complete IIoT solution you need for your business.
