Access Technology Group (ATG) is an innovative company based in the Netherlands, specializing in ICT services and solutions for wireless infrastructures, safety and security. In 2007 ATG noticed an increasing demand for mobile solutions in heavy industries such as refineries and chemical plants. Within these industries there was a need for higher levels of safety at lower costs. At stake here is the safety of people. In order to support companies in this regard, VISICS was developed. VISICS is a digital solution that industrial companies can rent to get more safety and efficiency during turnarounds and shutdowns. To set up the digital system anywhere in the world, ATG uses the mobile Internet solution of Capestone and sister company Comgate.
Industrial companies are required by the government to comply with fixed periodic turnarounds or shutdowns. During a turnaround or shutdown, a plant closes for 6 to 8 weeks to check all materials and components and repair them if necessary. For example, the inside of silos is checked for cracks or weak spots.
During this period, extra precautions are required to ensure maximum safety for all workers and contractors involved. It is very important that when working in such conditions, workers can rely on the highest level of safety supervision and support, so that they can be sure that their daily work activities are carried out in a safe manner. Previously, one way this was done was by placing a manhole guard at each entrance. This monitored each employee’s access to an area and registered which employee was going in and out at what time and had the correct permits. Several measurements were also taken manually throughout the day. All these activities mean that more personnel have to be on site, which can entail additional safety risks. In addition, the work is labor-intensive, making these operations costly.
To make these operations digital for companies, ATG has developed a modular mobile security solution with VISICS that is easy to temporarily integrate into infrastructure. The digital system offers solutions for Digital Confined Space Monitoring, Remote Gas Detection, Access Control and Management, and People and Asset Tracking. With VISICS, they provide on-demand observation, recording and communication techniques. By presenting real-time actionable data, safety efforts are increased while maximizing efficiency and reducing costs.
The big advantage for industrial companies is that VISICS is rented during a turnaround or shutdown. In this way, no large investments are required and they receive a turnkey solution with all the necessary solutions in one system. Through contractors, VISICS is deployed dozens of times each year at industrial companies worldwide. To unlock data at all these locations, VISICS uses the mobile internet solution of Capestone and Comgate.
ATG was looking for a connectivity partner where a high degree of flexibility was possible. Since VISICS is always deployed on a project basis it is important that the SIM cards can be activated or deactivated at any time. Through the Comgate portal this is easily managed by ATG. In addition, as market leader, ATG always wants to be able to guarantee their customers high connectivity coverage. VISICS is deployed all over the world, even in rural locations where obtaining connectivity can be complex. With the various propositions in the portfolio, Comgate can provide VISICS with a strong Internet connection with good coverage virtually anywhere in the world. Finally, there are also financial benefits. Comgate has been able to make ATG a competitive offer for the Mobile Broadband data as a result of which ATG has found the right connectivity partner in Comgate.
In the area of hardware Capestone comes around the corner. A number of aspects were taken into account while choosing the hardware. First of all, the router had to support global connectivity. Furthermore, ease of installation was important and the router had to be able to withstand high temperatures. Because of Teltonika ‘s commitment to innovative and novel techniques, they quickly became the favorite and the choice was quickly made. Depending on the customer’s needs and requirements, ATG usually chooses between a number of Teltonika routers to fulfill the demand.
ATG, with VISICS, has been one of the few companies to experience positive impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the home-based consulting business and the demand for digitalization, VISICS has been able to welcome many new customers over the past two years who were initially reluctant. These companies initially had no interest in change due to expected complexity or cost, but were now compelled to embrace new technologies.
The pandemic has also brought challenges. A regular contractor for VISICS was unable to travel to a Chinese plant and perform certain activities due to the pandemic. For this, ATG came up with an innovative solution. With the VISICS Smart Glasses and cameras and connectivity from Comgate, the contractor was able to perform its activities in China despite the travel restrictions. With pre-installed software and an instructional video, the local subcontractor was able to prepare the Smart Glasses for use and install the cameras. At the same time, VISICS set up a monitoring room on the contractor’s premises in the Netherlands with direct connectivity to both the Smart Glasses and the cameras.
In this project, VISICS enabled the contractor to monitor, supervise and manage the required operations without actually being on site. And with success! The image was very sharp and had less than a second delay. In fact, with this new approach, the project was completed two days ahead of schedule.
VISICS is always looking for innovation, Niels van Kooten, Network Infrastructure Architect at Access Technology Group states: “Currently we are working on developments in the field of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). We see that we can still make steps within this field to support our customers even better with data and insights. And where possible to make turnarounds and shutdowns even safer and more efficient.” About the cooperation with Capestone and Comgate Niels says: “Access Technology Group experiences the cooperation with Capestone and Comgate as very positive. Especially the ease of the self-service portal helps ATG in the flexible deployment of mobile connectivity.”
Are you curious about what Comgate and/or Capestone can do for your use case? Our sales department would like to think along with you! Please contact sales@capestone.com or call 085 111 0838.
Would you like more information about Access Technology Group or VISICS? You can read more on the following websites: https://www.accesstechnology.nl/ | https://www.visics.eu/
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