Ever since the phrase “fourth industrial revolution” was coined by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, in 2015, much has been written about the industrial internet of things (IIoT), a system which uses big data and machine-learning to connect cities, machines and people.
A cursory glance at the internet, for example, reveals a myriad of benefits for the industrial sector including increased safety, compliance, flexibility and agility.
But what a quick internet search doesn’t reveal, says Peter Asman, an IIoT and communications expert working for Trilliant, is just how many IIoT projects fail. 
“You can’t just deploy an IIoT programme without having a systematic and scalable architecture to aid you in achieving an end-goal,” he explains. “Nor is it possible to utilise the IIoT without also utilising a multi-layered, end-to-end platform, which enables the secure and frictionless exchange of data. This is the secret to connecting the world of things and this is what Trilliant does, and does well.”
In fact, Trilliant is unique in this respect. With a presence in 20 countries, it provides more than 75 of the world’s largest companies with one of the most advanced hybrid wireless communications platform on the globe.
In the UK alone, several large organisations have benefited from Trilliant’s data-driven networking solutions.
In May 2009, for example, a large UK energy and home services provider enlisted Trilliant’s help to lay the digital foundations that have enabled the company to better link millions of datapoints from disparate assets such as smart meters, gas meters and smart thermostats.
Asman, who is Trilliant’s vice president of IIoT and smart cities for Europe, Middle East and Africa, says: “When the organisation approached us, it had no way of gathering and harmonising that data. Over the course of many months, we worked in concert with the company to build a secure and robust platform, which today connects over six million smart meters that communicate with their datacentre in real time.
“The benefits for company and customer are that the organisation can monitor the amount of gas being used nationally, while consumers are guaranteed accurate billing.”
But it’s not just large energy companies that are profiting from Trilliant’s leading-edge technology. Trilliant’s hybrid wireless solutions technology is also helping data-driven water companies to unlock their potential.
In South Africa, for instance, where drought almost left Cape Town’s four million people without access to water, Trilliant is using its technology to help cities in the region to understand how to reduce water leakages, while also ensuring the quality of drinking water remains high.
Although Asman is unable to disclose the client’s name, he says Trilliant is working with a water provider to detect leakages in real time. “This is achieved through the use of a series of sensors, which enable greater efficiency and control of an already limited water supply,” he explains.
But this transformation also relies on digital harmonisation, something which Trilliant excels in. Working in tandem with some of the world’s top sensor providers allows the Trilliant IIoT Platform to surface data from many different types of sensors and collect it all in a “single pane-of-glass view”. For water providers like those in South Africa, this single view into their entire system provides them with the ability to take swift and accurate action when needed.
Asman explains that this high level of digital integration provides water companies with the ability to manage leakages, as well as pressure flows, proactively. He notes that it also helps them to manage change quickly, adding that the ability to connect a multitude of different sensors to the network is an absolute prerequisite.
So how does the so-called single pane of glass translate into efficiency savings? With acoustic sensors fitted across pipe infrastructure, Trilliant’s data platforms can integrate all the information in real time, enabling the water management company to identify a leak within a range of 20 metres.
“The sensors can also monitor water pressure and flow, and check the levels of chlorine are always safe. What’s most important though is that the platform is able to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the customer, whatever the use-case and wherever they may be,” says Asman.
And it’s this flexibility that he says “gives Trilliant’s technology platforms a vital edge” over its rivals.
Asman, who joined Trilliant from Spanish multinational communications giant Telefonica, points to the fact that Trilliant’s data networks utilise both 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz to serve every international region.
Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible to build this variable system bandwidth into its network, without industry-leading standards and world-class security credentials.
Take agility, for instance. All of Trilliant’s hybrid wireless communications conform to the latest industry standards. But why does this matter? Asman explains: “With developers bringing out new sensors every day, Trilliant’s platforms are designed to be as flexible as they are robust. For example, when a company chooses to partner with us, it’s our job to create an interoperable platform infrastructure where sensors, no matter how new to the market they are, can communicate effectively and powerfully with each other through a single pane of glass.”
But accessibility means nothing without leading-edge security. With Trilliant providing mission-critical communications to a host of large organisations, utility-grade security standards are an absolute necessity.
“Keeping our customer’s data safe lies at the heart of everything we do. All Trilliant’s software utilises the Federal Information Processing Standard, which provides a secure bedrock on which our technologies are deployed and maintained,” says Asman.
Our infrastructure provides a living, breathing template for the connected world of the future
Indeed, with more than 500 million end-users benefiting from its platform, Trilliant is using its vast knowledge and experience to build the smart cities of the future. It is currently working with partners in the United States, Europe and Asia to connect people and cities to the world of things.
But it’s perhaps Trilliant’s dedication to their customers that is most eye catching. By working in collaboration with cities, utilities, energy companies and even universities, Trilliant is seeking to create not just a smart city infrastructure, but an entirely connected world.
“Our projects are ambitious and are often trailblazing in their scope and possibilities. Our infrastructure provides a living, breathing template for the connected world of the future,” Asman concludes.
That Trilliant, a company made up of just one person in 2008, is playing an instrumental role in shaping the world’s future is as empowering as it is remarkable.
Learn how Trilliant can help connect your world of things by visiting trilliant.com/thetimes
