Vaisala, a global leader in measurement technology, is launching a new solution for industrial indoor and process measurements, Vaisala Echo. Echo connects Vaisala measurement devices and monitoring software to create an intelligent measurement infrastructure. In practice, customers will not buy Echo separately, because it is a built-in feature for Echo-compatible Vaisala measurement products.
Image Credit: Vaisala
“With Echo the days of manually setting up indoor monitoring systems are over. The Echo infrastructure gives easy, reliable, always-on access to data and alerts from all compatible devices. You pick what you need, based on your measurement, oversight, and reporting needs – and Vaisala guarantees that all instruments talk to the monitoring software, securely, and without glitches,” explains Jarno Mitjonen, Software Product Manager at Vaisala.
According to Mitjonen, certain condition-sensitive industries will benefit the most from measurement infrastructures like Echo. These include industrial manufacturing, pharma and laboratories, museums and archives, and indoor and vertical farming. Typically, these sectors will need to measure various parameters like humidity, temperature, CO2, or dew point.
Although large corporations will also benefit from the easy installation and connectivity that Echo brings, Mitjonen believes that the benefits of Echo can best be seen in small and mid-size companies, where maintaining optimal conditions is crucial, but where resources do not allow the creation of the tailor-made systems that are often seen in larger enterprises.
“We believe industrial companies should have access to all the measurement data they need, when and where they need it, regardless of the size of their IT budget. With this release, Vaisala wants to level the playing field. Our clients should focus on their business, not on setting up or managing measurement systems,” Mitjonen says.
Secure Remote Monitoring Saves Resources
A major benefit of Echo is the easy access to comprehensive reporting – both current and historic. Echo’s reporting on ambient conditions is also real-time and enables notifications and alerts. Remote access to trustworthy and comparable data can help geographically scattered companies compare sites to identify anomalies and take appropriate action to meet corporate targets. This helps reduce costs as it eliminates the need to travel to check and verify the data.
Remote monitoring requires data to be accessible online, so data security was a top priority for Vaisala when designing Echo. Mitjonen elaborates:
“We built Echo to be secure from the get-go. All data is encrypted in transit and rest, and secured with digital certificates. Echo also enables remote firmware updates for all connected devices. In today’s world, companies need to be able to update their connected devices when the need arises. The result is upgraded security over the whole lifecycle of the measurement infrastructure.”