Analyzing Data Driven Strategies From A Business Perspective (INFOGRAPHIC)

 

How Internet of Things (IoT) & Cyber Physical Systems Will Shape The 4th Industrial Revolution (VIDEO)

IoT, short for Internet of things, & Cyber physical systems are going to shape the future of technology and the 4th industrial revolution or industry 4.0. The quote from the "Economist" in 2017 "The world's most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data" holds true today more than ever before. Internet of Things is one of the pillars of the 4th industrial revolution. With the increase in adoption of different technologies such as Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Cyber Physical Systems and IoT, the world of digital transformation is about to take another leap in the next few years. The technological advancements around the world is directly proportional to the growth of global automation which is driven by the Internet of Things and Cyber physical systems. These systems will provide the foundation of our critical infrastructure, form the basis of emerging and future smart services, and improve our quality of life in many areas. While Internet of Things takes care of the connections between objects and machines to the internet, Cyber physical systems are machines in which a mechanism is controlled or monitored by computer-based algorithms. Other phrases that you might hear when discussing Internet of Things and Cyber physical systems are Smart Anything: Manufacturing, agriculture, Cities, Buildings, Homes, pills etc.
 

GRANITE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

 Granite is a leading communications services provider for businesses with multiple locations. Granite provides one-stop solutions for voice, data, Internet, wireless, video, and secure network options throughout the United States and Canada. Their scalability allows your business to grow with imminent demand.

Granite Mobility allows you to use the best performance-carrier according to your location.

• Geographic Perfection – Granite Mobility blends the major mobile operators into one consolidated platform to provide simpler and more cost-effective mobility solutions.
• Flexibility to Fit your Needs – Customized data plans and device options, including mobility as a service, overages protection (NOverage), and access to multiple carrier networks from a single SIM card (SIMplicity)
• Award-winning Customer Support – Ranked #1 NPS in the Telecommunication industry. Answers every call in under 10 seconds with a live voice!

Granite is great at data-only opportunities. Their Tablet as a Service (TaaS) combines multi-carrier connectivity with a wide choice of devices from Apple, Samsung, and customizable ruggedized options. It also includes full lifecycle management, plus a Mobile Device Management platform. This platform allows you to implement policies, restrictions, and the ability to lock or wipe devices if lost or stolen remotely. Granite is not limited to Tablets, as they can customize any Device as a Service.

They also offer a complete wireless solution for primary or backup connectivity to enable an always-on internet.

• End-to-End Solution (WAN Wireless Data) – Combines multi-carrier connectivity, a wide choice of leading LTE routers, full lifecycle management, staging, kitting, logistics, installation, support, and a powerful portal for remote management, monitoring, and reporting.
• Simple, Scalable, Quick Deployment – One simple MRC includes the entire package, router, multi-carrier connectivity, and a fully managed solution in one low monthly payment. Easily order, deploy, and scale customized to your business needs.
• Multiple Carriers for Geographic Perfection – Granite blends all major North American mobile operators into one consolidated platform to maximize coverage. Flexible data plans from 500MB to 200GB, with optional standby second, live Carrier SIM.

Granite Ready Fleet is a comprehensive and cost-effective fleet management solution.

• Distracted Driving Prevention – Create and manage driving policy. Track harsh braking, speeding, phone calls, and texting during drives. Driver scoring and culture tools to change driver behavior.
• Real-Time Location Tracking – Monitor and manage your vehicles in real-time from the web or smartphone. Always know where your drivers are to better manage their routes according to current traffic and schedules.
• Custom Alerts & Notifications – Easily set up custom alerts and notifications on geography, time, driving events, and other measures. Stay up-to-date in real-time all day, every day.
• Detailed Reporting – Use this data to streamline your operations, decrease fuel consumption, and ease maintenance costs. View fuel fill-ups, fuel usage, time spent idling, and vehicle efficiency.
• Vehicle Health – Easily track scheduled maintenance, battery health, engine temperature alerts, fuel levels, and diagnostic trouble codes.

Their Daily Dashboard also empowers clients to take control of their communication services.

• Simple to Manage – The ability to manage your complete wireless inventory regardless of the underlying carrier through one pane of glass.
• In-depth Analysis – Ability to utilize historical data to help understand usage trends and optimize services.
• Alerts and Notifications – Set custom alerts at the connection, pool, and account levels to mitigate any overages and flag heavy data users.
• Customizable Reports – Granite can create tailored reports to fit your company’s unique needs at no extra charge.

Mobile Device Management simplifies your technology platforms with efficient, advance, and economical solutions.

• Mobile Device Management – Mobile device management capabilities for all platforms; allows customers to manage and control all device activities through our online portal.
• Mobile Application Management – Mobile device management capabilities for all platforms; allows customers to manage and control all device activities through our online portal.
• Mobile Data Usage Control – Allows customers to drive down mobile data consumption and costs by setting data limits and restrictions on non-business sites and apps.
• Mobile Security & Policy Compliance – The solution makes it easy to protect your mobile devices against mobile threats. It also helps to enforce your organization’s policies by filtering and blocking content deemed inappropriate.

To learn more about Granite and take advantage of a comparison of 100s of other providers ... including FREE network design and sourcing support ... simply ask at FreedomFire Communications.

How Data Quality Makes IoT Projects More Profitable

Although industry anticipates positive growth in current and upcoming IoT and IIoT projects to further advance along the Industry 4.0 journey, some significant challenges still need to be addressed in order to fully win customer trust and move pilot projects into successful, large-scale IoT productions. While many see connectivity limitations, security risks, and data bias, including data quantity, issues as roadblocks to IoT success, we have found data quality also plays a critical role in delivering effective IoT projects. Read the below article to learn more....

How Data Quality Makes IoT Projects More Profitable

Keep in mind that the critical foundational piece to the success of any IoT application and it’s IoT ecosystem is network connectivity. That said, this FREE resource is uniquely positioned to source the right IoT connectivity solution from dozens of “best in class” cutting edge providers for any IoT application whatever it may be....wired or wireless. They can even help with the network design and security effort. All at zero cost to you. Simply ask....it's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

IoT System Options

Industry 4.0 Will More Than Anything Else Be A “Data Revolution”

Fundamental performance indicators of the manufacturing environment such as total equipment effectiveness, unit costs, operational expenses still don’t get the deserved attention in the industry which has gone through three well defined revolutions. Among all the effort put forth to achieve daily production targets, managers find it hard to reserve some time to look at manufacturing systems from a vantage point. Widely used industrial idioms like “saving the day”, “production pressure” and “operational blindness” are indeed expressions of reproach aimed at insufficient managerial styles which fail to locate data at the center. Industry 4.0 or Industrial Internet of Things defining the fourth industrial revolution steps up to cure exactly these types of flaws and place management on data centric and scientific foundations. Thus it can be said that Industry 4.0 will more than anything else be a “data revolution”.

Read this article for some eye opening insights and timely advice on the subject....

Industry 4.0 Will More Than Anything Else Be A “Data Revolution”

Industrial Analytics For IoT Is Transforming Manufacturing Processes

Industrial analytics is a natural extension of this “Industry 4.0” architecture: It allows the collection and study of process data so decision-makers can plot the most fruitful way forward or so automation can take on some of the heavy lifting.

Making wise use of data is especially important in manufacturing and other sectors with many stakeholders and moving parts.

So how exactly does industrial analytics for IoT improve manufacturing processes? 

Read this article to learn more.....

Industrial Analytics For IoT Is Transforming Manufacturing Processes

Data Protection And Recovery....How To Get It Right

We can all agree that data is extremely valuable, so it seems reasonable to also say that data protection is important. Data protection and recovery is all about things that can be or are lost and how to find them or get them back. There are two main areas when it comes to data protection, backup and storage. The following are the two most fundamental considerations when it comes to this:

• Recovery Point Objective (RPO) - How much data are you prepared to lose or can you lose?
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO) - How long are you prepared to wait or can you wait to have it?

These two things in the context of backup and DRaaS are similar, but they are not the same.  So what is different between them? It wasn’t that long ago that a really good disaster recovery strategy consisted of tapes, a hot site, or some express-ship gear. This is no longer true. The difference today between backup and DRaaS is that in the case of backup you’re generally backing up data only. DRaaS goes up the stack and covers data, your operating system, applications, and configurations. Having all of your data somewhere safe is very important, so backup is a common consumer product, but it might not be the best choice if you are a business looking to eliminate downtime. Keep in mind that backup is mainly useful when you are just trying to get files back. Some questions you should be asking yourself are:

• Do I have gear on which to reinstall OS and Applications?
• Do I have a place to house the DR gear?
• Are all configurations documented?

The economics are pretty simple—more protection costs more money. Essentially, if people want to spend a great deal of money on having their data protection strategy in place, they can count on having extremely low data loss. On the other hand, people who don’t want to spend money on this will have to deal with more data loss. The trick to having a good strategy is to balance the two things and to find a point where the business is well served by having some things protected in a faster way while other things are protected more slowly. It is important to remember that you do this because the business suffer badly if you have data loss or downtime.    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

BASIC CONSIDERATIONS OF BACKUP

TierPoint offers a full portfolio of managed and unmanaged backup services to help clients protect their data and adhere to relevant government compliance regulations. Backups have always been a critical component of business continuity programs. In case of a malfunctioning or infected disk, they offer a restore point that allows users to recover data before damage took place. Today, a big trend among businesses is to deploy them in conjunction with a Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solution to maximize protection and speed the restoration process. Want to learn more about what TierPoint’s backup offerings include? Click here. 

There are four fundamental questions you should be asking your clients when starting a conversation about backup:

1. What are you going to back up?

• Back up things that matter 
• Back up things that change

2. How often are you going to back up?

• Hourly? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? 
• Full backups? Incremental backups?

3. How long are you going to keep it?

• Retention schedule

4. Where are you going to keep it?

• On-site? Off-site? Disk? Tape?

THE BASICS OF DSAAR

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) has moved beyond a preventative measure for data protection to be a strategic option that provides many benefits. IT organizations recognize that protecting corporate data and making sure it is available to users is one of their top priorities. TierPoint believes in providing organizations with an affordable and customizable DRaaS solution that lets you choose your personalized mix of cloud, colocation, and your own data center. So how does DSaaR work? 

These are a few questions you should be asking your clients when it comes to Disaster Recovery as a Service:

1. What are you going to protect?

• Best practice is to identify the workloads that are most important to shaping cost
• Complete DR strategy may have several components for different RTO and RPO

2. How do you identify what is most important?

• Do a Business Impact Analysis to identify what is most tied to critical business functions
• Document the needed boot order to most quickly get workloads back online

3. What else is important to have a good DR strategy?

• Test the strategy!

To learn more about all the options available to you for meeting your data protection and recovery requirements...including from TierPointe...simply ask us at the following link.  It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Data Protection And Recovery