When it comes to smart technology, there are usually two camps. The camp of the frenetic and the camp of the sceptics and critics. Articles in the trade press focus on the many positive aspects and constructively highlight the weaknesses by referring to solutions and solution providers.
In the general press, there are more reports about warnings about the dangers of promising technologies. It is not necessarily negative reporting, but the possibility of data manipulation or theft overshadows the majority of these reports.
It is often overlooked that this manipulation is also feasible in many other areas that are already more integrated in our daily life. Perhaps it is habit that prevents us from expanding the danger scenarios to include this. New things are often more suitable for this purpose.
But smart technology is not so new anymore. Around the 1990s, for example, “smart meters” were already in use. Mostly for large customers, but since 2010 they have also been used in the private sector. With the development of the Internet, better and more secure transmission routes, the fields of application for smart technology are also increasing, both in business, especially industry, and in private life.
What does smart technology actually mean?
Smart technology is no longer limited to classic electrical devices with an Internet connection, but also applies to various products that, by adding technologies like computer chips or network connections, expands the original functionality with several additional functions. Most people know it as Internet of Things or IoT for short. In this context, we are thinking of the fridge with an Internet connection that allows a look inside via webcam, even in the supermarket, that independently reorders products or just informs us if the door is not closed properly. Meanwhile, other devices can also be controlled via the Internet, switched on and off or retrieve data, for very different reasons. Did you know, for example, that you can buy smart mattresses that help analysing sleeping problems to make sleeping more restful?
While the daily media often highlight the dangers, experts and the trade press focus on the specific added value and possible solutions to protect from data misuse, for example. Not every milk can needs 5G, but many everyday tools can be enhanced with many a lot of useful functions by using smart technology.
Which opportunities does smart technology offer for us?
Whether in medicine, production, research or also in our private households – smart technology not only enables us to focus on the collection of relevant data to obtain better performances from devices, more effective processes from machines and more accurate values in applications. It makes our life easier, offers the possibility to increase our own need for security and allows us to gain more time for the important things. Now that time is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity in both our professional and personal live, this is perhaps the greatest benefit we get from smart technology. It helps us to live our life in a more sustainable way.
Therefore, solvimus develops smart M-Bus solutions for the acquisition of meter data.
Time saving and the desire or the necessity to strengthen ecological behaviour, i.e. to protect the environment, whether by reducing the consumption, increasing resource efficiency or using regenerative resources, is also one of the most important factors for our customers.
Efficiency can be significantly increased through an ever greater automation. For a high level of automation, it is necessary to collect as much data as possible in order to calculate the right decisions.
And this is where our core competence, the development and distribution of solutions for Smart Metering applications, comes into play. Smart Metering refers to the digital measurement and control of energy consumption and supply. It provides users with an overview of what amounts of energy and resources are being consumed at which point and at which time, thus allowing them to control the consumption. In this way, consumption data can be collected efficiently and costs can be saved through data-based optimisation.
Smart technology is still at the beginning and we at solvimus are excited to develop new, secure and intelligent solutions for our customers.
