5 Key Features of Equipment and Systems Monitoring

You no doubt have lots of expensive, mission-critical, and revenue-generating equipment across your entire network. If left unmonitored, this equipment is exposed to environmental conditions that threaten to cause malfunctions, shutdowns, and outages.

By deploying good systems monitoring technology, you can prevent these kinds of outages. The key here is good monitoring technology. There are many monitoring solutions out there - but many fail to see the big picture and leave out critical features that you can't live without.

These systems trick you into thinking you're adequately protecting your network, but in reality, you're far from it. You'll be just as vulnerable to a crippling outage if you're using a poorly designed monitoring system as you would be with no monitoring system at all.

Getting The Features You Need

When choosing the right solution for equipment and systems monitoring, you want to look for these 5 essential features...

1. Discrete points and live analog monitoring - Basic discrete sensors are only capable of providing you with "on" or "off" information. These kinds of sensors are great for monitoring things like power, motion, etc., but not for variables like temperature, humidity, flow rates, water levels, etc. Analog sensors compensate for this by allowing you to view real-time data about your gear. With an analog sensor, you can see the precise temperature, relative humidity, etc. Ideally, you'll want a monitoring system that can provide you with both discrete and analog inputs - for maximum alarm coverage.
2. Meaningful and detailed alerts - Many monitoring solutions, especially free software, provide alerts with no meaningful level of detail. With a poorly designed system, you'll receive vague alerts like "Alarm 23 failure." What is alarm 23? What is the problem? When responding to a network emergency, you don't have time to be asking these questions. You need the right information to make good decisions on the fly in the face of network emergencies. Don't leave your network's uptime in the hands of vague alerts - get the meaningful detail you need.
3. 24/7 notifications - In addition to receiving detailed alerts, you also need flexible alerts. When I say flexible, I mean you should have the ability to receive alerts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter where you are. Versatile notification methods will give you the power to stay on top of your network - so a preventable outage won't happen on your watch. Look for a system that can alert you via multiple methods - traps to a master station, email notifications, pages, SMS text messages, or voice alerts to your phone.
4. Tailor-made gear for your network - No two networks are exactly the same. This means that there isn't a one-size-fits-all monitoring solution. Just because you have a unique system monitoring need, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice having full coverage. Find vendors that will work with you to design the perfect-fit solution - not hand you a catalog and force you to pick solutions that aren't right.
5. Industrial-grade durability - The last piece of equipment in your network to fail should be your monitoring system. If your monitoring system can't stay online, then what good is having it? Don't settle for anything less than durable, industrial-grade hardware to monitor your network. Without reliable monitoring technology, you're just as vulnerable as having nothing at all.

Finding That Perfect Monitoring Solution

Since you're a professional, you only want solutions that can deliver results. That's why I recommend taking a look at the NetGuardian family of remote telemetry units (RTUs). These RTUs come in various sizes to provide superior remote monitoring and control to sites of all sizes. The standard is the NetGuardian 832A G5, which features 32 discrete alarms, 8 analog alarms, and 8 control relays. This device can be custom-ordered with several options and comes standard with a 30-day risk-free guarantee. If this device doesn't solve your systems monitoring needs then you can return it.

"All the alarm monitoring systems I make are backed by my no-risk, money-back guarantee. If you buy my equipment and you're not satisfied for any reason during the first 30 days, simply return it for a full refund. If my product doesn't solve your problem, I don't want you to have it."

- Bob Berry, CEO, DPS Telecom

Call (1-800-693-0351) or email (sales@dpstele.com) the monitoring experts at DPS Telecom for a free consultation. You can get all your questions asked, design a custom solution for your network, or receive a free ROI analysis. You can also use the form below to get in touch with Mac Smith, who can help you with a fast response.

Other Helpful Links

Equipment Monitoring Tutorial: Building a Solid Foundation for Remote Alarm Monitoring and Control

Management was "Sold" on Monitoring Equipment That Didn't Work

Remote Alarm Monitoring and Control Guide; Important Fundamentals for Protecting Remote Site Equipment

Gaston Country Monitors Vaccine Refrigerators and Other Critical Equipment with AlphaMax and DPM Alarm Remotes

Selecting a Vendor with a Complete Solution Guaranteed: Maximize Chances of Remote Monitoring and Control Success

Network Monitoring Solution

Solutions for Increased Network Reliability: How Remote Monitoring and Control System Can Help

Library of Detailed Application Drawings

Choosing the most Effective Alarm Monitoring Solution

Choosing the most Effective Alarm Monitoring Solution

Essential Real-Time Monitoring Features for Your Network

Does Your Remote Monitoring System Have These 5 Essential Features?

Does Your Remote Fault Monitoring System Provide Detailed Alarm Visibility?

Remote Network Monitoring

Reduce Drive Time Aggravation with Detailed Alarm Monitoring

How You Can Monitor 24-7 Without a 24-7 NOC