Enhanced remote telemetry unit (RTU) models.

Cost-efficiency with enhanced scalability and simplified use

The expanded TBox LT2 Family Series of RTUs (Remote Telemetry Units) from Ovarro has been announced. The new models — LT2-500, LT2-510 and LT2-520 — are designed to meet evolving industry requirements and customer demands for more cost-effective and still reliable solutions in a range of sectors including water, power, oil and gas and the process industry.

The new TBox LT2 models address several key challenges faced by customers by offering cost efficiency, scalability and ease of use. These streamlined models provide a more affordable option without compromising on essential features, ensuring that cost-conscious customers can still access high-quality products.

“As the need for efficient and economical solutions grows, Ovarro identified a gap in the market for high-performance RTUs at a lower cost,” said Roy Gerding, product line director at Ovarro. “Customers across various sectors, including district cooling, irrigation, water distribution and district heating, expressed a need for scalable solutions that offer essential functionalities without unnecessary complexities.”

The TBox LT2 models are designed with scalability in mind, offering tailored solutions that fit smaller applications while maintaining reliability and performance. Furthermore, the models boast simplified configurations and reduced input/output (I/O) options, facilitating straightforward implementation and making them user-friendly for a wide range of applications.

The new Models All the new models retain the complete Tbox RTU/programmable logic controller (PLC) function set, allowing for remote monitoring and control in industrial processes.
The LT2-500, designed without direct field I/Os, is ideal for communication protocol gateway applications. This makes it suitable for simple operations requiring remote monitoring and control without the need for extensive I/O capabilities.
The LT2-510 features ten digital input/output channels, providing a balanced solution for applications requiring status and flag control, offering essential I/O capabilities for moderate monitoring and control tasks.
Meanwhile, the LT2-520 also offers ten digital input/output channels, along with four analog input channels, making it well-suited for smaller full automation applications. 

The models extend the TBox LT2 range below the LT2-530 model.

“The TBox LT2 series outshines competing technologies in its versatility and reliability in remote monitoring and control applications,” added Gerding. “Its robust design integrates advanced communication capabilities, including support for multiple protocols such as Modbus, Distributed Network Protocol 3 (DNP3) and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), which ensures seamless connectivity across various industrial environments.”

Companies can now gain the benefits of the TBox at a lower cost. For example, in automated heating systems, the TBox has been shown to reduce energy consumption by up to 70 per cent compared with traditional systems. Another advantage of the TBox is that it provides real-time data access and reports on equipment run time, so operators can implement more proactive maintenance and inspection strategies and yield a higher return on investment (ROI). Ovarro also offers the TBox LT2 as a remote gateway to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) from critical machinery and operations, sending data to StreamWebscada for visualisation of the process.

"At Ovarro, we continuously strive to align our products with market demands and feedback, meeting the precise needs of our customers worldwide,” said Gerding. “The enhanced TBox LT2 series now includes more scalable options tailored to diverse applications with different levels of complexity, without compromising on performance or cost-efficiency.” 

 The new TBox LT2 models will be available starting in the third quarter of 2024.

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@ovarro_ltd @StoneJunctionPR #PAuto #Cybersecurity

Remote telemetry systems can help overcome the biggest cybersecurity threats.

Attackers will always find new ways to penetrate systems, and companies are continually assessing how their systems might be attacked and how much money it will cost to protect them. Here, Philippe Willems, engineering manager at Ovarro, the specialist in remote telemetry systems, discusses the enduring challenge for critical infrastructure companies and what it means for suppliers.

According to research by Cybersecurity Ventures, the cost of cybercrime is predicted to hit $8 trillion (€7.36trl) in 2023 and grow to $10.5 trillion (€9.66trl) by 2025.

For any critical infrastructure company, the biggest cybersecurity hazard is an attacker taking control of its IT or operational technology (OT) systems to steal data, or block and disrupt operations. This risk is heightened because many of these companies still use legacy systems installed many years, if not decades, ago. These systems have minimal cybersecurity features, if any. They present a huge digital attack surface, which means there are many pathways along which a would-be attacker can gain unauthorised access to the company’s computers or networks. Protecting this insecure legacy infrastructure may seem like a daunting challenge. The main task for managers for critical infrastructure companies is to update or protect their existing control systems. But how should they go about this? Here are five questions to help these companies protect their systems from attacks.

Who is behind threats and attacks to critical infrastructure, and what are their motives?
There are three main attacker types. Those who hack for the sake of doing it — they are perhaps the least concerning. Then there are attackers who want to block access to computer systems using malicious software, such as ransomware, until a sum of money is paid. The most dangerous and unnoticed threat comes from state-backed attackers, trying to gain access to critical infrastructure in what is called cyber-warfare.

What steps should companies take to protect their systems from attacks?
Companies must first undertake a full assessment of their security systems and asset management to identify the correct steps to protect them. Actions might include replacing existing unsecured equipment with cyber-secure devices using firewalls, segregating IT and OT networks, or blocking unauthorised users from accessing critical operational networks.

How important is collaboration between critical infrastructure companies, and their supply chain partners, to cybersecurity?
Critical infrastructure companies and their suppliers must use the same standards such as IEC 62443, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) regulations that address cybersecurity for operational technology in automation and control systems.

A remote telemetry specialist partner like Ovarro can provide systems and certified devices that meet IEC 62443, but these must be correctly installed and configured by the system integrator. The owner, the critical infrastructure company, must then enforce best practices from their employees and other authorised users. Unless all these practices are implemented correctly, the cybersecurity of the whole system will remain vulnerable to attacks.

How can companies maintain awareness of emerging threats in their systems?
To minimise risks of cyberattacks, it is important that cyber security incidents and software vulnerabilities are handled in a proper and timely manner.

Likewise, common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) allow organizations to keep track of, compare and prioritise vulnerabilities over time. CVEs help companies understand their if compatible products have been reviewed for specific security issues. For instance, if any vulnerabilities are detected in its products or service, Ovarro publishes detailed security advisories to inform its customers of technical details and mitigation information, and direct them to software updates and workarounds.

How important is external product testing?

Thorough testing, including by external specialists, is vital. Network assets, including remote telemetry systems, should be subjected to multiple stages of testing. First, in-house by engineers in charge of the development. Then, by a dedicated team assigned to software tests. Another stage of testing is to provide beta versions to selected customers who help test the systems in real-world situations.

Ovarro works with cybersecurity specialists for penetration testing and to ensure its products are protected from threats through a continuous process of learning, monitoring and updating. The TBox remote telemetry unit (RTU), for example, includes a firewall that can be used to protect downstream devices in the field and to forbid unauthorised accesses and protocols. In addition, a virtual private network (VPN) is available to add a cybersecure layer of protection.

Even though cyberattackers will continue to find new ways to penetrate systems, by applying the these processes to update or protect their existing control systems, managers for critical infrastructure companies can stay one step ahead of evolving cybersecurity challenges.

@ovarro_ltd @StoneJunctionPR @CybersecuritySF #PAuto #Cybersecurity

Telemetry partner programme invitation.

Ovarro is inviting companies that currently work in the water, energy or any other critical infrastructure sectors to join its new Ovarro Authorised Partner (AOP) programme.

Distributors, system integrators, engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) companies and more can become part of Ovarro’s extensive global partner network. In doing so, they join a programme that already includes more than 50 value-add partners from large multinationals to independent sole traders.

“At Ovarro, our ambition is to have a world-class partnership programme,” explains Tom Cork, Vice President of Channel Sales at Ovarro. “We collaborate closely with our partners to deliver mutual growth for them and ourselves, and to help them access new opportunities, markets and customers that are currently out of reach.”

Companies are assessed in tiers for the AOP programme, and each tier gives access to a range of benefits. They include dedicated account management plus enhanced pricing and discounts on Ovarro’s market-leading services, asset management, products and technologies including its RTUs, data loggers and software.

Access new opportunities
Ovarro has developed its AOP programme with the primary aim of helping its partners grow and expand, as quickly and self-sufficiently as possible.

That includes reducing response times to market demands. Ovarro’s in-house engineers and product teams handle the innovation aspects of the partnership with its technologies and services and, with this support, the AOP is better equipped to achieve market penetration.

“The AOP programme is designed to connect technologies and our partners in a global network, and help our partners diversify and expand in-line with our own extremely steep growth curve,” explains Cork. “Our strategy is to achieve this by through innovation, expansion and penetrating new markets.

“We believe the Ovarro portfolio — which is increasing through new product development (NPD) and recent acquisitions — can complement the line cards of many established companies in the water, energy and critical infrastructure sectors. For example, our RTU portfolio is flexible and can be easily incorporated into existing solutions.”

Going forward, Ovarro plans to add certified training to its AOP programme. This will enable AOPs to become fully self-sufficient to sell and support Ovarro’s technologies in new markets, and be better poised for growth. A global conference is also planned for later this year to provide in-person networking.

“Put simply, partnering with Ovarro provides companies with the potential to access opportunities, markets and customers that may currently be unreachable,” says Cork. “We can grow together.”

@ovarro_ltd @StoneJunctionPR #Infrastructure #PAuto

Unbreaking the record for cyber-attacks.

Matthew Hawkridge, chief technology officer at Ovarro, the supplier and manufacturer of remote monitoring technologies, explains why secure RTUs can mitigate threats against critical national infrastructure.

According to Forbes, 2020 broke all records for data lost in breaches and sheer numbers of cyber-attacks on companies, individuals and governments. These threats are also becoming more sophisticated with emerging technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence and 5G. Fortunately, remote telemetry units (RTUs) allow for better control and visibility when accompanied by advanced development and deployment techniques. 

But why the rise in incidents? One explanation is that the increased move towards digitalisation and Industry 4.0 has raised cyber-security risks.

Cyber-attacks can also affect critical network infrastructure (CNI) like energy, water or oil and gas networks — the British Government’s National Cyber Security Council (NCSC) is always concerned about the prospect of Russia or China hacking into Britain’s water supply chain. Cyberthreats to CNIs include espionage, targeted attacks from malicious actors, such as hostile states and criminals, and accidental data loss. All have the potential to disrupt our lives and damage the economy.

(In Ireland the ransomeware attack on the Health Service Executive (HSE) of Ireland systems by cybercriminals during the worst experiences on the COVID 19 is a case in point as are several cases of penitration of US utilities around the same time. - Editor)

But how can CNI operators embrace digital transformation and all its benefits without inviting cybersecurity risks? The answer lies in RTUs and deployment with the latest NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF).

Secure ease-of-access
For decades, telemetry unit systems have been used for remote monitoring of power consumption and battery backup in networks for energy, water and telecommunications by gathering information about critical assets. They work on the simple premise that, if the condition of an asset is understood, then it can be managed efficiently and respond quickly to change. There is immense value in being able to optimise operations and to detect and respond faster to impending issues.

These systems are also equipped for Wi-Fi and the advent of 5G — for example, for process plants with servers in the cloud or in a nearby, air-conditioned control room, the RTU gathers information about critical assets. RTUs are emerging as one of the drivers for the IoT because they can gather and manage large volumes of data for analysis. Also, they are secure against cyber-attacks.

Ovarro’s TBox RTU is equipped with a Firewall with four levels of authority, HTTP session authentication and SSL/TLS & X.509 certificates. It also meets the IEEE802.1X standard for devices that connect with other devices on local area networks (LANs). Ovarro also works with highly qualified “CHECK” approved third party penetration testers, cybersecurity experts that help us investigate and discover potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in our products’ defences. We also publish security advisories on new discoveries upon patching for complete transparency.

Going forward, Ovarro is committed to meeting the IEC-62443 standard to secure industrial automation and control technology systems. But how are these efforts applied in a real-world setting, and where do RTUs fit in?

Better Industry 4.0

PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company approached Ovarro to support with a digital upgrade project at its Chongqing Gas Mine (CN). The mine is located in the jurisdiction of 277 industrial gas wells with a daily production capacity of 20 million cubic meters. Specifically, the customer wanted to improve remote monitoring of all its key gas wells with a better use of data. A key feature of this digital transformation would be the installation of an internet protocol (IP) camera at each site, giving regular images of the well head. But how could this be achieved securely?

Ovarro’s solution was to install a total of 70 solar-powered TBox RTUs within a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. The RTUs have the responsibility of capturing and transmitting an image snapshot each hour, or upon an alarm. In the case of a communications outage, the historian capabilities of the RTU can store months-worth of historical data on pressure, process shut-off valve position and more. This can be backed-up and transmitted to the central control station later, helping protect against data loss.

PetroChina has praised the TBox’s built-in cyber security suite with authentication and encryption technology, which provides state-of-the-art protection of the customer’s assets and data. This example shows that CNI managers can embrace the advantages of Industry 4.0 without compromising cybersecurity. With the right technology like RTUs in place, let’s hope that 2020’s cyberattack records remain unbroken in the future.

@ovarro_ltd @NCSC @StoneJunctionPR @ForbesTech #PAuto #Cybersecurity

Checking-in on remote assets.

In this article, Philippe Aretz, Channel Sales Director at Ovarro, previously Servelec Technologies, explains why the deployment of remote telemetry unit (RTU) and SCADA systems has been essential to support the roll out of mobile communications and broadcasting mediums, especially those in remote locations.

One of the most important demands for telemetry systems in the broadcast sector is to establish a reliable communication network. Safety and efficiency are key priorities, too, whilst organisations have legitimate concerns about security breaches.

The benefit of using RTUs in the broadcast and telecoms sector is that it helps to reduce downtime and enables more efficient preventative maintenance scheduling. This is achievable due to the RTU system’s ability to provide accurate, real time data; allowing asset management teams to make better, more informed decisions. In addition, because RTUs do everything locally, it means if communications break down, they continue to run and act autonomously, whilst maintaining a historical log, and reporting back later. In remote, harsh locations where many masts are located, communication is liable to fail regularly, although RTU’s can manage this. For instance, data acquired by the RTU can be used to support maintenance decisions, and to verify that performance obligations are being adhered to.

RTUs can be deployed on a wide range of equipment from masts, control panels and security measures through to electrical gear. Once in place, they provide remote monitoring of electrical current, temperature, smoke, power and humidity. The unit relays this information to the cloud where it can be analysed and trended, providing operators with a high degree of predictive maintenance capabilities. Where power supply from the grid is not available, they can incorporate intelligent management of power consumption as well as battery or solar power options.

The real value of an RTU is that it can perform autonomous control in real time and then report to SCADA on current status. Operators at the SCADA interface can ‘supervise’ the operations by setting new KPIs (Set Points) or updating instructions (open/close this, start/stop that, for example) for RTUs to then act upon and manage locally. These developments in RTU functionality make them particularly suited to the broadcast sector because they offer resilience to the site environment, have an ability to operate with minimal drain on local power resources, whilst retaining the processing power to perform local control algorithms autonomously.

RTUs in the European cellular network

Our TBox RTU technology has been used by one of our partners in Europe on a project with a major European telecoms company as part of its commitment to improve quality of service to its customers. The main scope of the project was to optimise and replace obsolete RTUs. They were also looking to optimise and control the equipment and installation of a large set (several hundreds) of broadcasting centres with a single solution.

The company required a telemetry solution that provided modularity, sturdiness, compact size, open and standard telecontrol protocols, logic programming and strong cyber security capabilities. Following a careful evaluation of several alternative options, they specified TBox MS and TWinSoft configuration tool because it is a highly resilient and secure automation platform suitable for their critical and demanding SCADA applications. In combination, these technologies allow users to complete their applications and dynamically control communication, alarms, data logging and logic locally or remotely in a fully-secure environment.

Protocols — IEC-60870-5-104, SNMP, Modbus RTU/TCP — were chosen to allow the management of downstream communication with the equipment, sensors and broadcasting devices, as well as to interact upstream with the SCADA control technology. These kinds of solutions are suitable for mobile telephony infrastructure, audio-visual broadcasting networks, smart grid technology, security and the IoT.

This customer went on to deploy the technology in over 250 sites and continues to use it in other locations.

‘Smart’ telecoms assets
Companies in the broadcast sector are demanding more, and ‘smarter’, information and as a result, RTUs will be deployed in greater numbers. It’s worth bearing in mind that currently most RTUs are only used for operations, although they can support maintenance teams, health and safety initiatives and environmental management.

As networks grow and increase in size through more connected devices, managing the greater number of assets will become increasingly difficult through traditional, non-technology methods such as scheduled service engineer visits. And, mergers between companies that span continents and sharing of assets such as masts will require a technological approach because central management will increasingly require remote data acquisition. Set against this is the fact that RTUs are a cost-effective way of collecting large amounts of data, meaning a relatively low investment cost for the benefits they deliver will make them a more attractive proposition on a wider range of assets.

With broadcast’s geographically spread assets and multiple process that all generate massive amounts of data, key to ensuring these improvements is being able to capture and interpret it in real-time. Latest, ruggedized RTU technology focuses specifically on that, helping operators meet their investor and customer commitments.

@ovarro_ltd @StoneJunctionPR @Servelec_ #SCADA #Communications

Remote telemetry units for improved operational efficiency.

Matthew Hawkridge, chief technology officer at Ovarro, looks at the benefits of working with a Remote Telemetry Unit partner with an eye on the future.

Running a successful business in the 21st century means integrating technology within all aspects of operations. One of the most valuable benefits is that data can be analysed and interpreted to improve operational efficiency — and the most effective was of accessing this resource is with a Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU).

Choosing the right RTU partner can deliver continuous improvements — yet businesses commonly ask, how should RTUs be implemented? 80 per cent of success in these projects is down to execution, including investments in technology, and your telemetry partner’s knowledge and experience provides the greatest part of the solution. Their insights and understanding can help you achieve your business goals. Here are five ways in which the right technology partner can help:

1. Monitor processes better
Historically, data from machines was measured manually — a time-consuming process — or not at all. That meant management teams had little visibility of how processes were performing, or how to make improvements. However, thanks to advances in RTU technology these processes can now be automated so at-a-glance data provides valuable insights. The right technology partner will also help teach your employees how to understand and interpret this data, increasing the skillset within your business and creating a highly effective workforce.

Employees can feel empowered in being able to operate and understand new technology platforms, improving the culture of the whole business. Ultimately, the outcome of these technology platforms is greater efficiency, which feeds through to more profitability and enhanced shareholder value.

2. Better visibility of asset health
A specialist technology partner with access to the appropriate RTU platforms can provide live insights into the health of assets, regardless of location. Your partner should also help you specify a device that operates most-effectively within the most demanding site conditions.

For example, an RTU with multiple, independent communications links, redundant power supplies and redundant process controllers provides another buffer to site conditions and future technological developments. Because they are resilient with layers of redundancy, RTUs are a reliable part of an effective and ongoing management information system.

Ovarro TBox RTU.

The RTU monitors day-to-day critical asset information such as fuel and coolant levels, hours of run-time, oil temperature, faults, load levels and more. It monitors the external environment too, for example the local temperature. This is useful in harsh environments: engineers can take pre-emptive actions to prevent LNG assets overheating or freezing, without the need for routine inspections that can be hazardous and time-consuming.

3. Rapid response to changing events
Businesses operate at a fast pace in quickly-changing environments, and those that are most reactive will increase their market share. Communication is vital for this. The internet, laptops and smart devices have facilitated radical improvements in communication and so, too, has the cloud.

The RTU, and a partner like Ovarro that understands these opportunities, can bring all these together. Businesses can implement an integrated approach to communication, even if they are in geographically dispersed locations.

As processing speeds continue to improve, more automation will be introduced into industrial processes. Having this built into your RTU platform will allow you to keep up with developing technology. That’s why it’s always worth checking that your technology partner can provide these kinds of insights and understanding. These improvements are already facilitating the development of blockchain technology, which is redefining the concept of digital twins. Our customers are beginning to utilise blockchain technology to create a digital store of physical objects, and the RTU is the essential link between these two.

4. Add value to the customer proposition
Evolving RTU technologies within the industrial space can shape how your customers interact with your products and brands. The most successful companies fully-use the data available to understand their customers’ behaviour, and significantly increase their bottom lines.

5. Future-proof your business
RTUs have been used for decades for digitising industrial processes as the data acquisition portion of a SCADA system. While this has improved visualizations for operators, many integration partners have kept their customers up-to-date with latest advances in analytics and in decision-support solutions that apply, for example, Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Through transformative operational improvements and dynamic adaptability, AI can outperform conventional decision-support technologies. Your RTU partner should work with you to develop cost-effective solutions that are more adaptive to constantly changing conditions. The real benefit of AI is automating complex tasks, and providing consistent and precise optimum set points as part of an automated process.

The answer?
Industrial manufacturers that are unable to capture, interpret and act upon asset-generated data will soon lose out to competitors. Advances in RTUs, and the value of choosing the right systems integrator, means that industrial processes are already routinely capturing and storing vast amounts of data.

Businesses can turn this data into a competitive advantage. Manufacturers’ business models are changing as they shift to production of higher-value products or look to provide more services. RTU specialists are critical to this movement, helping deliver more efficient processes and responding quickly to changing conditions.

@ovarro_ltd @StoneJunctionPR #PAuto #RTU

Acquisition increases market share in remote telemetry units and SCADA.

Ovarro has completed the acquisition of Datawatt, a Netherlands based business serving the domestic water and energy sectors with RTUs and asset SCADA solutions. 

David Frost

“The Ovarro management team are delighted to welcome Datawatt to the Ovarro team, and are firmly committed to continued investment in Datawatt’s people, technology and engineered solutions, so that together we may grow and develop our combined range of complimentary products and software services for all our customers in markets around the world,” said David Frost, CEO of Ovarro.

Datawatt, established in 1977, provides technically advanced and innovative solutions used in various processes in the water, energy and general industry sectors. Remote monitoring and control by digital telemetry is a core competency. This, combined with partner-supplied equipment such as sensors, enables Datawatt to offer proven engineered solutions to customers operating geographically dispersed processes or assets.

Roy Gerding, general manager of Datawatt, added, “The combination of Ovarro and Datawatt provides us with the opportunity to continue to support our established end markets and customers whilst leveraging the financial and human capital of the Ovarro business to expand our market position around the world.”

“Ovarro’s acquisition of Datawatt continues to demonstrate the investment strategy to further develop as an industry leading player in remote monitoring and control of critical assets, where safety, reliability, efficiency and productivity are of utmost importance,” added Martin Carter, CEO Laurel Solutions. 

@ovarro_ltd @Datawatt #PAuto #SCADA