The Challenge
Our client sought a solution to provide near real-time data collection to enable Industry 4.0 and digitalization. To comply with security policies, they wanted to establish a Long Range (LoRa) connectivity service that could enable IoT assets to connect using LoRa connectivity
The Objective
They wanted to develop the LoRa service as a standard global service in their service catalog.
Additional objectives included:
- Access long-range wide area network (LoRaWAN) connectivity on-site
- Connect sensors and access to the sensor data in the application server
- Network server monitoring
- Ensure network quality, security and availability, along with secured connectivity between the gateway and network server
- Device management, provision and support
- Ensure global LoRaWAN connectivity on all client sites, including support and maintenance of the LoRaWAN network
Manage devices, including provisioning
1. Sensors
2. Gateway
3. LNS
Define security policy-compliant standards for both LoRa public and LoRa private
1. Setup the security policies
2. Define connectivity pattern for LoRa providers
3. Determine the frequency management per country
4. For LoRa private, define standard gateways and how to connect the gateways in a secure way
Develop the processes to order and manage public or private LoRa connectivity
1. Site connectivity surveys
2. Ordering process
3. Connectivity and device management and support (lifecycle, monitoring, end-user support)
- Enable supply, implementation and management of devices (sensors and gateway), as well as the network server, as a future scope of work
The Solution
HCLTech proposed gateways, performed device provisioning (sensor and gateway) and onboarded them on a network server (SaaS-based) to ensure network connectivity from sensors to the application server.
As a part of the engagement, HCLTech completed the following high-level activities:
- Established service operations – People, Processes and Technology
- Defined workflow and process for service management
- Reviewed service management performance through KPIs
- Ensured end-customer satisfaction
- Provided remote operations and management support
- Took up additional services as and when defined and agreed
- Supported connectivity and network management of LoRa implementation
Key technologies that were covered:
1. LoRa sensor management
2. LoRa gateway (Actility-compliant)
3. LoRa network management (Actility SaaS-based)
4. VCN network backhaul
- Agreed on providing hardware (sensors and gateways) and associated licenses, including network servers (SaaS-based), as a future scope of work
- Agreed on managing the service support completely, including device management, RMA, incident management, etc., as a future scope of work
The Impact
- Our client is now able to monitor sensor status remotely and take the needed actions in real-time
- They have seen a measurable reduction in resource effort required to identify the production trucks in the parking area through the GPS trackers deployed as part of the project
- Reduction in unplanned downtime for shop-floor operations
