Author: idbox

Which technology trends are the most important for companies during the past year? A new analysis highlights the development, potential uses and industrial effects of advanced technologies.

Technology remains the world’s leading catalyst for change. Technological advances give businesses, governments and social sector institutions more opportunities to increase their productivity, invent and reinvent offerings, and contribute to the well-being of humanity. And while it remains difficult to predict how technology trends will develop, executives can better plan for the future by tracking the development of new technologies, anticipating how companies might use them, and understanding the factors that affect innovation and adoption.

Here are some of the most important technology trends, in our view, so you can better understand them and consider how they relate to your organization.

Applied AI

Models trained on machine learning can be used to solve classification, prediction and control problems to automate activities, add or augment capabilities and offerings, and make better decisions.

Clean energy

Clean energy solutions help achieve net greenhouse gas emissions across the entire energy value chain, from power generation to storage and distribution.

Sustainable consumption

Sustainable consumption involves transforming industrial and individual consumption through technologies such as monitoring to address environmental risks, including climate change.

Industrialized machine learning

Industrialized machine learning uses software and hardware solutions to accelerate ML development and deployment and to support performance monitoring, stability and continuous improvement.

Cloud and edge computing

Cloud and edge computing involves distributing compute workloads across remote data centers and local nodes to improve data sovereignty, autonomy, resource productivity, latency and security.

Next-generation software development

Next-generation tools aid software application development, improving processes and software quality; tools include AI-enabled development and testing.

Source: McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2022

Conclusion

Currently, it is essential that the industrial sector can create new revenue streams and expand new services by using IoT to monitor their industrial equipment. Information can lead to better parts and products, and provide an advantage over competing offerings, and here’s why: When purchasing a product, manufacturers often have limited data about how the equipment will perform in its intended environment, although This data is immensely valuable.

By retrofitting or manufacturing equipment with connected sensors, machine health can be monitored in the field to provide low-cost, condition-based maintenance solutions, and/or collect data points for future product improvements. New revenue streams can be created using data from IoT applications, offering a proactive approach to maintenance and monitoring of industrial equipment.

Three main advantages of industrial equipment monitoring:

1. Offer More: Proactive Maintenance Solutions

IDboxRT is a powerful monitoring platform to integrate, process and analyze available machine data. In this way, it transforms that raw data into valuable and visual information. Technicians can respond to inconsistencies in specific components instead of spending time diagnosing a problem. Cloud monitoring can help reduce maintenance expenses and overall operating costs. Additionally, it can help reduce the frequency of service calls, ultimately prolonging the life of your machines.

2. See more: Real-time data from your machines

Take advantage of real-time information from new or existing machinery. Gain a competitive advantage by monitoring conditions and tracking production from anywhere. Users can view data in dashboards, comparison charts, maps, reports, and more with IDboxRT.

3. Learn more: Product development and innovation

Make future decisions and product improvements with real data on the ground. Every year, product managers in various industries fund research studies to learn how products work in different environments, how customers prefer to use the products, how to improve.

Do you want to get more information? Contact us and our specialists will answer all your questions!

Energy control drives environmental awareness.

Environmental protection begins with the realization that our natural resources on Earth are limited. Due to economic and population growth, as well as climate change, the consumption of resources is constantly increasing. The consequences are the release of pollutants into the water, soil and air, causing permanent damage to the ecosystem. It is a fact that our natural resource consumption far exceeds the Earth’s regenerative capacity. The only way to take advantage of our resources in the long term is to use them carefully. Only in this way will future generations be able to benefit from the richness of our Earth

What is Energy Monitoring?

Energy supervision, monitoring or control means the continuous integration, processing, analysis and visualization of energy requirements. Energy monitoring is therefore the fundamental basis of an energy management system. By measuring the current of the consumers, evaluating and comparing the data, a detailed analysis of energy consumption and generation can be performed. From this data, individual and actual savings potential can be determined, both in watts and in euros. Thus, energy monitoring not only helps to reduce consumption and costs, but is also an environmentally effective measure for saving resources.

Identify potential savings with energy control.

Environmental protection begins with the identification of optimization potential. With the IDboxRT monitoring platform we monitor in particular the energy consumption of companies as well as the generation of renewable energy. With our analysis system, we create an accessible and intuitive solution for people who want to promote and support environmental protection measures.

Protecting the environment starts with everyone.

Small changes in personal energy behavior are often enough to significantly reduce energy consumption. The more people participate, the greater the energy saving effect. Become part of our IDboxRT community and make an active contribution to environmental protection.

On September 6, 7 and 8 we will be exhibiting at THE GREEN EXPO® MEXICO with Grupo Tresner. Join us and learn about our broad experience, innovative products and services for digitalizing Renewable Energy with our Technology.

Do you want to achieve total control of your operations and boost your productivity? Contact us!

Intelligent asset monitoring provides systematic and coordinated activities that can make it easier for the oil and gas sector to manage equipment. In addition, asset health becomes a top priority in the oil and gas business to ensure quality production. Otherwise, operating and maintenance costs increase, which can reduce overall productivity.

Integrating IoT in oil and gas offers smart equipment management, reducing sudden breakdown risks. Advanced sensors monitor equipment in real time and send data to a cloud platform for processing. This technology leverages the relevant information and provides actionable insights related to the health and performance of the asset.

By enabling proactive maintenance, IoT-based monitoring systems can predict potential issues before they escalate into costly repairs or downtime. This predictive maintenance approach not only extends the lifespan of equipment but also enhances safety by preventing accidents related to equipment failure. Moreover, real-time monitoring allows for immediate response to any anomalies, ensuring continuous and efficient operations.

Thus, IoT asset monitoring is crucial for the oil and gas industry as it improves machine efficiency and enables better decision-making. Real-time data and analytics help companies optimize operations, reduce waste, and boost productivity.

Oil and gas companies are digitally transforming by implementing smart asset monitoring to mitigate such challenges and create:

• Operational flexibility: Enhanced monitoring capabilities allow for swift adjustments to operational strategies based on real-time data.
• Timely delivery: Improved equipment reliability ensures that production schedules are met without unexpected delays.
• Brand value: Consistent quality and reliability enhance the company’s reputation and competitive edge in the market.
• Economic efficiency: Reduced maintenance costs and improved operational efficiency translate into significant cost savings.

In summary, the adoption of intelligent asset monitoring through IoT technology is revolutionizing the oil and gas industry. It ensures not only the longevity and efficiency of equipment but also supports a safer, more reliable, and economically viable production process. As the industry continues to embrace digital transformation, these technologies will become integral to maintaining competitive advantage and operational excellence.

The integration of renewable energy and storage generates additional monitoring and control needs, not only to ensure optimal performance, but also for the earliest possible return on investment.

Monitoring is necessary to understand energy production and use, detect problems early and take appropriate action.

To understand how electrical energy is being used and how it can be optimized, owners must:

• Track how photovoltaic (PV) energy produced is consumed by loads, stored, or injected into the grid
• Track and analyze photovoltaic energy production trends along with load consumption
• Calculate the economic benefits associated with reducing energy consumption from the grid

Asset management functions should also be provided by a PV system monitoring system. This should include evaluating the performance of the PV system, detecting offsets or faults, and immediate notification of faults. In addition, since PV inverters can affect the power quality of an electrical installation, it is recommended to measure and monitor power quality disturbances, especially harmonics and imbalances.

When integrating local sources, such as a photovoltaic system, into a building’s electrical installation, control functions are often required. These functions mainly depend on the local sources available, the contract with the local energy supplier and the type of installation: grid-connected, microgrid or off-grid.For example, for an installation with grid-connected PV production, the necessary control functions may include:

• Limiting photovoltaic power generation so that energy is not pumped into the grid
• Control of the power factor at the point of connection to the grid to avoid penalties
• Shifting the load over the period of PV production to maximize self-consumption
• Participating in demand response, especially if storage units or generators are also part of the plant

Advanced cloud-based analytics optimize the use of local power sources, resulting in additional savings.
Considering additional criteria such as changes in electricity rates, weather forecasts and expected consumption, advanced analytics provide the optimal system configuration. The setpoint for each local source is then transmitted to the local control system.

To learn more about PV plant monitoring recommendations, contact us at [email protected].

As many of us already know, information technologies improve management, increase efficiency, reduce losses in supply networks and advance sustainable development goals.

Managing water resources and water services effectively and efficiently remains a major challenge in many OECD member and partner countries, while pressure on water resources continues to increase.

The OECD Environmental Outlook 2050 identifies the main challenges for water management:

• Increased competition for access to water
  (due to population and economic growth)
  
• Continued need to expand access to safe drinking water and sanitation in many parts of the world and to maintain water services in others
  
• Declining water quality
  
• Deterioration of groundwater supplies
  
• The threat posed by climate change

“80% of wastewater returns to the ecosystem without being treated or reused” (UNESCO, 2017).

It is for all these reasons that great challenges arise for us when addressing an Operational Intelligence strategy with our clients in the water sector.

A major challenge is the aging, often obsolete, infrastructure, leading to increased operational costs and leakage issues.

Asset and data management can minimize the impact of aging infrastructure. Easy data access and connectivity with various sources are crucial. Agile and robust data access is essential.

On the other hand, we must consider massive data processing as another important aspect. Our challenge is to solve the problem of controlled management of the massive ingestion of information, its contextualization and the analytical capacity to establish the most appropriate strategies, especially on the operational side.

Information sharing will also be a key aspect of the sector. The different departments of our companies increasingly need good coordination so that data can arrive easily and efficiently in real time, speeding up decision-making, improving productivity and performance.

Finally, despite being in a world of high connectivity and process automation, there is still manual data, so the tools must be able to integrate these data, as well as to debug and treat them and then incorporate them into the system as another signal of the same.

CIC as a Technology Partner

We see the Operational Intelligence Platform as a central data hub. Its core functions include data processing, debugging, and calculations. It also stores signals and processes AI-related data, such as machine learning algorithms for consumption models, predictions, and anomaly detection.

The connectors or drivers acquire measurement information and contextualize it with the company’s inventory and objectives. The platform then offers tools to build various use cases, adding value to users and ensuring efficient water cycle management.

The use cases can be general in the entire water value chain or specific as we can see in the following infographic on Operational Intelligence as a driving force for digital transformation.

In Energy Efficiency, we consider aspects like demand prediction based on weather and automatic pump optimization. Another use case is the carbon footprint. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established in 2015 by the UN General Assembly to ensure a sustainable future. There are 17 goals, with number 13 being “Climate Action,” making it crucial for countries, societies, companies, and organizations. A tool for water reuse, carbon footprint measurement, and other climate change strategies is essential for effective policies.

Conclusions

In summary, it’s crucial to have good technology partners during business digitization. They enable improvements at all company levels.

If you have been left wanting to know more, we leave you access to the following webinar: Digitalization of the integral water cycle. Towards a sustainable management.

IDboxRT recently spoke with Antonio Grasso, a digital transformation expert with over 37 years of IT project experience.

Antonio is an entrepreneur, technologist, and CEO of Digital Business Innovation Srl, focusing on digital transformation and AI research. His ethical vision aims to promote emerging technologies for a better future.

In the interview, we discussed IoT vs. IIoT, their characteristics, and impact on manufacturing. Antonio shared future IIoT insights and readiness tips for the digital revolution.

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IDboxRT: What is the Internet of Things (IoT) and how is it different from the Industrial IoT (IIoT)?

Antonio Grasso: The Internet of Things is a paradigm that describes a world of connected devices (devices that are connected to a network and exchange information) that make the concept of a cyberphysical world real. The main differences between the IoT and the IIoT are in the necessary requirements and expected features.

While IoT mainly refers to domestic devices and things that are used in a consumer environment (a connected car, a connected refrigerator or a smartphone are considered IoT), IIoT – as the name implies – are connected devices that are used in a manufacturing environment to automate production, monitor processes or collect and process data in close proximity to the device.

This infographic will help you understand the key differences between IoT and IIoT:

IDboxRT: How can the IIoT change the world of manufacturing? What are the main challenges and opportunities in this area?

Antonio Grasso: A major opportunity is collecting data for AI algorithms that exploit probabilistic capabilities. IIoT devices control signal transitions from the physical to the cyber world. They also collect data that generates new, previously unavailable insights.

“IIoT devices, in addition to controlling the transition of signals from the physical world to the cybernetic world, collect data that can then generate new types of insight not previously available.”

Beyond this undeniable advantage, there is also a multifaceted aspect of IIoT devices that can benefit both product development and process improvement. As the following infographic shows, IIoT is present in both scenarios.

IDboxRT:  To meet evolving customer expectations and support the growing demand for services, what key features should manufacturers be looking for in industrial IoT software?

Antonio Grasso: As devices in manufacturing are constantly growing in sophisticatedness, you cannot think to plug and play a device or software without thinking about the architecture. Designing the correct architecture helps you to implement devices and software in the right way.

Starting from considerations about what are my customer needs and what are my objectives could heavily accelerate the implementation. Just think about the layers you need to configure for a mid-sophisticated architecture, could give you a vision of it as you can note from the infographic:

Let me say that the right implementation strictly depends on your industry. For example, if you are in the logistics industry, you should start thinking about connecting your trucks. This is a simple model of what you can manage/gather when implementing IIoT for the logistics and transportation industries:

Thus, determining the right software is not easy. It is better to start with your business model, your strategy, and your goals, and then build a team – perhaps using external experts – to develop your implementation.

IDboxRT: How do the IIoT monitoring solutions benefit the industry?

Antonio Grasso: First, familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of the Internet of Things, as in this infographic:

It all starts with data. Your goal is to manage and interpret the data generated by hardware devices. So, in my opinion, the first thing to do is to define the IIoT operating system, which is just the beginning for managing the incredible flow of data generated by IIoT devices.

“It all starts with data. Your goal is to manage and interpret the data generated by hardware devices. So, in my opinion, the first thing to do is to define the IIoT operating system, which is just the beginning for managing the incredible flow of data generated by IIoT devices.”

Then you have to get to know machine learning in order to analyze the huge amount of data and create insights useful for making business decisions.

The benefits are enormous and tend to be related to your business model. If I have to list some significant ones, I think the ones mentioned in this image are the right ones:

IDboxRT: In conclusion, what does the future hold for industrial IoT technologies, could you give an approximation of what we should expect in the context of the manufacturing industry?

Antonio Grasso: Many technologies are coming together to create value for manufacturing. Imagine infusing AI and Edge Computing into IoT devices would bring intelligence to perform inference locally, without transferring data to servers or the cloud. Many have coined a new term: AIoT to refer to the strict interconnectivity between the two.

But watching communications closely, I think 5G private networks will boost connectivity like never before. Low latency, extreme bandwidth, and increased security will revolutionize production with augmented and virtual reality.

The Digital Twin will evolve into an Intelligent Twin, enabling virtualization of complex devices like engines. This will achieve unprecedented simulation capabilities, improving products and services.

Manufacturers should consider the financial ROI before upgrading their manufacturing process. Here’s interesting information on the expected ROI from IoT projects.

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We would like to thank Antonio for taking the time to have a conversation with us at IDboxRT.  We certainly learned a lot and hope this information helps our community as well.

You can find more information about the protagonist of the interview and his work in the digital field here:

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Looking for a robust monitoring solution? Contact us to gain insights from our IDboxRT experts in your industry!

The more complex technology becomes, so do our needs. Two of the essential needs we seek, especially when it comes to business processes, are speed and efficiency. While we meet the need for speed and efficiency, we have realized that there is also another need: entertainment. We seek entertainment and interaction in our engagements. The user interface fills this void due to the inundation of digitization in our lives. We may not realize how common and crucial its functions are. One thing is for sure: user interfaces make our lives much easier. In this blog, we have discussed the topic of user interfaces with a very basic approach, as this topic can easily become very detailed and technical.

What is user interface?

The term is self-explanatory: user interface (UI) is a tool/object that helps people interact and operate more efficiently and easily. In other words, it enables human interactions to occur with computers, software, applications and websites. There are two aspects that occur when humans begin to interact with the user interface: the ability to command efficiently and easily and to receive instant feedback that aids the decision making process for the operating human.

We create user interfaces with multiple layers to appeal to users’ senses—touch, sight, and hearing. These layers minimize effort in achieving expected results. Various devices support these layers to enhance interaction—keyboard, mouse, microphone, touch screen, camera, and others.

Why is it important to have user interfaces?

In addition to facilitating and increasing the efficiency of human interaction, user interfaces play a key role in terms of the functionality of computers, software, applications or websites. Functionality is often measured by the speed and responsiveness of the user interface. It is also important to consider the user experience when designing and focusing on the functionality of user interfaces.

Below, we highlight important components of user interfaces. These components provide valuable information about the goals of user interfaces. However, user interfaces, in most cases today, contain multiple components.

Information architecture: Its goal is to provide an easy process, bringing out the most important information with minimum effort for the user. Information architectures can be built in hierarchical, sequential or matrix form. They also include tooltips, icons, progress bar, notifications, message boxes and modal windows.

Visual design: uses color, contrast, typeface, and video to attract users effectively. The aim is to draw users in and encourage prolonged interaction.

Input design: These controls allow users to interact with computers, software, applications and websites to complete the desired action. They include check boxes, radio buttons, drop-down lists, list boxes, buttons, toggle buttons, text fields and date fields.

Navigation components: They facilitate easy and efficient user interaction by providing clear navigation pathways. Breadcrumb, slider, search field, pagination, slider, labels and icons are common examples.

User interface on the IDboxRT platform:

The IDboxRT platform is based on state-of-the-art technology and the latest IT security implementations with the ultimate goal of bringing efficiency, security and ease to your production.

Our platform is the ideal place to view, control, compare and analyze everything related to your business processes. We provide all the necessary information with an in-depth view. Moreover, the in-depth view is applied for each component level.

IDboxRT is a platform in constant development and evolution. Furthermore, depending on the specific needs of the company, the platform can be adapted to the configuration of the operation.

Please contact us for more information on the updates from the IDboxRT team of experts.

How can the IoT marketplace deliver on its promise? Let’s take a look at what it will take to succeed from an enterprise IoT customer perspective. Companies that have been successful in large-scale IoT adoption take five basic steps:

1. Identify who owns the IoT in the organization. Currently, many organizations lack a clear IoT owner, and decision-making spans across functions, business units, and levels. Companies that have been successful in large-scale IoT implementations are addressing this situation by appointing a clear owner who can be representative of different functions and roles.
   
2. Design for scale from the start. IoT should be based on business outcomes. Enterprise customers often prioritize technology and pilot projects, often causing them to suffer as a result.
   
3. Invest in technical human resources. IoT technicians are in short supply. Hiring engineers and data scientists is important, but for organizations to be on the cutting edge, they also need to upskill their current employees in data science.
   
4. Change the entire organization, not just IT. Too often, IoT implementation is seen as a technology project run by IT rather than a business transformation. Technology alone will never be enough to unlock the potential of the IoT and deliver maximum value. Instead, the underlying operating model and workflow of the business must be redefined.
   
5. Monitor your processes. In general, IoT-based remote asset and process monitoring allows companies to reduce the time it takes to detect, analyze and fix problems with critical assets and processes. In addition, they can optimize human resources, improve the security of operations and reduce operating costs.

The IoT market is growing rapidly. Growth may be slower than expected, but that’s not because of a lack of confidence or belief in the impact this technology can have. Rather, we believe that operational factors are holding the market back. As we have seen, there are nuances at the level of customization and use clusters. This applies not only to growth, but also to tailwinds and headwinds. For the IoT to reach its potential, companies and their customers must address these issues.

Want to know more about this topic? Contact us and our experts will be happy to answer all your questions! 🙂