Smart thinking: How the transport industry is embracing intelligent communications
November 2017 has seen the opening of the first phase of a new stretch of smart motorway on the M1. More are to follow, as the section of road is just part of a wider government investment in a junctions 19 to 13 smart motorways project.
This project is part of a much broader trend for transport operators, including rail and tram companies, taxi firms, commercial fleet managers and airports, who are increasingly using technology to deliver more efficient operations and an improved travel experience. This can be seen in a recent report that has underlined how 66% of US conurbations are investing in smart city technology for their transport infrastructure, and the world’s first fully autonomous long-distance rail journey, which was successfully completed in Australia last month.
- Published in Transportation
Going underground
One of the UK’s biggest engineering projects marked a major milestone in October, as it was revealed that an Elizabeth line train has been hauled through the Crossrail tunnel for the very first time.
Crossrail is set to increase the rail capacity in central London by 10%, and is expected to carry around 200 million passengers a year when fully open. Its main feature is 13 miles of new twin tunnels, right through central London.
- Published in Transportation
European Utility Week 2017: A view from the show
European Utility Week is one of the biggest events in the utilities calendar, and this year’s event was no exception. Held earlier this month, EUW saw more than 12,000 of the industry’s leading professionals, from over 100 countries, gather in Amsterdam for three days of networking, sharing insights and learning about the newest and most exciting developments in the utilities industry.
Attendees included representatives from over 480 utilities, 550 speakers and over 600 world-class exhibitors, of which Simoco Wireless Solutions is proud to have been one.
- Published in Events
A taste of the future: what Apple can teach us about LTE
Have you got an Apple Watch yet? The third iteration of the device was recently launched – and, as outlined here, it comes with one very distinctive new feature – LTE connectivity.
The jury is still out as to whether this is a game-changing development for the Apple Watch or just a nice-to-have, and regardless of how it ends up positioning Apple in the marketplace, it’s certainly had some technical difficulties to iron out.
- Published in LTE
Taking a Managed Service Approach to your Critical Communications Network
Your communications network sustains the flow of information in your organisation, and so how it is implemented and maintained is of critical importance to your business.
While the initial infrastructure and capabilities of a network are of primary concern and often dominate decision making, considering all phases of installation and management can help ensure a smooth operator and user experience and reduce the potential for future issues.
- Published in Managed Services
Nipping it in the bud: how telematics can extend the life of your assets
Proactivity is a positive in many aspects of business. From the sophisticated – spotting a gap in the market for the development of a new product or service – to the simple – cleaning up a spillage before somebody slips and falls. Spotting opportunities and threats and dealing with them in proactively often has a direct impact on the bottom line.
For organisations that use expensive mechanical or electrical assets, from vehicles to manufacturing equipment, one area in which it is particularly valuable to be proactive is optimised asset maintenance.
- Published in Telematics
What do emergency services look for in a communications network?
The importance of our emergency services and the depth of their contribution to society cannot be overestimated.
Rapid response units, for the police, fire and ambulance services, all rely on a robust communications network to share information keeping their colleagues in the loop and saving lives.
In practice, this network will look very different depending on the service that is being provided, the location and the kind of emergencies they will typically be dealing with. However, Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) is one of the core communication technologies at the heart of many public safety operations.
- Published in Professional Mobile Radio
Why facility managers need digital mobile radio
‘Single site’ covers a lot of bases. Single site organisations can be as small as an individual shop or office – or as huge and complex as hospitals, universities and even festival sites and holiday parks. Clearly, such sites have very different communications challenges from their smaller cousins.
Thousands or even tens of thousands of people work across these large single site organisations. Some, of course, are unique to particular sectors, such as the health practitioners in hospitals, but a huge proportion operate in all industries, from cleaners and maintenance staff to security personnel. These staff make up facilities management – and for them, communications are critical.
- Published in Professional Mobile Radio
Could our utility networks be held to ransom? How legacy communication technologies are leaving critical infrastructure at risk
It seems like we’ve barely drawn breath from the Wannacry ransomware attack, which swept across the world in May, and yet already another insidious form of ransomware is wreaking international havoc. Originally assumed to be a variant of an older form of malware called Petya, the attack has crippled the computer systems at, among others, the advertiser WPP, law firm DLA Piper, food company Mondelez and Danish shipping company Maersk.
Ukraine has been particularly badly affected, with the company’s national bank, Kiev airport, metro system and a state-owned aircraft manufacturer all coming attack. Why Ukraine? According to the Ukrainian Cyber Police, the attack was originally spread via a software update in an accounting program that all organisations working with the Ukrainian government need to use.
- Published in Utilities
Heating up: how smarter mission-critical communications are helping tackle climate change
The drive for more environmentally friendly worldwide energy policies hit a major bump in the road last month when the USA announced plans to pull out of the Paris climate accord.
The agreement was drawn up within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is due to kick off in the year 2020, responding to the growing climate threat with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance. In short, it has become a key building block in the global fight against climate change.
- Published in Utilities