In this article we will examine and evaluate the differences between the main types of product design and construct required to satisfy the various operational, environmental, power, reliability and serviceability needs within the market. Namely, the differences between Industrial and Consumer grade products.
Before looking at the constructs it is worth reminding ourselves of the key definitions as they relate to the products we are looking at. First, a Router which creates a network across peripheral devices giving network interface identification and location addressing. And secondly, a Modem which acts to connect a network and the devices on it to the internet, converting data into a form suitable for transmission sending secure data that can then be decoded reliably.
So, what should be considered when choosing an Industrial as opposed to a Consumer grade device? Our hunger for connectivity and consumption of data both in our business and personal life remains insatiable. It is easy to fall into the thinking, that when accessing data, or connecting to the wider world, that the differences in the hardware we use at home, and our business lives, is small. In networking, as in many other areas, this assumption is unsound and the debate on hardware choice continues.
As households we possess a large number of Modem and Router solutions.
The UK government statistics show that greater than 90% of households have an internet connection equating to an estimated 22 million installed bases. Additionally, a 2019 study from Deloitte suggests on average every home has around 10 connected devices. Therefore, consumer grade hardware is by design high volume and lower cost and in many instances the Internet Service Providers (ISP's) offer it for free. Most ISP's then choose to pursue a recurring revenue business model through the use of subscription services. By definition the hardware supplied is therefore optimized to use the minimum possible functionality and associated circuit and software design, as well as the lowest possible manufacturing cost in order to maximize revenue and profit. This is demonstrated when reviewing products comparative meantime to failure (MTF) as well as often being reflected in shorter warranties being offered.
We have all experienced slow speeds, connectivity outage or device failure, which, although frustrating, has an overall effect on a consumer household that is minimal. In the main our daily browsing habits are satisfied and happen quickly and safely with a consumer grade product. If the product fails, it is comparatively easy for the ISP to send a replacement for self-installation by the consumer albeit with the associated downtime associated with delivery.
Industrial, and in this we include Enterprise business applications, are quite a different matter. In quoting Clive Humby Data is The New Oil', every Industrial and Enterprise organization will want to ensure it protects and maximizes the use of its greatest asset, the data it generates.
Reliability of data flows and connection uptime is of primary importance and regarded as vital in that the risk of downtime is extremely costly both financially and with regard to reputation. The device choice needs to be based more around the application being supported, the environment from which the data flow originates and the infrastructure available.
Imagine the cost of connectivity loss to an Enterprise, Amazon as an example, for just a short period where you could measure the impact in millions of pounds, euros or dollars per hour. Similarly, hospitals and medical services require bullet proof connections. Stock markets and banks are always looking for marginal gains in connection speed where reliability and service availability also provide benefits that can also be measured in billions of pounds, euros or dollars.
In the examples above speed and reliability are pre-requisites. Yet, as we move up the Industrial IoT inflection curve there are many more applications where reliability, environmental tolerance and remote device management are of a higher priority than data transmission speed albeit with this still being a factor to be considered. Many devices are being deployed in harsh and remote environments and need to be able to cope with extreme temperatures and require low power consumption.
Connectivity infrastructure may not exist or be widely available meaning a cellular solution is required as the only option available. Monitoring the performance of remote oil pumps and drilling stations to ensure that schedules are maintained, that production of raw material is not interrupted due to faults and equipment breakdown, that automatic payment machines are operating, providing supervisory access to remote equipment in solar farms, control of electric vehicle charging, are all examples that require solutions that enable access to remote equipment with a robust and reliable connection.
As device connectivity can be affected by environmental and operating conditions Industrial and Enterprise applications require a more robust solution and consequently, the biggest difference between these and consumer grade product is that the consumer devices are designed to operate in very different environments and often have shorter life spans which is reflected in their price point and warranty.
Industrial and Enterprise grade devices tend to use higher grade components specifically designed to cope with harsh environments, operate in wider temperature bands and will often incorporate complex power utilization circuitry and software. They will operate in a much wider environmental spectrum and offer associated longer and wider warranties. In fact, many consumer grade warranties may specifically exclude use in Industrial or Enterprise application.
So, in summary, there are many differences between industrial
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
19/04/2024
Thank You for visiting us at NAB 2024!
Thank you for joining us at the ToolsOnAir booth during NAB Show 2024!
We were delighted to showcase our latest inno...
19/04/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: (L-R) John Early and Theda Hammel attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Stress Positions premiere at Library Center Theatre on ...
19/04/2024
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
19/04/2024
Pictured: Midnight Family
By Stephanie Ornelas
A great way to get to know a city as culturally unique and rich as Mexico City is to listen to the stories tol...
19/04/2024
St. Louis, MO - April 18, 2024 - Studio Network Solutions (SNS) announced today that MOD won three prestigious industry awards at NAB Show 2024 held this week i...
19/04/2024
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...
19/04/2024
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 19, 2024 - The Board of Directors of L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.16 per common share, payab...
19/04/2024
PARIS Intel has announced that its plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will include using artificial intelligence technology powered by Intel ...
19/04/2024
LAS VEGAS Technologists working on all aspects of the 8K media production chain offered an optimistic update at the 2024 NAB Show on the state of 8K in video pr...
19/04/2024
OpenDrives New Software-Defined Platform Atlas Wins 2024 NAB Show Product of the...
19/04/2024
Grass Valley Showcases Next-Generation T3 Series 4K/HD Digital Recording and Pla...
19/04/2024
NiTRo's M-CUBE Studio Levels Up Esports Productions with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Esports' rapid rise to popularity can...
19/04/2024
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 19
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Major update adds new DaVinci Neural Engine AI tools, new color ...
19/04/2024
Sony Pictures Entertainment is reportedly in talks with Apollo Global Management to make a bid to acquire Paramount which itself is currently discussing a merge...
19/04/2024
Simon Wilkinson, head of VFX at 1185 films, talks about the technology behind the newly-released horror
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
Simo...
19/04/2024
The global electronics company is said to be considering joining forces with investment firm Apollo Management to bid for Paramount Global
By Jenny Priestley
...
19/04/2024
The report broke the economic footprint of EBU member sports broadcasting into three main areas
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
The report b...
19/04/2024
CBS Stations has launched CBS News California Investigates , with Julie Watts named regional CBS California correspondent. She will uncover and raise awarenes...
19/04/2024
MediaCo Holding, which owns radio stations WQHT (Hot 97) and WBLS in New York, said it acquired Estrella Media's Spanish-language video, audio and digital c...
19/04/2024
Netflix has ordered season five of fantasy drama The Witcher, which will be the final season. Production has recently begun on season four, and the two remainin...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream said it added eight more The CW affiliates to its lineup on Thursday....
19/04/2024
CBS has renewed Elsbeth for the 2024-2025 season. The drama, with Carrie Preston in the lead role, debuted February 29....
19/04/2024
With the Bears picking first, NBCUniversal Local's properties in Chicago plan extensive coverage of the NFL draft next week....
19/04/2024
PHILADELPHIA As government subsidies for broadband services come to an end, Comcast has launched NOW, a new product portfolio of lower-cost Internet, mobile and...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream has added more local CW stations for its streaming customers in Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hartford-New Haven Conn., Phoenix, San ...
19/04/2024
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES MediaCo Holding Inc. has announced that it has acquired all of Estrella Media's network, content, digital, and commercial operations....
19/04/2024
SAN JOSE, Calif. Adobe has announced that the all-new Adobe Express mobile app is available to all users, bringing features powered by Adobe Firefly generative ...
19/04/2024
LOS GATOS, Calif. Netflix reported another blockbuster quarter by adding 9.33 million new subscribers in Q1, 2024 as global paid memberships hit 269.6 million, ...
19/04/2024
The Current State of the Industry and the Future Impact of AI
Hillary Lewis April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The Entertainment Industry: How did we get here ...
19/04/2024
After Effects Tutorial Text Blur Reveal
Andy Ford April 18, 2024
0 Comments
Here's a way to do a quick blur reveal for your text layer. Start by...
19/04/2024
Hollyland Mars M1 Enhanced Wireless Transmitter / Receiver
Colin Smith April 18, 2024
0 Comments
This tutorial shows the new wireless transmitter rece...
19/04/2024
Resolve Fusion: Writing Expressions with Lua
Simon Ubsdell April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The answer to the very frequently-asked question: what is the pro...
19/04/2024
B+C and Next TV have announced the winners of Best of Show Awards for the 2024 NAB Show. The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts at the convention...
19/04/2024
Cate Blanchett narrates the Netflix series Our Living World, which premieres April 17. The four-part series looks at the extraordinary creatures around the glob...
19/04/2024
Apple TV Plus has a spinoff of For All Mankind in the works. It is called Star City and details the cosmonauts, engineers and intelligence officers working behi...
19/04/2024
Jacquie Walker, longtime anchor at WIVB Buffalo, will step down from the anchor desk. She has spent over 40 years at WIVB and her last day as an anchor is May 2...
19/04/2024
Bob Hearts Abishola will premiere in broadcast syndication this fall on such station groups as Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, Hearst Television, Tegna, E.W. Scr...
19/04/2024
Live With Kelly and Mark remains TV's top entertainment talk show as Kelly Ripa and her co-host and husband Mark Consuelo celebrate their one-year anniversa...
19/04/2024
Sean McLaughlin has been named VP of news for Graham Media Group. He had been senior VP of local news at E.W. Scripps. He will will be responsible for developi...
19/04/2024
Netflix has shared the first trailer from One Hundred Years of Solitude, a series based on the esteemed novel by Gabriel Garc a M rquez. The streamer is on boar...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 in Review: West Hall - SportsTech Buzz From AWS, Appear, Ateme, The Swi...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 Draws 61,000+ Attendees With More Than Half Attending the Show for the ...
19/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI support European OTIC in Berlin for O-RAN conformance ...
19/04/2024
Wuppertal April 19, 2024
Riedel launches Bolero Connect for seamless integration with PunQtum A pioneer in the field of digital intercom, Riedel has recently ...
In this article we will examine and evaluate the differences between the main types of product design and construct required to satisfy the various operational, environmental, power, reliability and serviceability needs within the market. Namely, the differences between Industrial and Consumer grade products.
