Remote communication technologies continue to prove out as highly reliable and increasingly necessary to companies who depend on remotely located operations for a large part of their revenue. Therefore, the time has come to spend more attention on the decisions that can be driven through the use of solutions that take advantage of these technologies.

What emanates from the field is typically data. Properly utilized, this data can be transformed into high-value decisions that can have tremendous impact on remote operational efficiency, speed and profit contribution.

In this first of several posts, I’d like to address the concept of how data can be transformed into high-value decisions. We call it the Data to Decision Cycle.

This cycle is repeated over and over countless times each day in every business with remote assets, and is made up of four basic steps:

1. Data is generated, most typically by field personnel and machines (M2M)
2. That data is collected, aggregated, and Analysis is performed by some method. Perhaps it is Excel spreadsheet, accounting software, a maintenance application or even push pins in a wall map
3. The analysis yields decision making Information
4. A Decision is then made based on the information

 There are two elements associated with the decision -- Time and Value. Time is the period from data generation to a decision. Value is driven by the importance of the decision’s impact on risk or profit. Value also increases when time decreases -- that is to say, the faster you can execute an important decision, the more valuable it is.

A key point -- data generation is not the same as data collection. For example, data is generated the moment a machine shuts down, but this data might not be collected for an hour, a day or even a month. Thus, speeding up the data collection, and moving it on to analysis faster, creates greater value.

In upcoming entries, we’re going to dig deeper on how time is shortened and value increased. We’re also going to delve into why most companies have not addressed this obvious opportunity, and the right ways for going about it.

Recently my wife and I were out on our back porch enjoying a summer evening, when we saw a bright white light moving rather quickly across the sky. It was moving too fast to be a star and there was no sign of any blinking, like a plane’s strobe lights will do.

It dawned on me that what we were seeing could be the International Space Station (ISS), reflecting the sun’s light from its lower space orbit. My wife was not so convinced. We watched the light cross the horizon in what was probably less than four minutes.

Ever the space enthusiast, I decided to check in on my hunch. Sure enough, I found a website that renders exact details of when and where in the sky you can see all kinds of Satellite Flybys for your location. All you do is enter your zip code. As I said before, these satellites travel the horizon quickly, so there’s not a lot of room for being late to the show.

Here’s where you go to find the next satellite flyby where you live. http://spaceweather.com/flybys/index.php

Feel free to pass this on. Or, keep it a secret and amaze your friends and family from time to time when you say, “Oh hey, look over there, it’s the International Space Station”.

For the record, my wife thought I was brilliant to have figured it out. And for the first time in my life, I was smart enough not to say, “I told you so.”

On March 17th Skymira Founder and CEO, Bob Landsfield joined with other industry leaders at Satellite 2010 to discuss the future of next generation M2M satellite tracking solutions. After years of being confined largely to the commercial vehicle and GMDSS safety markets, the panel discussed how satellite tracking solutions are emerging in several new applications, including heavy equipment and fixed asset monitoring, military Blue Force Tracking, flight following, LRIT and personal tracking.

As can be imagined, much of the emphasis was on consumer and personal applications -- basically a pursuit of the next killer application. While there is no doubt consumer applications can drive significant demand for hardware and communication services, we believe there is an even bigger opportunity that remains under-leveraged. That opportunity is businesses with a large percentage of revenues and costs being generated through remotely located operations.

For the past decade, satellite and cellular manufacturers pursuing non-commercial markets have historically placed more emphasis on the technology itself and less on actual business application. That left businesses with investments clearly underleveraged. Yet this focus was not in vain. If there is a silver lining to be had, it’s that we’ve arrived at a point in time where there is an abundance of great technology, increased accessibility and lower cost of communication services.

For over 10 years now, Skymira has been creating remote information systems for businesses, leveraging this same M2M satellite tracking technology. Our focus has been decidedly on the applications. Quite simply, we survey the client landscape looking for opportunities where remote data can be connected to the enterprise. The value that can be generated when this previously untapped data is turned into decision making information and increased control is huge. Return on investment is even more significant.

If you’re interested in learning more, we encourage you to contact us.

During 2009, one the bigger announcements in maritime communications was the launch of the Sailor 150 FleetBroadband, a competitive high-quality solution offering voice and Broadband internet service on Inmarsat’s global broadband I4 satellite network.

Finally, the maritime industry had an affordable hardware solution for accessing satellite fleet broadband. Our belief is there are many more such announcements not too far off in the future for a range of industries and applications. That’s the good news. So is there bad news? Yes, unfortunately the lower cost of the terminal in no way assures lower satellite service charges. Anyone who has ever received one of those shocking satellite bills will surely attest to this simple fact. Deploying any satellite communication system without also establishing a method for controlling the more significant cost drivers is foolish at best.

Knowing this potential problem might put a damper on the party, we set out to create an effective solution that would enable maritime fleet managers to leverage the lower unit cost offered by the SAILOR 150 model, while also assuring far more predictable satellite carrier bills. We call it Intelligent IP Controls, and if you use it, there is far less chance of getting one of those shockingly expensive satellite bills.

Our Intelligent IP Controls is not a radical new idea. IP controls have long been used at the office and enterprise levels, but traditionally have not been implemented at the onboard satellite terminal device, where unintended use is far more common to occur. By locking in customer-specified proper uses, and locking out improper use, abuse and inexperience that typically results expensive hits, carrier charges are more effectively managed.

In short, don’t be afraid to leverage the tremendous benefit satellite communications can deliver in accessing time sensitive critical remote information, especially given the lower terminal costs we expect to see proliferate. Just protect yourself from excessive carrier charges with some intelligence.

Skymira just finished a collaborative project with SkyWave, a global provider of machine-to machine (M2M) satellite data communication equipment and services to create a new industry white paper demonstrating how Remote Asset Monitoring can significantly help companies to decrease costs, increase efficiency, and generate revenue.

For years now, we’ve witnessed how our clients using Remote Asset Monitoring are significantly improving their operations, reducing paperwork, creating new streams of revenue, and realizing significant returns on their investments. The timing was perfect to turn this knowledge into actionable step by step advice.

The paper presents several real-world examples of the exact value Remote Asset Monitoring solutions are delivering. One case study alone shows how a Skymira client achieved both a 400% productivity gain and savings averaging over $200,000 per month.

Full of actionable advice, the paper explores just what Remote Asset Monitoring is, the value in deploying Remote Monitoring solutions, and selecting the right equipment and communication technologies. It also outlines step by step processes for what to consider when determining which remote monitoring solutions are best for your company, as well as implementation guidelines.

Titled: Why Remote Monitoring? The information in the white paper is applicable to a wide range of industries, including transportation, maritime, oil and gas, construction, utilities, mining and forestry. Visit the following link to download: http://www.skymira.com/resource-center-whitepapers.htm

Recently, we announced an enhancement to our TailorFitTM Solutions. Specifically, by combining our popular Electronic Forms and Telemetry/SCADA services, we’re now able to provide technicians with real-time operating status of remotely located equipment under their care while operating in some of the roughest terrain imaginable.

For years now, we have been providing remote field solutions for Work Order Automation using both our Electronic Forms and Telemetry/SCADA services, with each typically using separate satellite networks. For this new solution, we combined the services and separate satellite network data into a single powerful application. Field technicians are now equipped to keep a watchful eye on remotely located units they are responsible for, with the clear benefit of detecting early warning signs of failure and avoiding costly machine downtime. Better yet, they are now empowered to make better decisions about repairs ahead of even showing up.

Why is this important? It goes to an underlying Skymira philosophy that when data from multiple remote information solutions is combined, it produces exponential benefits for our clients. Time and again we have seen that the clients deploying individual point solutions typically achieve lower returns than their counterparts who have deployed multiple solutions and have tied the data together to solve big challenges.

That’s why we’ve always employed a comprehensive approach to understanding each client’s needs and details of how they operate. This assures that clients are presented with a complete view of all areas within the business where access to remote information will drive increased returns. While most companies will initially implement one or two high return applications, Skymira has observed that companies continuing beyond this initial set of applications realize exponential benefits. Chiefly driven by the increased reporting made available, new combinations of data can be used to solve increasingly complex challenges, unlocking value often hidden within a company’s existing processes.

Bottom-line -- more is better when it comes to gathering critical remote data. At least if you want to solve the really valuable challenges.