Reliable and safe public transport is vital for the functioning of modern societies. Without a fast and efficient flow of people and goods, societies will struggle to grow and prosper. Throughout 2015 nearly 3.6 billion passengers travelled by air and the expectation for 2016 is for that number to rise to close to 4 billion. In terms of trade, shipments by air account for 35% of the value of world trade1. So it’s not a surprise that airports are considered strategic assets and gain significant focus when we examine where to invest to develop and build for the future. As in many other places in the modern society, airports and air travel are constantly having to evolve to keep up with developments in information technology. Online check-in, digital boarding passes, web and smartphone applications for ordering and managing travel are only the tip of the iceberg. A modern airport is a very complex animal with a multitude of people and organisations, processes and procedures. All have to cooperate and be coordinated - to play together – to make the airport function optimally. And airports, with all these people and systems, are vulnerable. Disruption may come from operational incidents, from communications issues between people and systems or be direct intentional interference. Security has taken the highest priority, closely followed by a drive for increasing efficiency. We want a safe airport with easy, hassle-free and fast travel. AWARENESS IS KEY! In order to deliver on the expectations from a modern airport, operations must be monitored so decisions can be taken immediately to optimise performance. Physical installations, buildings, infrastructure and people need to be kept safe. Security needs to be alerted when suspicious activity or behaviour is taking place and they need to be able to act instantly. The ability to detect, consider and react in a matter of seconds is a constant pressure. Some of the assets that have to be monitored and controlled are in remote and outdoor locations. And communications to these is a vulnerable point – it has to be secured and would in many cases benefit from an independent communications system that cannot be hacked or tampered with as the main or backup line of communications. TAKING THE LEAD WITH THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS At Motorola Solutions we develop comprehensive solutions for our customers’ needs and see airport security as the number one requirement. Our portfolios of radio networks provide an efficient solution for secure communications between people and systems in and around the airport. If you are looking to connect a (remote) subsystem – for operational or security concerns – Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) allow connecting multiple subsystems reliably and with ease. You are always connected – if one network fails, another can take over. If a line is cut, wireless radio will provide full connectivity. Whether it’s communicating locally or to an application in the cloud, RTUs turn your disparate assets into intelligent actors on the communications scene – an industrial level solution for the Internet of Things. Intelligent monitoring and control of (remote) subsystems – from weather, signal or lights systems to gate or building monitors, the solution for nearly all of these is Motorola Solutions IIoT RTUs. They are reliable and rugged, can be installed in nearly every environment and communicate on nearly any type of network in addition to allowing you to leverage your radio infrastructure. INDEPENDENT PROGRAMMABLE OPERATIONS A Motorola Solutions RTU is programmable to facilitate immediate actions. It adds intelligence that you can rely on in a number of different circumstances: - If a gate is opened and an alarm is triggered – the RTU will both report back to the control room and initiate the actions you have pre-programmed. It could be turning on the lights or a voicing an announcement. - If an emergency button is pressed, a gate could close and an alarm may be sent immediately to all relevant security personnel. - If a pipe is leaking, it could turn off a valve. If fuel levels approach the bottom threshold it could initiate the refilling and update the operations center. You design the appropriate actions and you save the time it takes for the officer in the control room to consider and act. It will save you time and money and it may very well be the difference between a minor incident and a major disruption. To discover more about Motorola Solutions RTUs and other airport solutions visit our website. 1www.atag.org/facts-and-figures |
Blog
How Next Generation Transport Communications Can Make Our Lives Better - Author Danielle Doo
Over the course of history I struggle to find anything that comes close to the role public transportation systems have in governing not only how we live our lives but also what makes towns, cities or villages either thriving or isolated communities. So, it goes without saying those working in the industry have a profound responsibility with every decision they make; it could impact the quality of life for millions.
There are two types of decisions that constantly need to be made in order to achieve goals in safety, efficiency and customer satisfaction:
1. Decisions that can be planned, considered and measured for the day-to-day and long term operational success of transport networks.
2. On-the-spot decisions that need to be made when the unexpected occurs.
Two different circumstances, with different pressures but one commonality – the decisions need to be founded on solid information and clearly communicated to be effectively actioned.
Whilst investment in infrastructure to cope with growing populations and linking villages to towns and towns to cities are in full swing, why would we not make the same investments in the communication systems that connect the infrastructure and workers powering these transport networks? There’s certainly cause to say that open lines of voice and data communications to the right people will always serve the greater good. With the endless communications options and capabilities available today - TETRA and/or LTE? How do you connect the right teams? How can applications for safety and information feed into the right channels? How do you get the right information to the right individuals so informed decisions can be made?- you need a basis for making your decisions.
"When you look at moulding the next generation transport communication system there’s three core elements that I believe should be the foundations for any network in order to achieve a universal success."1. High availability communications for an uninterruptable service that can be relied on in times of emergency
2. Simplified application integration for the collection and centralisation of data from various application sources via APIs to make informed decisions
3. Converged communication services for a unified platform of seemingly disparate communication networks in order to provide a full picture of information
The end result might not be the choice of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution but what you do have is a system that pulls together the best from a few technologies. The resilient, reliable TETRA network, combined with the data capacities of LTE, the interoperability of PTT-over-broadband and a platform of applications.
When you combine different technologies to create a solution that works for your organisation, information becomes free-flowing, uninterrupted and allows the decision makers to make informed decisions to ensure efficient and safe operations to get people from A to B and allows communities to thrive. So, yes the next system of communication rolled out across our railways and roads will have a profound impact on our way of life – from the extreme of ensuring our safety to letting us know if our train is on time, it all hinges on the movement of information.
If you’re intrigued about this argument then you can explore in more depth by downloading the latest transport whitepaper from Motorola Solutions – The Next Generation Transport Communication Systems.
If you’d like to join the conversation about communication in hazardous environments, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA LinkedIn Group.
Danielle Doo, Marketing Solutions Manager, Motorola Solutions
Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn
Your Airport - A Strategic Asset, Authored by Jerry Nachmann
Reliable and safe public transport is vital for the functioning of modern societies. Without a fast and efficient flow of people and goods, societies will struggle to grow and prosper.
Throughout 2015 nearly 3.6 billion passengers travelled by air and the expectation for 2016 is for that number to rise to close to 4 billion. In terms of trade, shipments by air account for 35% of the value of world trade1. So it’s not a surprise that airports are considered strategic assets and gain significant focus when we examine where to invest to develop and build for the future.
As in many other places in the modern society, airports and air travel are constantly having to evolve to keep up with developments in information technology. Online check-in, digital boarding passes, web and smartphone applications for ordering and managing travel are only the tip of the iceberg.
A modern airport is a very complex animal with a multitude of people and organisations, processes and procedures. All have to cooperate and be coordinated - to play together – to make the airport function optimally.
And airports, with all these people and systems, are vulnerable. Disruption may come from operational incidents, from communications issues between people and systems or be direct intentional interference. Security has taken the highest priority, closely followed by a drive for increasing efficiency. We want a safe airport with easy, hassle-free and fast travel.
AWARENESS IS KEY!
In order to deliver on the expectations from a modern airport, operations must be monitored so decisions can be taken immediately to optimise performance. Physical installations, buildings, infrastructure and people need to be kept safe. Security needs to be alerted when suspicious activity or behaviour is taking place and they need to be able to act instantly. The ability to detect, consider and react in a matter of seconds is a constant pressure.
Some of the assets that have to be monitored and controlled are in remote and outdoor locations. And communications to these is a vulnerable point – it has to be secured and would in many cases benefit from an independent communications system that cannot be hacked or tampered with as the main or backup line of communications.
TAKING THE LEAD WITH THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS
At Motorola Solutions we develop comprehensive solutions for our customers’ needs and see airport security as the number one requirement. Our portfolios of radio networks provide an efficient solution for secure communications between people and systems in and around the airport.
If you are looking to connect a (remote) subsystem – for operational or security concerns – Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) allow connecting multiple subsystems reliably and with ease. You are always connected – if one network fails, another can take over. If a line is cut, wireless radio will provide full connectivity. Whether it’s communicating locally or to an application in the cloud, RTUs turn your disparate assets into intelligent actors on the communications scene – an industrial level solution for the Internet of Things.
Intelligent monitoring and control of (remote) subsystems – from weather, signal or lights systems to gate or building monitors, the solution for nearly all of these is Motorola Solutions IIoT RTUs. They are reliable and rugged, can be installed in nearly every environment and communicate on nearly any type of network in addition to allowing you to leverage your radio infrastructure.
INDEPENDENT PROGRAMMABLE OPERATIONS
A Motorola Solutions RTU is programmable to facilitate immediate actions. It adds intelligence that you can rely on in a number of different circumstances:
- If a gate is opened and an alarm is triggered – the RTU will both report back to the control room and initiate the actions you have pre-programmed. It could be turning on the lights or a voicing an announcement.
- If an emergency button is pressed, a gate could close and an alarm may be sent immediately to all relevant security personnel.
- If a pipe is leaking, it could turn off a valve. If fuel levels approach the bottom threshold it could initiate the refilling and update the operations center.
You design the appropriate actions and you save the time it takes for the officer in the control room to consider and act. It will save you time and money and it may very well be the difference between a minor incident and a major disruption.
To discover more about Motorola Solutions RTUs and other airport solutions visit our website.
1www.atag.org/facts-and-figures
If you’d like to join the conversation about communication solutions for airports, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA LinkedIn Group.
Jerry Nachmann, Regional Marketing and Solutions Manager, Motorola Solutions