What can I do with a SkyRouter? Perhaps a better question is what can a SkyRouter do for you? There are a small number of high volume applications that are commonly associated with cellular data devices. The usual suspects are utility meter reading, point-of-sale terminals, lottery terminals, and security systems. Ctek’s GPRS, 1xRTT, EVDO, and HSPA SkyRouters are used in all of these applications and all are areas where Ctek continues to enjoy growth. However, the application spaces that we take the most pride in are the out-of-the-box applications where the power, flexibility, and superior network management of the SkyRouter platform made the difference.
Turn On the Lights
Five years ago when a global leader in sports lighting for venues ranging from middle school athletic fields to NASCAR tracks decided to go cellular they embarked on an exhaustive product evaluation. Six months later the sports lighting company began rolling out Ctek 1xRTT SkyRouters and has never looked back. Today there are over 6000 Ctek 1xRTT and EVDO endpoints deployed in this 7X24 industrial network that is growing at double digit percentages per year.
Ctek SkyRouters were initially selected because of their industrial packaging, extraordinary ability to manage the network connection, and the extensibility offered by the Linux operating system. Over time the lessons learned from this massive mission critical wireless network have been incorporated into Ctek’s TCOPlus suite of administrative tools and utilities, insuring that this and other networks can continue to scale upward well into the future.
Time Waits For No Man
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina the demands for temporary employees for site cleanup and hazardous material removal went through the roof. To support the workforce management aspects of this demand the global leader in time and attendance applications reached out to Ctek for a mobile time clock solution.
Although initially deployed on the 1xRTT and GPRS networks the increased use of biometric identification methods has driven a corresponding demand for this application on high bandwidth networks such as EVDO and HSPA. Today Ctek’s wireless time clock solution is available on 1xRTT, GPRS, EVDO, and HSPA networks around the world.
Powering Up
A Midwestern public utility decided on cellular data connections to monitor large diesel generator units used for backup power generation at big box stores. After a number of less than satisfactory trials they came to Ctek for a SkyRouter solution. Ctek provide the utility with a reliable CDMA solution that supported the secure shell access required by their generator control box.
With the increasing emphasis on green energy and distributed generation solutions Ctek’s remote generation monitoring capabilities are increasingly finding their way into commercial energy strategies.
Construction Ahead
An experimental DOT program in the Southwestern US deployed Ctek SkyRouters for a triple play to expedite traffic flow during construction. Vehicle counter information was transmitted over the cellular network to a server application that calculated an optimum safe speed for through traffic. The appropriate highway speed was then transmitted to roadside signage to inform motorists. Finally, as a quality control check video cameras allowed DOT staff at a remote site to monitor actual traffic flow and if necessary override the calculated values. Using Ctek’s multiport SkyRouter the same wireless unit was able to perform all three functions simultaneously.
An Operational View
Waste water plant operators are using Ctek’s SkyRouters to monitor both collection and treatment operations using environmentally protected cameras connected over EVDO and HSPA networks. The cameras can be viewed from any authorized web browser to provide a real time view of the fixture or process. Using this technology the plant operator is able to reduce expensive truck rolls while maximizing plant throughput. In some cases plant operators have combined video surveillance with the ability to remotely monitor pressure and tank level sensors for added control capabilities.
Long Distance Research
A university researcher needed to remotely monitor water quality sites in the mountains of Vermont. Unfortunately the selected sites had little or no cellular coverage. Working with Ctek the researcher was able to use a tower and a highly directional antenna to pull a signal from an adjoining state. Unlike many box sellers Ctek will go the extra mile or in this case fifty miles to make your project a success. |
