SkyWave Mobile Communications recently announced the launch of the IP SCADA service which will function together with its IDP series terminals that have been designed for low power, reliability and ease of installation. The company is a provider of wireless data communications for the machine-to-machine (M2M) market.

IP SCADA enables IP-based point-to-point satellite communication connections to take place between small remote sites and SCADA systems where satellite backhaul communications, leased lines, GSM, RF are unreliable, cost prohibitive or not available.

Some of IP SCADA advantages include infrastructure; so there is no need for capital investment in RF infrastructure for private radio networks; Plug & play which provides IP-based connection to existing virtual private networks (VPN) already implemented for existing infrastructure; Coverage with uniform and global satellite coverage, any site around the globe can use IP SCADA. No need to worry about cellular coverage, RF repeaters or quality of service and low power consumption, as IsatData Pro terminals have power consumption for unsolicited exception messages that average less than half a watt of power, eliminating the need to invest in large, expensive solar panels at unpowered sites.

In a release, Jenn Markey, SkyWave director, Product Management and Marketing said, "From remote data acquisition to industrial process automation, IP SCADA provides ubiquitous coverage to users with an affordable communication tool to monitor sensors and implement processes in small sites where availability or costs associated with implementation of other technologies was just not viable before."

In the case of the oil and gas, water or wastewater industries, IP SCADA is often the only viable solution due to the remoteness and size of the sites. Providing effective quantitative measurement of processes, detecting and correcting problems, and assessing trends at smaller sites enables the diagnosis of problems at the Network Operations Center (NOC (News - Alert)); often eliminating the need to dispatch a technician. No longer are site alarms and events related to power outages, critically low battery, high temperature or flooding left unchecked, thereby avoiding the site going out of commission and compromising the larger critical infrastructure network, resulting in significant costs and potentially penalties.

Other advantages of IP SCADA include programmable terminals with intelligent control and Modbus, IsatData Pro terminals with the IP SCADA service can be used as RTU replacements for sites that monitor analog or digital sensors or connect directly to existing RTUs; low total cost of ownership as IsatData Pro terminal and airtime packages are the lowest cost SCADA option when compared to similar market solutions. As well, the compact omnidirectional antenna reduces average install time, errors and cost by avoiding a satellite pointing procedure and temperature range, designed for operation across broad temperature ranges, IsatData Pro terminals can operate in some of the world's most extreme environments.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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