How is Remote Monitoring an Industry in Itself?

In the 21st century, new technologies are being introduced more rapidly than ever. With the introduction of newer technologies and improved versions of existing technologies, we can see amazing developments in industries. Predictive maintenance is one such industry that has continued to evolve. It is considered as an important element for functioning of the industry but never a crucial one. Remote Monitoring has transformed the predictive maintenance industry. Ever since it came into existence, a new type of predictive maintenance known as 'remote monitoring and control' has been introduced.
In recent years, there has been tremendous growth and developments in wireless technology. Industries now have plants that are equipped with the facility of automated data collection i.e collecting data via wireless technology and then make it available via web. The main benefits of remote monitoring are:

Continuous Data Collection in Less Time
Data can be collected with the help of a wireless network. This is a faster method compared to the traditional data collection method. This way, time that is being saved in collecting the data can be utilized in analyzing the data. Data collection can also be scheduled for a more consistent flow.

Data Collection from Inaccessible Machines
The data that was previously inaccessible due to the machines or equipment located in restricted areas can now be collected easily.

Additional Information about Data
Additional information can now be collected about the data such as temperature, speed and flow rate for a better analysis of data.

Remote monitoring is slowly paving its way to being a very successful industry in the future. Its cost-effectiveness and easy handling of data are attracting many other industries. Many of the industry giants are already using remote monitoring in their plants.

What are the Main Components of RFID?

In RFID(Radio-frequency identification) technology, the objects are tracked using special tags known as RFID tags. These tags carry information that is estimated to be about 2000 bytes. The main advantage of these tags is that they have a high throughput i.e. over hundreds of tags can be read at the same time. There are three main components of this technology: 

Scanning Antenna or Coil
The scanning antenna acts as a source for sending out a radio-frequency signal.
This signal provides a means of communication with the RFID tag. A scanning antenna can be of two types: the one that can be permanently affixed to the ground and the one that is available in a hand-held version. A new type of the antenna is recently introduced in which it is built into the door frame.

Transceiver
A transceiver with a decoder is used to interpret the information from the tags. When packaged with an antenna, it is also known as a reader or interrogator.
 Function of the reader is to decode the encoded data and then pass it to the host
computer.

Transponder
A transponder is the RFID tag that has been programmed to store certain information. Transponder can be of two types: Active and passive.
Active transponder has an internal battery and performs the basic operation of read/write, and passive transponders are those transponders that obtain their operating power from the reader. They don't need an external power source.

Why You Should Choose External Management Consulting?

Most of the companies hire external management consultants because of their expertise and objective approach towards developing a successful plan for the company. However, some of the companies rely on their internal management team.  An external consultant gives an outsiders outlook and a broader perspective on the development plan when compared to the internal consultant. The biggest disadvantage of internal consulting is its set up cost. The initial cost of  setting up an internal consulting team is very high.

Also, an internal consultant fails to keep an unbiased perspective towards the other employees because he too is an employee of the company. While an external consultant is an expert in planning and executing a plan because of handling different clients, an internal consultant is not. Many companies hire freshers or less experienced people for the job of an internal consultant. It has an adverse effect on their internal consulting  team which affects the growth of the business.

A New Approach

Over the years, few organizations are following a different approach towards information management consulting which is known as a hybrid approach. In this approach, the company hires external consultants from a reputed consultancy while they  are taking services from an internal consultant as well. A proper development plan is laid out by an external consultant for the better administration of the company, and internal consultant is there to provide his internal expertise. For a complex business project, external and internal consultants can work together as a team for the successful completion of the project. In some cases, companies hire external consultants to manage the team of internal consultants.

Risk Zones in Network Monitoring

The latest statistics on the Internet indicate that it consists of over 30,000 networks with a total of over 2.5 million hosts. With so many network users on the Internet, there is, unfortunately, a small segment of users who are malicious hackers. This situation is similar to moving to a large city that has its share of criminals. In this case, it is wise to protect your abode using locked doors. Prudence on your part also demands that if someone knocks on your door, you should have the ability to examine the person before allowing them entrance into your abode. Persons who appear to be harmful or look dangerous (high-security risks) should not be allowed entrance. In a similar manner, the screening router examines incoming packets to determine which of them could be potentially harmful.

The enterprise network's boundary is called the security perimeter. Because malicious hackers abound on the Internet, it is useful to define a zone of risk. The zone of risk includes all TCP/IP-capable networks that are directly accessible through the Internet. TCP/IP-capable means that the host supports the TCP/IP protocol and its support protocols. Directly accessible would mean that there are no strong security measures (no ‘locked doors') between the Internet and hosts on your enterprise network.

From your point of view, the Internet's regional, national, and backbone networks represent a zone of risk. Hosts within the zone of risk are vulnerable to attacks. Placing your networks and hosts outside the zone of risk is highly desirable. However, without a device that can block attacks made against your network, the zone of risk will extend to your network. The screening router is one such device that can reduce the zone of risk so that it does not penetrate your network's security perimeter.

Not all hosts in your enterprise network may be TCP/IP-capable. Even so, these non-TCP/IP hosts can become vulnerable despite the fact that they are not technically part of the zone of risk. It can occur if the non-TCP/IP host is connected to the TCP/IP host. The intruder can use a protocol common to both the TCP/IP host and the non-TCP/IP host to access the non-TCP/IP host from the TCP/IP host. If the hosts are on the same Ethernet segment, for example, an intruder can reach the non-TCP/IP host through the Ethernet protocol.

RFID Technology for Optimum Business Innovation

Although efficiency and optimization are a key focus, at every stage of this transformation, new business opportunities may arise. Better information and process improvements often are part of the process of developing a deeper understanding of a business and can easily lead to new offers to customers or different ways of pricing. But the most dramatic form of transformation is that intelligent automated parts of the system can lead to dramatic new levels of efficiency, coordination and collaboration in an adaptive business network.

In retailing, Metro Group has pioneered the introduction of RFID into stores to change the shopping experience to make it more dynamic. Products with RFID tags can interact with shelves, shopping carts, information displays, cash registers, and scales all equipped with readers that can sense the products and react. Proctor & Gamble is using RFID technology to pursue its vision of a consumer-driven supply network, in which timely information is used to pull, in effect, products through the supply chain rather than use planning algorithms to push products to where forecasts say they might be needed. In aircraft maintenance, sensors on jet engines are being used to sense the operation of the engines and predict when they need maintenance or replacement of parts.

Although better information and process improvements can bring great value, business innovation based on the power of RFID technology is the path to the largest benefits. The above instances are only a sample of how more information, advanced analysis and intelligent components can change the paradigm for a business.