MapTools Becomes More Proficient and Effective With AirLink Raven XE

Based in The Netherlands, MapTools BV sells and rents third-party data acquisition solutions and provides value-added services, such as training, to its test and measurement customers.

Challenges

MapTools has a long track record in test and measurement, providing data acquisition solutions to installers in industries such as energy, waste management, mining, pharmaceutical, and automation. One of the biggest challenges faced by these industries is efficiently acquiring test data from a series of devices located in multiple, disparate locations. MapTools was looking to establish remote control and management capabilities for their data acquisition and test and measurement solutions in order to eliminate the time and resource expense required to travel to each individual device, such as an electric meter, in order to download recorded test and measurement data.

Solution

MapTools tested multiple remote management devices using 3G cellular broadband to provide long-range connectivity to download and analyze test and measurement data in real time before selecting the Sierra Wireless AirLink Raven XE Ethernet gateway.

“The results we received from the AirLink device were superior,” said Michiel Nijsen, president of MapTools. “We went with the Sierra Wireless product because of the good quality, reliability, and great customer support.”

Designed to meet the needs of enterprise and industrial customers, the AirLink Raven XE is the ideal data connectivity device for MapTools because the compact form factor and rugged design assure reliable performance in even the harshest field environment. The Raven XE’s embedded 3G module offers several advantages, including increased security and more comprehensive integration with remote device management tools, over a gateway with a USB stick used for connectivity. Additionally, the gateway’s ALEOS™ intelligence provides a vast library of embedded protocols that enable advanced coordination with other pieces of equipment in any M2M solution.

“A half-day of travel can cost a company about 400 EUR ($560 USD) in resources,” explained Nijsen. “If a company saves two or three trips a month, they will have recouped their investment.”

Now instead of measuring data on location, customers can install energy meters with an integrated Raven XE and wirelessly retrieve data remotely from that meter at anytime. In addition, remote data acquisition greatly improves speed-of-delivery of data required for test and measurement initiatives, allowing more efficient and timely analysis and conclusion. Finally, the remote data acquisition capabilities offered by the AirLink Raven XE have enabled MapTools to offer a complete solution to its reseller community.
 
“Because of our successful results with the Sierra Wireless Raven XE, we are able to add an additional revenue stream by expanding our Fluke reseller channel worldwide,” concluded Nijsen.

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For more information, or for sales inquiries, please contact Sierra Wireless or one of our distributors.