Advantages of Cloud-Based Monitoring and Control vs Traditional Alarm Dialers
Phone dialers have been a consistent choice for monitoring many applications in the water and wastewater industries. While phone dialers have been an accepted solution for many years, modern cloud-based IoT technology platforms have emerged as a more reliable option. These solutions are commonly referred to as SCADA.
Not only is the use of alarm dialers outdated, but they remain more susceptible to various issues that new IoT platforms are able to overcome.
- Marginalized phone line quality
- Missing critical alarm notifications when phone lines are down
- Damaged equipment from lightning strikes
- Surge vulnerabilities
- Limited service from phone line providers
Experiencing one or more of these vulnerabilities can lead to unexpected costs. For example, the average annual phone line service cost per site for an alarm dialer ranges from $600 to $1,200, not including additional equipment or replacement costs.
Effortless SCADA is Possible
Monitoring and control systems for water and wastewater applications must be reliable, efficient and cost-effective. A common way of solving alarm dialer pain points is converting systems to a cloud-based monitoring and control system, often called SCADA. These systems use cellular or satellite-based monitoring devices and sensors at the site, such as Aquavx Pro, Aquavx Pro Plus or EliteIQ, and a web-based cloud platform, such as RemoteIQ™ Water, to remotely monitor and control unattended sites.
In addition to a simplified and cost-efficient SCADA system, using cloud-based IoT solutions versus traditional alarm dialers provides immediate benefits to operators.
- They decrease ongoing service costs by eliminating phone lines and service costs. Users save an average of $360 or more per site.
- They increase the reliability and timeliness of important system notifications. Since the modem connection for a cloud-based solution is monitored 24/7, personnel can be notified immediately if a communication loss is detected.
- They increase the efficiency of managing assets. Cloud-based systems offer data analytics that gives insights into site data, reports and alarm history without visiting the site.
Optimize Performance with Cattron Solutions
With our turnkey monitoring and remote control systems, you can eliminate the complexity and cost of designing and implementing full-scale SCADA systems. Contact a Cattron representative or explore our products to learn more.
