I hear the term ‘Digital Transformation’ (DT) being tossed around quite a bit – especially in the critical mission arenas including municipalities, utilities, public safety, etc. But what does it mean? And what role does wireless play in the success of entities implementing a digital transformation strategy?
As digital transformation takes root, we can expect to see organizations implementing new methods of using technology, people, and processes to fundamentally change performance. Essentially, DT’s goals are to increase efficiency levels of operations and thereby enhance the lives of people. These new technologies are being adopted by government agencies, municipalities, and enterprises around the world.
For the most part, when discussing DT, we are really talking about incorporating next-generation applications and devices across the entire business/government unit. We are seeing many more computer applications playing a role in the day-to-day operations of organizations and agencies. These applications will use a new level of automation, analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), self-correction, and visualization, ensuring the best asset and performance management. One of the biggest drivers of DT is the prolific introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and for the industrial markets, IIoT (Industrial IoT).
The introduction of WiFi 6, which allows for many more devices to be added to a single network, is pivotal in the exponential growth of machine-to-machine applications in industrial environments. WiFi 6 provides the latency, capacity, reliability, and security necessary for these market sectors.
Meanwhile, becoming greener is becoming a mandate as set by society, businesses, and governments around the world. And DT will play a large roll in adopting more sustainable practices to safeguard our resources for future generations.
But what is at the core of digital transformation?
Whether using WiFi 6, LTE, 5G or any other wireless technology, the core backbone of the network is what determines and enables the optimized performance of the digital applications and machine-to-machine connectivity. That is where Ceragon’s got your back.
Ceragon provides multi-gigabit backbones with the most dependable and secure wireless connectivity. This network builds the foundation upon which all the other DT components rely. The right infrastructure will ensure a successful plan and implementation.
Digitalization of these complex critical infrastructure systems and tasks requires very high capacity, low latency, and extremely high reliability. All provided by Ceragon solutions. Ceragon technology works behind the scenes to provide the connectivity that drives the most demanding applications.
Who does this effect?
Municipalities, public safety agencies, power plants, refineries, factories, warehouses, network operating centers (NOC), oil & gas well pads, and mines are only some of the examples of the types of organizations and business that will be impacted by next-gen digitalization. Their adoption of advanced applications will not only revolutionize their organizations and operations, but as a result, recipients of any services from these entities will be affected as well. In short, the whole world will be impacted.
For Smart Cities – a new level of intelligence
As individuals are becoming more accustomed to employing advanced technology in their daily lives, they are looking to their local governments to do the same. The digitalization of everyday applications and assets can drastically improve the lives of constituents. Additionally, DT can streamline and converge all citywide applications and networks into one, making the management of the city and its assets much more efficient and productive – essentially becoming a ‘smart city’.
Digitization not only delivers a new level of efficiency and cost savings, but also the ability to be more competitive and generate more tax revenue by attracting more businesses and tourists/visitors.
There are several use cases that digitization offers municipalities, including:
- Connected streetlights, traffic management, smart parking
- Better analysis for city planning
- Automated energy systems and efficiencies
- Improved waste management efficiencies
- Providing of telehealth, telemedicine, and telecare
- Smart agriculture
- Fleet & personnel management and security
- Sustainability practices and air quality management
- Public safety
- Internet connectivity for the public
What are the benefits of digital transformation for smart cities?
- Unified departments
- Improved communications between the public, departments, and agencies
- Reduced operational costs
- Better resource utilization
- Automation of tasks, assets, and communication
- Improved constituent involvement and transparency
- Better quality of life and safety for the public
- Generation of tax revenue by attracting more businesses and visitors
For Public Safety - a new level of data sharing and data platforms
DT is going to shift many of the processes and communications methods used by police and first responders. As agencies are embracing next-generation technologies, they can access more dependable real-time information, make more informed decisions, provide more secure remote access, create cross-agency collaboration, increase team safety, and build community trust and engagement.
The new applications for this market are modifying predictive and preventative practices. With more accurate, comprehensive, geo-located, analyzed, and real-time data at their fingertips, organizations can become more productive, efficient, accountable, and collaborative, while helping to avert, respond to, and mitigate risky situations.
Some of the Public Safety Applications:
- Automated emergency response
- Public warning and alert systems
- Live in-field data and video and situational awareness
- Shared data and telemetry across buildings, agencies, personnel
- Firearm sensors
- Smart vehicles
- Inter-agency communication and automation
- Crowdsourcing to tap into the collective intelligence of the public
Benefits for Public Safety Digitization:
- Improved inter-agency and inter-department communication
- More comprehensive data – including opt-in private data from hospitals, businesses, and citizens smartphones
- AI-assisted analysis for more precise information gathering and understanding for better decision-making
- Faster and more appropriate response to situations
- More transparency
- Better Cybersecurity
For utilities – a new level of efficiency and sustainability
Utilities around the world are taking advantage of technological advances and 5G proliferation to revolutionize their operations to be able to better serve customers, become more efficient, empower personnel, cut costs, adopt renewable power and sustainability practices, and optimize their assets and communications.
With the unpredictable nature of recent weather patterns, automation, data-gathering, digital control, and sensors are becoming more and more important in avoiding serious grid downtime. And customers are not only demanding higher reliability, but also more transparency and innovation from their energy providers.
Utility applications include:
- Digital Twin technology - virtual models for reduced costs and risks
- Dynamic dispatch, self-regulation, and demand response
- Internet of Things (IoT) - accelerate renewable energy integration, asset monitoring, and higher reliability
- Big Data - providing advanced and predictive analytics for precise, real-time analysis & monitoring
- Blockchain - transparent and digital billing and enabler of power-sharing from consumer sources
- Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence capturing value from data
- Fleet & people management and security
Some of the benefits to utilities:
- Easier adoption and implementation of safety, regulatory and compliance-based systems
- Interaction with customer home devices and digitizing the customer experience for improved satisfaction
- Better decision making with advanced data analytics, and preventative and predictive strategies
- Field workforce more efficient with immediate access to maps, videos, data, and work management tools
- Determine any ongoing support, maintenance, operational needs
- Improved safety, regulatory and compliance-based systems
- Increased reliability and uptime, and ability to better respond to disasters when they occur
Call for backup
In a world where seconds can save lives or avoid catastrophic downtimes, having the right connectivity that you can count on is paramount. But digital transformation does not happen overnight. So, take the first step by contacting Ceragon Networks, because we’ve got your back with the best wireless backbone, backhaul, and end-to-end services around. Our solutions, backed by our first class engineering services can help take accountability for your entire network and provide you with a turnkey solution from planning, to design, to implementation, to post deployment support and maintenance throughout the entire lifecycle of your project. Let us help you get your digital transformation strategy designed and implemented… for the long haul.
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