The Necessity for Global Support in Hazardous Area Digital Transformation
By Thomas P. Ventulett, CEO Aegex Technologies
Industries such as oil refineries and chemical manufacturing plants are beginning their “digital transformation” with mobile computing devices that manage data in real time to increase efficiency and improve productivity. These industries include hazardous area operations where combustible atmospheres require specially certified “intrinsically safe” (IS) equipment, including mobile devices. Such critical operations cannot afford downtime nor lapses in connectivity. So, hazardous area operators using this specialized IS equipment need access to quick technical support and rapid replacement options in case of technical difficulties.
One challenge, however, is the global nature of many of these hazardous industries. Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Pharmaceutical, Paints & Coatings and others operate in a broad range of countries with very different local standards, practices and languages. Therefore, IS products involved in the digital transformation of these industries must be universal, ideally a single device that can be easily deployed, used and serviced in any location and easily swapped when necessary to ensure mission-critical operations remain consistent.
IS devices such as the aegex10™ Intrinsically Safe Tablet, the most widely certified in its class, enable a single universal solution that operates identically in any location. By running Windows 10, the Aegex tablet inherently supports 140 different languages, ensuring local relevance and ease of use in a single form factor. Connecting these tablets to the Azure Cloud empowers organizations to manage devices, securely aggregate information and take a major step towards a “connected everything” environment, everywhere they operate.
In addition to universal connectivity, universal technical support is necessary for global operations. Aegex has proudly partnered with the global leader in IT device support, IBM Technical Support Services (TSS) to provide a single point of contact to support widely deployed products around the world.
From the North Slope of Alaska to Saudi Arabia, IBM TSS global support and replacement services can help avoid downtime by quickly repairing or replacing faulty equipment virtually anywhere in the world within 2 business days. Customers that rely on accurate, timely data for critical operations can rely on this global support service to resolve problems on-site or get a new device via the closest IBM TSS center with minimal delay. Local service can mean saving millions of dollars if a facility can avoid a shut down or pause in operations.
With replacement tablets hand-delivered to virtually anywhere, organizations can rapidly move operations to digital transformation without the concern of IT challenges in remote locations.
Ask Aegex how our IBM TSS global device support program can help avoid downtime and assist your industry’s digital transformation worldwide.
