Is a GSM RTU right for you?

Many people have been considering the investment remote monitoring solutions, and the general, go-to answer most people come up with is to send data across the internet through a cellular data connection. Though there are several drawbacks to this idea.

The cost of data connections used to transmit this information can be insurmountable for many applications, and the nature of sending data alone can create a hole in a firewall that would make most IT professionals cringe.

In order for the devices to send alarms across the internet to the home-network and for the Master Station to ping any devices it may be linked to, most firewalls must be adapted to allow free flow of data back and forth. Even though useful for monitoring purposes, it creates a large vulnerability in the network by allowing an easy point-of-access for malicious attacks. The next option that a few firms have started to explore is the transmission of alarms via text message on a GSM-based network.

This method also allows the network monitoring to continue unhindered in the event of a LAN failure, across large distances, and also allows a more efficient response to alarms. A quick text message can let your repair crew know what exactly needs their attention, instead of having to send someone out to try and find any issues.

The added bonus of choosing a GSM-based system as opposed to its counterpart, CDMA, is that GSM networks tend to have faster transmission speeds given the right situations, though with advances in communications technology, that gap has narrowed considerably.

In order to find out if GSM-compatible RTUs are the solution to your network monitoring needs, please contact your equipment vendor for more information.