In the past, SCADA expertise, complex licensing models, and the hardware and software infrastructure of traditional control systems proved to be technical and economic barriers for both large and small organizations that were considering enhancements to their industrial automation systems and remote operations capabilities. However, with technology ever evolving, the value of implementing remote asset monitoring and control often greatly outweighs the accompanying challenges. While cloud computing has been a mainstay in enterprise software for nearly a decade, the platform concept has become mature and secure enough to meet the demanding expectations of industrial operators. By offering a pay-as-you-go subscription model to avoid the large capital investment of deploying onsite infrastructure, hosted SCADA solutions can provide a lower cost of entry into remote operations monitoring, control and data analytics.
What is it?
A hosted, cloud-based, SCADA system is provided as a service and can be connected to a variety of processes at virtually any geographical location over a secure, private network. Operators can securely access and interact with their process data, potentially from any device anywhere in the world at any time.
With minimal network infrastructure deployed at the assets, a secure connection can be established with existing control system infrastructure. For organizations who are not yet automated but may be hesitant due to budget constraints, the cost savings of a hosted SCADA system can help by limiting capital investments to only control system hardware such as local operator interfaces, instrumentation, and installation. If assets are already automated via a control system, the move to SCADA in the cloud is simplified even further.
Security, performance, reliability and maintainability are common concerns when deploying onsite servers and network infrastructure. By offloading these functions to a cloud provider, asset owners can focus more on running an efficient and profitable business.
Another benefit inherent to a properly designed cloud-based SCADA solution is scalability. As assets are bought and sold, the system can be ramped up and down in a quick, efficient, and secure manner. Integrated cybersecurity, in combination with the flexibility of user and role-based access control, allows for specificity of access to applications for any combination of view, control, and configuration per asset. Subscribing to a hosted SCADA system also provides the experience, support, and the software and hardware upgrades that are best delivered via an external dedicated SCADA team with expertise servicing multiple standard and custom applications.
RED Group’s premier SCADA solution: RED Alert
RED Alert gives clients control and enables you to monitor processes and operations across multiple locations from anywhere at any time. Additionally, it can be easily customized to fit the unique needs of any system. Our RED Alert SCADA solution is designed to interface with our RED Alert local control system hardware but can also directly interface with existing or third-party control system hardware.
Our in-house OT Security Department is involved in the design and testing of all of our Hosted SCADA and Control System solutions, ensuring a secure system and compliance with applicable cybersecurity standards.
Our experienced team can also create a unique solution from the ground up that perfectly fits your needs. We are available to speak with you about your specific challenges and customization requirements. Contact us today to learn more about RED Group and how RED Alert can benefit your organization.
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