Presenting Companies - Click on company name to skip to sessions

Remote Monitoring Sessions - Burbank Water and Power • SmartSynch • Telvent • Newton-Evans Research Company •                                                        Midwest Technology Ventures • ComBrio, Inc. • Jaker Engineering PC • Lantronix •                                                          Freewave Technologies • Geist Manufacturing • Telcom Italia • DEHN, Inc. • Kentrox
                                            Hirschmann Automation & Control • ALSET Corp. • Satel North America • Subnet •                                               Siemens Energy and Automation

Onsite Power Sessions - HP • Smart Fuel Cell • Solarcraft, Inc. • Pentadyne Power Corp.•
                                             Power Standards Lab • Proton Energy Systems • Interstate PowerCare

Security Sessions - Wurldtech Security Technologies, Inc. • IBM • Transtector Systems • Fluidmesh •
                                    Industrial Defender, Inc.• Proxicast, LLC • AvaLAN Wireless Systems, Inc. • Waterfall Solutions Ltd. •                                     APC by Schneider Electric • Numerex Corp. • Certicom

Remote Smart Services Sessions - EcoAxis Systems Pvt. Ltd. • Qualcomm • High Monkey Consulting

Click Here for an At-a-Glance Conference Schedule

Conference Schedule Day 1 - November 5th

7:00am - 8:00am - Registration Opens and Continental Breakfast

8:00am - Welcome Address

8:05am - 8:45am
Growing Your Control and Infrastructure Systems for 2009 and Beyond
The growth trends for 2009 and beyond underscore the increasing importance of wireless and condition-based monitoring for distributed equipment/networks, utilities, process industries and plant operations directors and managers. The most agile managers are best positioned to solve the most important challenges that they face in terms of new wireless technologies, RFID, sensors for monitoring and management, condition and equipment monitoring, and upgrading existing networks. Using case studies and recent success stories as examples, this session focuses on how to capitalize on these trends and grow your business, even in a time of economic turbulence. 

Rene Wolf , Director and GM of Sensors and Communications Business Unit • Siemens Energy and Automation

8:50am - 9:35am
Wireless Communications…. So Many Decisions – A Panel Discussion
Various types of wireless communication standards are being implemented at remote locations all around the world. The benefits are obvious, but what wireless protocol best suits your application?

Now is the time to ask those questions and more. This Remote 2008 panel will feature industry experts covering the most prevalent wireless standards and protocols being used today. Don’t miss your chance to speak with these artisans of wireless about your specific applications and needs.      

Edward Ladd, Director of Technology Programs • HART Foundation
Dave Craven, VP of Sales & Business Development • Spinwave Systems, Inc.
Ernest J. Zingleman, Business Development Executive • Freewave Technologies
Fredric Fletcher, Assistant General Manager • Burbank Water and Power
Bob Gohn, Vice President • Ember Corp.

9:35am - 10:15am
Networking Break and Dedicated Exhibit Hall Time

10:15am - 10:50am - Break Out Sessions Begin

Remote Monitoring Track -
Challenges Faced in Maximizing your Wireless Radio Application
SATEL North America, LLC will provide insight into design considerations for wireless communication in Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Systems, with an emphasis on RF propagation. The presentation will take you through a demonstrated step-by-step process of building a wireless system through propagation modeling and address the relationships between power, height, speed and distance. Attendees will learn about radio propagation characteristics, system design and the components required in VHF, UHF, 900 MHz, analog and digital type networks.

Experience dictates that radio propagation is constant, and that it is the environmental conditions and data requirements that create the challenges. Through proper implementation and product choice, experience has proven that by minimizing the effects of your environment, you can gain the maximum benefit of your data choices.

Tom Treichler , Director of Engineering • Satel North America
Kurt Hessler, Principal • Satel North America

Remote Networking Track -
Why Wireless Wire
Companies with remote distributed field assets wrestle to find to ways to provide a safe work environment, meet new environmental and financial regulatory requirements, while at the same time meet new operational performance metrics required by investors and company management.  Rising operating costs and a questionable economy are driving companies to look to new technology.  Adding to the complexity of today’s business environment is the recent rise in theft of field wiring.

New technologies in wireless sensors and remote wireless monitoring hold the promise of reduced operating costs, enhanced workplace safety and security.  Recent successful advancements and deployments of wireless hardware and software deliver on that promise.

David Southern , Regional Sales Manager • Control MicroSystems

Onsite Power Track -
Energy Efficiency and The UPS - The Future of Power Protection
This presentation will discuss where the UPS industry, particularly in the datacenter space may be headed, and why that is important to the Information Processing industry as a whole.
 

Ken Baker , Datacenter Infrastructure Technologist • HP

Security Track -
SCADA Security – Who Is Really In Control of Our Control Systems?
No longer are hackers blasting far-reaching worms. They are quietly targeting government, financial and communications networks, as well as the backend networks that control our power, oil/gas, manufacturing, water and transportation systems. In most cases, these control systems themselves don’t support authentication, encryption or even the most basic validation protocols. Under contract with our customers, IBM Internet Security Systems has pen-tested many of the world’s most important national SCADA networks and can confirm that lawmakers in Washington are rightly concerned that this lack of security could easily lead to a major incident. The Internet landscape is constantly evolving and businesses and governments must be prepared to protect against the ploys and illegal activities of the next generation of organized crime. This session will discuss the various steps that business and governments must take in order to combat these limitless threats, including both technological advancements and better sharing of best practices between organizations.

Peter G. Allor, Director of Intelligence and Special Assistant to the GM • IBM

10:55am - 11:30am - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Intelligent Infrastructure Deployment Using WiFi Technology, with Cyber Security, to Deliver a Robust Broadband Monitoring and Control Network
This presentation will detail an intelligent infrastructure system that is based on a 10 Gb Cisco Ethernet Fiber installation that lifts up data from substations to a WiFi mesh network. The information travels via the local area neighborhood’s WiFi and is linked to WiFi enabled meters capable of supporting Zigbee. 

This system is being developed in order to control demand, shift load from peak periods, match load to generation and provide for ancillary services associated with load following and contingency reserve obligation to the local balancing authority. The system also provides outage data to an outage management system and associated voice response unit, as well as web applications for improved customer notification during outages. Additional benefits include isolation of inefficient buildings, distribution automation, improved system monitoring and load studies using high capacity TCP IP mesh networks with state of the art cyber security and remote meter reading and remote connect/disconnect. 

Fredric Fletcher, Assistant General Manager • Burbank Water and Power 

Remote Networking Track -
The ISA100 Standard - Characteristics and Benefits of the Standard, Latest Developments, and Progress
Standardization is critical in overcoming key hurdles - including security, interoperability and reliability - and eliminating potential for any end user confusion and hesitation surrounding implementation. Without standardization, uncoordinated transmissions over the same frequency, at the same time, and in the same area, leads to congestion and interference, creating a losing proposition for everyone.

ISA100.11a, the first release of the standard, is being developed to create uniformity into industrial wireless communications for non-critical applications. The goal of this standard is to foster peaceful coexistence, end niche application implementation, and usher in the widespread plant adoption rates that have been anticipated in the marketplace for years.

During this presentation, the architectural characteristics and user benefits of the ISA100 standard will be discussed as well as the latest progress and developments.

Marius Ovidiu Chilom, CEO • Nivis

Onsite Power Track -
Battery Powering and Monitoring Considerations for Remote Locations
Stationary batteries are used extensively as a reserve power medium for both manned and remote locations. If not properly selected and applied batteries can become the Achilles heel of the otherwise well designed and carefully engineered emergency back-up power systems.

This purpose of this presentation is to examine the stationary battery selection process from a perspective of the whole battery life cycle of application, installation, testing, maintenance, and monitoring. Special emphasis is paid to the criterion that can influence selection and maintainability, especially in a remote and unattended environment. Remote monitoring and the choice of what to monitor is a significant part of overall battery reliability.

J. Allen Byrne, Engineering, Training & Technical Support Manager • Interstate PowerCare,
A Division of Interstate Batteries

Security Track -
Defense in Depth: Cyber Security Protection for Critical Infrastructure Industries
This session highlights the specific uniqueness of process control/SCADA network security versus traditional enterprise security while offering customers facing the challenge of securing these assets with a roadmap to the successful creation of a unified security strategy.  The discussion focuses on specific approaches to assessing and measuring risk, a defense in depth risk mitigation technology strategy using technology specifically designed to address the challenges of securing process control/SCADA systems and finally available solutions where clients can leverage the benefits of outsourcing security management while retaining the control of in sourcing and hence never relinquishing responsibility of these mission critical process control/SCADA systems.

Todd Nicholson, Chief Marketing Officer • Industrial Defender Inc.

11:35am - 12:15pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Pipeline Integrity Automation
Energy and pipeline companies wrestle to meet stricter state and federal pipeline integrity requirements while simultaneously trying to control operating costs. Recent pipeline news have pushed corrosion and cathodic protection to front page news across the nation to the extent that the U.S. Congress and several states are working on legislation directed specifically toward cathodic protection practices. Many companies are looking to new technologies and automation for answers. Unfortunately, ever changing cell phone technologies left some companies scrambling to stay ahead of telemetry obsolescence.

The key building block to a cost effective, pipeline integrity, corrosion protection program is vital, timely monitoring and reporting of cathodic protection data from remote corrosion protection field sites to a centralized data collection system complete with automated regulatory reporting. The first step in implementing this level of automation technology exists today in the form of Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition systems, or SCADA.

This presentation will focus on how SCADA can automate the monitoring of pipeline integrity and explain how Cathodic protection monitoring field devices automatically collect and report mission critical, corrosion prevention data and transmit that data back to the central SCADA system via wireless, radio modems--often using companies’ existing radio networks.

Ernest J. Zingleman, Business Development Executive • Freewave Technologies

Remote Networking Track -
Design and Implementation of the Optimal AMI Communications Networks
The presentation will present an overview and description of different communication technology choices which are available for utilities to implement AMI and additional Smart Grid applications. It will describe models for each of these technology's performance, and based on these models will analyze the different technologies' ability to meet utilities' performance requirements. It will conclude with guidelines for utilities on the design and implementation of the optimal AMI and Smart Grid communication network for their needs.

Costa Apostolakis, COO • MainNet Communications

Onsite Power Track -
Metal-hydride Based Fuel Cell Back-up Power Systems
Metal-hydride based fuel cell back-up power systems have the potential to meet recent increases in energy storage requirements in a wide range of telecommunication applications.  Hydrogen based regenerative fuel cell (RFC) back-up power systems are far more versatile than traditional liquid fueled generators since the energy storage medium can be generated from renewable resources on location.  Advantages over battery based systems include the ability to separate the infrastructure costs for power and energy capacity.  The result is a fixed cost for power capacity and incremental costs for added energy storage.  In a battery solution, the unitized nature of power and energy capacity affects the cost for maintenance and upkeep in a unitized fashion.  In an RFC system, there is minimal interaction between costs related to power capacity and energy storage.  These characteristics give service providers the options and ability to meet new requirements for energy storage without also paying for the unnecessary increase in power.  This flexibility reduces the burden on service providers by allowing power and energy capacity to be managed separately.

The high volumetric density of metal-hydride hydrogen storage is an attractive candidate for safe low pressure RFC systems in stationary back-up power applications. Such an RFC system was built by Proton Energy Systems as a high visibility showpiece for educational, demonstration, and test purposes.  A data acquisition system specifically designed to capture an estimate of the RFC’s mass balance was used to quantify system performance for potential telecommunication applications.  The practical integration and operation of an RFC system using metal-hydride hydrogen storage under a variety of conditions has been successfully demonstrated and presented here.

Jesse Hayes , Senior Electrical Engineer • Proton Energy Systems

Security Track -
Technical Network Security Assessments:  Understanding Your Vulnerabilities
How can asset owners make sense of the veritable flood of security solutions and solution providers available today?  There really is no question, process control environments are at risk today, and nearly every asset owner has realized the need to implement solid security solutions in their own environment.  But with such a wide array of solutions available, confusing risk data, and dealing with challenging problems such an integration and protection of legacy systems, it is easy to not see the forest for the trees, leaving significant gaps in overall risk protection strategies. 

This presentation begins with a case study of a recent security evaluation where previous assessors missed significant technical risk to the process control environment, why they missed it, and why the latest team was successful in uncovering previously unrealized risks.   It then tours through techniques used by today’s competent assessors to properly enumerate, document, and then reduce risk in process control environments.  Asset owners, integrators, vendors, or other service providers can all potentially benefit from this presentation that exposes why so many of today’s assessment practices fail, and how to prevent this in your own environment or customer base.

Bryan Singer, CISM, CISSP, VP Security Services • Wurldtech Security Technologies

12:15pm - 1:15pm - Luncheon

1:15pm - 1:50pm - Break Out Sessions Continue

Remote Monitoring Track -
Cutting Costs - Designing Your Own Custom Remote Monitoring RTU
A typical remote monitoring adapter consists of a small imbedded industrial computer, additional auxiliary I/O, and a cellular modem. Since these systems can cost upwards of $2,500, Midwest Technology Ventures partnered with a local engineering college to develop a smaller and lower cost unit, (less than $1,000) that would provide a full feature set for remotely monitoring equipment.

The system incorporates an electric module containing RF components and a processor found in a standard “smart phone” purchased from a cell phone manufacturer. The presentation will show how the module was incorporated into a circuit board and packaged to industrialize the device. Finally, the speaker will describe how students wrote software to implement Modbus communications protocols, collect data, buffer data, and transmit the data via cellular data services to a remote server.

This presentation will also cover the many issues encountered while designing and implementing the unit. These included basic RTU design needs, FCC radio requirements, and certification/compliance from cellular carriers. The before and after versions of the RTU will be displayed and the presenter will also show live monitored data from remote sites where the monitoring units are currently located. Cost comparisons, including the costs of development for the custom unit will be described.

Richard Lamb, President • Midwest Technology Ventures

Remote Networking Track -
No Remote Networking Session at this Time

Onsite Power Track -
The Ten Commandments of Solar Design
This slightly humorous session will guide engineers and other professionals through the proper design sequence when building a remote solar power system. It's often difficult for a professional to find the time to study all the parameters of good solar design, and when talking to vendors, he/she may find themselves getting conflicting information.

The class will touch on the following aspects of reliable solar design: gathering accurate load information, understanding the site and the consequences of shading, dealing with theft and vandalism, proper battery bank sizing, considerations for controls and monitoring, system grounding, the ravages of time, considering the worst case scenario, design for long term reliability and selecting a vendor.

All class participants will receive a professional quality compass, essential for proper sitting, and the author will also offer a humorous disclaimer for any participants who may not abide by the other Ten Commandments.

Kevin Conlin, Vice President • Solarcraft, Inc.

Security Track -
Wireless Mesh for Industrial and Security Applications
Wireless mesh is a powerful concept that allows a brand new approach in the design of industrial wireless and security systems. Mesh architecture has been studied for a long time in academia but only recently applications of commercial mesh technology emerged. Mesh-based wireless industrial systems are becoming very successful due to the incredible advantages that the mesh topology offers in terms of flexibility and reliability compared to traditional point-to-point solutions. Based on advanced algorithms, every unit in a mesh network optimizes transmission through the optimal path, performing “intelligent” routing of packets in real time. The routing algorithm identifies low-quality links routing packets around sources of interference. The presentation will go over real case studies of mesh based systems for industrial seaports, airports and Oil & Gas facilities.

Cosimo Malesci, Co-Founder • Fluidmesh

1:55pm - 2:30pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Creating the “Virtual Device Network” – Enabling Secure, Reliable, Remote Access in a Locked Down, VPN and Firewall World
With more devices on the network, mangers and service organizations are looking to gain access to equipment in order to monitor product performance, diagnose part failure, trigger corrective workflows and perform service repairs. However, in order to implement an effective remote monitoring and product service solution, organizations face several challenges including accessing equipment behind firewalls and deployment issues.

For many users, current remote access solutions that require dedicated client agents, such as IPSec or SSL VPNs, are not an option. Another problem arises if the application involves remote machine communications – dedicated VPN clients are simply not available for most appliance-based devices. By creating a Virtual Device Network (VDN), managers can easily and securely manage authorized equipment behind firewalls from anywhere over the Internet. This presentation will educate attendees about the monitoring solutions available and how to leverage intelligence from networked equipment in order to increase asset uptime, service revenues and decrease mean time to repair.

Alex Meyerson, Sales Specialist • Lantronix

Remote Networking Track -
Turning the Corner with M2M: The Evolution of Wireless for Remote Monitoring and Control
As remote monitor and control mechanisms are relied upon more and more to increase efficiency, industry segments across the board need to know how they can leverage “Pervasive Intelligence” to make more informed decisions based on accurate, real-time data. From more effectively anticipating, identifying and fixing problems to gaining cost savings from energy efficiency, reduced peak demands or protecting perishable inventory, this presentation will discuss how wireless networks are evolving to address increasing demand for remote monitoring functionality. The conversation will also explore how wireless networks can provide maximum flexibility and best price-performance to support unpredictable levels of data transmission.

Edward Bursk , CMO • KORE Telematics

Onsite Power Track -
The New Alternative: Direct Methanol Fuel Cells for Remote Power
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells provide a reliable, low-maintenance power source for remote-monitoring and data-collection systems that give operators a proven system to replace standard battery-powered systems, noisy generators and conventional solar systems that are unreliable in bad weather. These systems, in use by military and industrial customers in North America and Europe, also can be used as a stand-alone power source or in hybrid combination with solar cells. One application: early-warning forest-fire protection, e.g. California and Germany.

Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO • Smart Fuel Cell

Security Track -
Physically Secure and Foolproof Connectivity – A Novel Practical Approach to Cyber Security
The growing trend of remote monitoring brings with it serious threats: the communication networks enabling the remote monitoring activities may be used for malicious activities such as online attacks and data theft, incurring huge damages. The need to provide effective cyber protection for remote monitoring infrastructure and applications is evident, considering the stakes and risks involved in a successful attack on a major remotely monitored facility or system. A novel high-grade cyber-security approach using a strictly unidirectional secure link is presented. The basic underlying technology is explained, and the different practical applications of this technology will be expounded upon.

Avner Turniansky, Director of Product Marketing • Waterfall Solutions ltd.

2:35pm - 3:30pm - Dedicated Exhibit Hall Time/Networking Break

3:30pm - 4:05pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Remote Climate and Power Monitoring: Protecting Equipment Against Damage and Downtime
This session will cover how information technology managers can use low-cost climate and power measuring devices in order to be warned of potentially damaging conditions to critical equipment in remote locations.  Topics discussed will include the types of monitoring products available and techniques to make the deployment of these products successful.

Brian W. Adams, Major Accounts Manager • Geist Manufacturing

Remote Networking Track -
The Smart Energy Grid: Driving Radical new Requirements for Remote Monitoring Networks
Many contributing factors have shaped the utility and energy industry up until now. However, as Smart Grid, AMI/AMR and demand response practices continue to gain momentum, the demands on network communications will drive new capabilities and business models.  The availability of wireless networks that can meet these challenges will be required for the utilities to achieve their goal of turning inadequate energy supplies into excess reserves, conserve resources, defer new generation and realize pricing optimization on both the wholesale and retail market fronts. In this presentation you will learn how AMI/AMR and demand response are reshaping the market and creating new opportunities for utilities, devices and network providers.

Neil Kennedy, Senior Director of Product Management • Aeris Communications

Bill Vassallo, Director of Sales • Pentadyne Power Corp.

Security Track -
Power Quality Considerations for Security Systems
Reliable operation of security systems is essential to protect company assets and ensure human safety. Episodic equipment malfunctions plague security systems and compromise system integrity. These malfunctions can be related to the power quality environment. As data and communication equipment become more electronically sophisticated they demand a higher quality electrical environment to ensure optimal performance and uninterrupted operation. To resolve common power quality problems that can cause equipment malfunction and damage, it is crucial to understand the electrical sensitivity of various elements of a security system, best practices for a proper grounding system, and fundamentals of quality surge protection devices.

Jay Adams, Applications Engineer • Transtector Systems

4:10pm - 4:45pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Maintaining System Reliability in a Lightning Risk Environment
Remote locations are inherently exposed to adverse environmental conditions that affect system reliability. Electrical systems - both power sources and signal, measurement and control systems - are candidates to be affected by direct or indirect affects of lightning, or internally generated surges.

Transient imposed on electrical systems can result in immediate and apparent catastrophic failure, component failure or more subtle miss-operations, erroneous signaling or premature component/equipment failures. The proper application of the correct lightning and surge protection devices can manage these transients so as to maintain system reliability even in the most adverse conditions.

Rob Schlesinger, P.E • DEHN, Inc.

Remote Networking Track -
Wireless Sensors Networks Enable Remote Monitoring with no Network Wiring or Power Supplies
This presentation will describe the different wireless sense and control standards available on the market today such as ZigBee, ISA-100 and Wireless HART. It will investigate the use cases behind them and will describe their strengths and limitations. It will furthermore discuss the ability of wireless sensor application to use energy harvested from the environment as a power supply. Lastly the session will cover a high-level overview that both integrators and solution providers can use when starting their search for a wireless technology that best meets their needs.

Barry Blount, Director of Business Development • GreenPeak

Onsite Power Track -
Ultra Low-Cost Power Quality and Energy Measurement Technology
Traditionally, power quality instruments have been complex and expensive – often several thousand US dollars. Remarkably, in the last few years, all of these costs have been driven down simultaneously. In addition, the implementation of IEC 61000-4-30 has a huge impact. It’s an excellent standard that ensures that all compliant power quality instruments, regardless of manufacturer, will produce the same results when connected to the same signal.

This session will describe the technologies in a new, ultra-low-cost power quality instrument, and explains new ways how to communicate power quality data back to the user, and why the costs are so low. The development uses technologies from several fields that have not previously been related to power quality, including digital cameras, power-over-ethernet, mobile phones, and submarine sonar systems.

Alex McEachern, President • Power Standards Lab

Security Track -
Naked on the Internet: Securing Remote Cellular Data Communications
Security concerns are often overlooked when deploying remote communications using the increasing popular carrier-based cellular broadband data networks.  Unlike analog telephone or point-to-point radio links, cellular data services expose remote equipment to all of the threats that are pervasive on the public Internet such as hackers, service attacks and viruses.  Improperly secured cellular connections can not only compromise remote sites and data, but can also provide a “back-door” into secure corporate networks.  This presentation explores common myths, misconceptions and vendor half-truths about the need for implementing enterprise-class security for all remote cellular data communications.

Kevin J. Weaver, CTO • Proxicast

4:50pm - 6:00pm - Cocktail Reception/Dedicated Exhibit Hall Time

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Conference Schedule Day 2 - November 6

7:30am - 8:30am - Registration Opens and Continental Breakfast

8:30am - Day 2 Keynote
Trends in Substation Automation, Control Center Operations and Field Automation for the World’s
Electric Utilities
Newton-Evans Research Company will provide a synopsis of highlighted findings from the company’s major 2008 global studies of substation automation and control center SCADA operations.  Both of this year’s research studies have encompassed current issues, including cyber security for NERC CIPS compliance, communications protocol usage, and overall smart grid investment focus for utilities located in more than 50 countries. Coverage of additional remote monitoring and control functions, such as FDIR (fault detection, isolation and service restoration) being performed by electric utilities, the subject of additional research studies, will be included in the presentation.

Chuck Newton, President • Newton-Evans Research Company

9:20am - 10:00am - Break Out Sessions Begin

Remote Monitoring Track -
Achieving Great Profits from Remote Management in the Industrial Environment
Until recently, industrial plant managers that wanted effective management and maintenance of process-oriented and discrete control systems, required direct human intervention. With the advances in embedded management of automation/process control equipment coupled with the adoption of Industrial Ethernet as the standard for SCADA, plant managers now have a different option. They can manage service plan network segments remotely and improve productivity and uptime.

In this presentation, attendees will learn about remote product service solutions that allow plant managers-to address the security issues of today’s “wired” automation world. This allows plant managers to simply, securely and accountably leverage both distributed internal resources, and third-party support services. This session will also cover how remote-based management can create opportunities for plant managers to take advantage of additional services offerings and leverage for troubleshooting or preventative maintenance.

Dave Boulos, VP of Product Management • ComBrio, Inc.

Remote Networking Track -
A Standard Tug of War 
This session will cover the complexities of establishing a wireless standard for commercial and industrial environments. It will explore what polarizes parties, what creates consensus and what are the missing pieces.  It will site the example of the ISA SP100 versus Wireless HART standards as a case study, and how some key players are working to bridge the divide.

This session will allow its participants to express their own experiences around a fractured model, unique topologies whereby no one solution fits all needs, yet all solutions needing one standard is becoming a recipe for inertia. The presentation will introduce what resources are available to enable a brain trust between the supply side and the demand side to improve the communication and assimilation of relevant information. It’s a “don’t miss” opportunity to get clear on the state of wireless in the industrial and commercial.

Keith Sciulli, CEO • Xaox Inc.

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Leveraging the ZigBee Wireless Standard for AMI Networks
This session will offer a unique perspective on the successes, pitfalls, opportunities and challenges present in AMI systems today. It will draw on the cumulative experience of actual real-world in-home and around-the-neighborhood deployments. Utilities, regulators and metering equipment suppliers will leave this session with a better understanding of how to leverage ZigBee standard technology for successful AMI / HAN projects.

Bob Gohn, Vice President • Ember Corp.

Remote Smart Services Track -
The Art of Smart Services:  Building the Business Case
A “perfect economic storm” is occurring today in aftermarket product service, fueled on the demand side by asset owner/operators requiring unprecedented levels of asset uptime, reliability, availability, and output; and on the supply side by manufacturers facing increasing commoditization and competition on the product side of their businesses.  To compete, leading product companies are developing new revenue streams derived from post-sales service offerings, and are strengthening their brand image based on customer service and satisfaction. OEMs that manufacture everything from jet engines to photocopiers are thinking and acting more strategically about product quality and performance over the entire product lifecycle, these are Smart Services.  This detailed presentation analyzes real applications of Smart Services from best-in-class OEMs like ABB, John Deere, Gardner Denver, Siemens.

Ben Goldberg, Client Services Manager • Qualcomm, Global Smart Services

10:00am - 10:45am - Dedicated Exhibit time/Networking Break

10:45am - 11:20am - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Leveraging NERC CIP solutions into Condition-Based Asset Maintenance
As customer loads increase to service larger geographical areas, utilities are expected to maintain the same high level of reliability with the same size of workforce, or in some cases even fewer resources. This paper details a Southwest Transmission Cooperative (SWTC) project designed to address these expectations and continue their drive to improve effectiveness, efficiency and customer service. This project entailed extending the capabilities of their previously implemented NERC CIP Secure IED Access solution to also collect substation IED information needed to enable condition based maintenance. This paper will discuss the substation network architecture, how it accommodates the increasing requirements of secure enterprise-wide connectivity and how that architecture easily leverages itself into condition-based asset management.

Travis Jaffray, Technical Sales Manager • Subnet Solutions, Inc.

Remote Networking Track -
Ensuring Constant Connectivity and Secure Access to Remote Locations
SCADA operators face unique challenges with regards to accessing, managing and securing networks and the distributed IT infrastructure connected to them. Remote locations such as offshore oil rigs or unmanned substations, and the underlying performance monitoring systems such as SCADA, are increasingly being connected and integrated with IP-based networks. This is placing greater performance, security and availability requirements on the network and communication systems, especially at remote locations.

With these challenges, how can today’s SCADA operators increase their overall network service availability and security while also reducing the costs and risks of supporting remote locations? This session will introduce how new secure remote management solutions can minimize the communications, security and support challenges of managing remote locations and systems, including SCADA equipment. Attendees will learn how these solutions overcome the limitations of traditional remote access and monitoring tools to deliver the active, secure management required to manage remote and distributed infrastructures, including the communications equipment supporting SCADA devices.

Mark Piening, Vice President of Marketing • Uplogix

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Smart Wireless Communications for SCADA Operations
One of the country’s largest electric generation and transmission cooperatives makes the decision to replace its aging communications infrastructure with a real-time broadband communications platform.  In order to replace a patchwork of analog systems with a single converged communications backbone that offers high-bandwidth, low-latency, security, operational efficiency and the ability to remain “always on” in the most rural and remote parts of the country, the coop selected a wireless carrier which provides access to the 700 MHz spectrum.  The speaker will discuss how an electric grid was transformed into a “smart grid” through the implementation of a standards-based, frequency protected, high speed and routable IP network.

John Rasweiler, VP of Engineering and Network Operations • Arcadian Networks

Remote Smart Services Track -
Smart Service Solution for OEM After Sales Service Process Re-engineering
This presentation is about Automated Solutions for reengineering of OEM after sales service process to provide compelling value to all stakeholders. These solutions address field service needs and challenges of OEM Manufacturers, OEM Service Engineers and the OEM End Users. It presents a new and more pertinent view of traditional CRM solutions in form of an “Outside-In” approach as opposed to the traditional “Inside-Out” approach. This “Outside-In” approach of the solution is driven by the customer and empowers the OEM to provide efficient & effective after sales service thus getting a quantum leap in customer satisfaction levels.

Prasad Sant, Vice President – M2M Business Unit • EcoAxis Systems Pvt. Ltd.

11:25am - 12:00pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Remotely Monitored and Controlled AC Units Save Energy and Money at Telecom Italia Sites: A Case Study
Typically at base transceiver and radio station sites 50 percent of the power expenditure comes from the air conditioning systems. This case study presentation will describe a solution adopted by Telecom Italia that addressed the need of power consumption at these sites. The results were reduced power consumption, fewer costs, and less environmental impact.

The system itself detects and transmits the power information and its climatic correlation. The site manager can then apply certain power saving and administrative strategies in order save energy while also keep the site up and running.

Fabio Pizzuti • Telecom Italia Spa

Remote Networking Track -
Smart Sensors and Wireless Opportunities
The use of Smart Sensors continues to grow, distributing intelligence to multiple levels of the control system. By continuously monitoring smart sensors for diagnostic data and real-time multi-variable measurements user can improve overall system performance.  Through the combination of smart sensor technology with a standardized wireless technology, users can improve access to current measurements and add new process measurements deemed impractical in the past due to wiring cost.

WirelessHART, the first wireless standard for process measurement and control application creates new possibilities for data access as well as new measurement applications. The speaker will review use case scenarios and present ways to extend the capabilities of devices already in the field and automate manual measurements previously thought to expensive for monitoring. The speaker will review and answer questions concerning the WirelessHART standard.

Edward Ladd, Director of Technology Programs • HART Foundation

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Next-Gen Mobile Satellite Communications
Mobile Satellite Ventures will discuss hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks and how they are enabling new market opportunities for service providers and a wide range of new products and services for consumers. Specific topics will include how hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks will increase competition among cellular and satellite operators, enable more innovative products and services and create new business models for wireless services distribution.

For the end user this means that for the first time they will be able to seamlessly and transparently roam at affordable rates between cellular and satellite networks anywhere throughout North America. In addition, the ATC-network will enable a wide range of consumer telematics services including vehicle security, infotainment and remote diagnostics, unique multicasting applications, as well as Web-based content and mobile broadband services.

Wade Alt , VP of Corporate Development • Mobile Satellite Ventures

Remote Smart Services Track -
The Collaborative Edge
As businesses continue to expand in the digital age there is a need to find ways to better centralizes key information, streamline business processes and better collaborate as an organization.  Because of this, High Monkey Consulting will explore the capabilities of the SharePoint technologies for remote smart services.

The presentation will include case studies around:

• Hosting SCADA solutions under a SharePoint portal solution for consistent internal/external critical communications
• Managing client information and remote maintenance requests in one system including unified views of SCADA, supporting documentation, current issues and resolutions as well as active discussions around current problems and best practices.
• Real world industry examples of monitoring of client critical systems via a SharePoint portal system
  

Mr. Carroll will share real world, practical applications of the SharePoint platform in both organizations, large and small, and the resulting ROI that best practice use can provide any organization.  Utilizing SharePoint will not only help create a consistent manner of communication both internally and externally, but will also assist organizations in providing ‘smarter’ services to their client base.

Virgil Carroll, President • High Monkey Consulting

12:00pm - 1:00pm - Luncheon

1:00pm - 1:35pm - Break Out Sessions Continue

Remote Monitoring Track -
Remote Monitoring of Globally Distributed Power Generation
Jaker Engineering, PC shall demonstrate a complete strategic approach for the remote monitoring of power generation and associated energy-based systems distributed around the world. Separate, but integrated systems and businesses shall be capable of accessing integrated third-party sources through a secure database maintained by a global business service provider.

The end result of the presentation is the opportunity to assess a seamlessly integrated group of systems that can be owned and operated by individual entities and monitored by divisions and levels of access into the web-based data access and retrieval system. The basis can be used for the following systems: distributed power generation, mini refinery processes, agricultural processing, tank farm storage, electric and fuel metering and professional content.

Jack Perkins, President • Jaker Engineering, PC

Remote Networking Track -
When in Roaming: No longer do as the "Roamers Do"
February brought us the shutdown of analog cellular networks, cutting cell service to many rural and remote locations. Today, as more businesses become dependant on instant data and voice access, the need for a bridge to new technologies has never been greater. Remote and temporary office locations demand access to the 3G revolution in a way that is both cost-efficient and low maintenance. This session will explore new technology that enables wireless connectivity in rural areas, from the eyes of people who make it possible.

Shawn Welsh, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development • Telular Corp.

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Take a Second Look at Network Monitoring: A Lower Cost Approach
What if you could safely monitor your network for a fraction of the cost? Emerging solutions are challenging the prevailing network monitoring model. Inexpensive serial IP adapters that are accompanied by a management server can perform the same tasks. Consider that a simple adapter that sells for under $100 can sit behind the firewall, sending heartbeats to the management server at regular intervals. These adapters can even capture connection traffic between two servers, acting as a gateway. This tiny little adapter can monitor your network effectively 24/7.

Led by Deepak Wanner, an expert in networking for mission critical environments such as retail payments, this session will explore such non-traditional solutions to longstanding network management challenges.

Deepak Wanner, President & CEO • Precidia Technologies Inc.

Remote Security Track -
ISO/IEC 27001/2005: A Powerful Information Security Framework for the Remote Monitoring Industry
This presentation addresses the importance of ISO 27001 certification, an international standard for information security that focuses on an organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS).   It also highlights major benefits and challenges of ISO 27001 implementation, based on actual experience, as well as the reasons why this standard can be seen as a key success factor for the remote monitoring industry.

Stratton J. Nicolaides, Chairman of the Board & CEO • Numerex Corp.

1:40pm - 2:15pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
360 Degree Remote Site Management - Reducing Operational Costs
Traditional operational strategies for remote sites, such as remote cabinets, cell sites and outside plants, are labor intensive, costly and inefficient. Network devices are managed, but these core devices are useless without power, access control and a stable environment; security is weak and several ancillary site facilities are unmanaged or not part of a cohesive site management strategy.

This session explores new solutions and techniques that combine the monitoring and management of core network telecommunications equipment with collocated power, environmental systems and access control. The result is an optimized field force with the intelligence needed to reduce field dispatches, raise 1st call success rates, and improve network performance; this reduces your costs while improving personnel and operational efficiency.

Ben Stump, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer • Kentrox

Remote Networking Track -
Realizing High ROI with Wireless Energy Management Systems
Energy management is more important than ever, as energy prices grow, along with anticipated stricter greenhouse gas emissions regulations. Yet implementing an energy management system can be prohibitively costly for an existing building. Retrofits can drag on for months and involve significant capital expenditures, making returns on investment slow to realize. Wireless energy management systems address these concerns head-on: they’re quick to deploy and cost a fraction of a wired deployment. The returns on investment are nearly immediate: a basic wireless EMS can pay for itself within a fiscal year. We’ll look at the ROI for wireless energy management installations for a variety of different types of facilities, providing specific examples based on our own experiences. We’ll also look at carbon emissions savings for each installation.  

Dave Craven, VP of Sales & Business Development • Spinwave Systems, Inc.

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Advancements in Chip Technology Make Low Power WiFi a Reality
Ultra Low Power 802.11 technology is a new player in the world of battery powered, wireless sensors.  Recent advancements in silicon chip fabrication have given birth to a new generation of WiFi sensors that can run many years on a single AA cell.  This technology leverages existing infrastructures and eliminates the multiple device types and complexity that is associated with current mesh sensor technologies.  Sensors well suited for environmental and condition monitoring (e.g., temperature, humidity, vibration, motion, etc.) support 256 bit encryption with WEP, WPA2 and WPA2 PSK security.   The sensors are designed to work with off-the-shelf 802.11 Access Points for easy installation.  This capability eliminates the need for repeaters, controllers and coordinators typically needed for most wireless deployments.  The 802.11 “Integration Strategy” reduces installation and on-going maintenance costs associated with the usual “Overlay Strategy” of installing yet another wireless network where one already exists.  Designed to leverage the over 217,000 Commercial and Industrial global HOTSPOTS, enable IT Managers to derive added value from their WiFi Network build out.

Dan Piroli, Senior Vice President • Point Six Wireless

Security Track -  
Employing Physical Threat Management Techniques to Increase Data Center and Network Closet Security
Traditional methodologies for monitoring the data center environment are no longer sufficient. With technologies such as blade servers driving up cooling demands and regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley driving up data security requirements, the physical environment in the data center must be watched more closely. While well understood protocols exist for monitoring physical devices such as UPS systems, computer room air conditioners, and fire suppression systems, there is a class of distributed monitoring points that is often ignored. This session will discuss the trends in physical threat management techniques specifically geared toward these issues.

Michael R. Zlatic, Senior Product Manager • APC by Schneider Electric

2:20pm - 2:55pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Network Management and the ROI
The growing demand for mission-critical Ethernet networks is placing an increasing emphasis on higher speeds, greater complexity, increased security and greater reliability.  Given the often significant network sizes/complexities and multiple points of network access, how does one manage it all?  What is required to implement a means of keeping tabs on the integrity and security of the network?

The presentation will cover the most basic aspects of what is required to keep one’s finger on the pulse of an Ethernet network, the costs and the ROI. These Include:

• Capabilities (that you may already have) in managed Ethernet hardware, allowing one to determine and control bandwidth, access and enabling a wide variety of alarms.
• Monitoring and controlling automation networks when using EtherNet/IP or Profinet
• Network management software and tools needed to integrate network data and alarms into one’s SCADA
• Given the available tools and resources, what are the costs of (not) implementing them?
• Learn how to get a return on investing in network management in 8 months – or less!

Phil Frinks , Product Manager for EtherNet/IP products • Hirschmann Automation and Control, Inc.

Remote Networking Track -
Reducing Costs and Increasing Efficiency Through Analog to Digital Migration
By upgrading from analog dataloggers to digital intelligent modems in its energy efficiency programs, Progress Energy Florida (PEF) has eliminated the exorbitant cost of landline installation and usage fees and added the ability to re-use its devices with a portable wireless solution installed in more than 80 percent of participating customer homes. The addition of RJ-11 IP Gateways enables seamless migration from analog to digital cellular data networks, preventing the need for PEF to replace legacy infrastructure. This presentation will cover the process PEF went through to attain these results.

Andy James, Director of Sales • Sierra Wireless

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Field Automation Networking 101
Many oil and gas companies are looking to understand the future of automation and their decisions today will affect them for years to come. The collection of data from instrumentation and the transmission of that data to a central location has gained acceptance as the new standard. Not long ago, all gas flow and oil production data was gathered by hand or chart. The burning question today is not “is it better to automate?” but rather “which types of automation will work best for our operation?”

This presentation will focus on how today’s spread spectrum radio technologies allow field operators to build WAN’s and LAN’s comparable to what has been available in the office and the wired world for several years. It will explain that with the advent of short range radios, wireless I/O radios, Ethernet radios, GPS location device radios, and long haul data retrieval radios all working together in one seamless network, the future of field automation looks bright. 

Ernest J. Zingleman, Business Development Executive • Freewave Technologies

Security Track -
The Business Case for Wireless IP-Based Door / Gate Access Control Solutions
Much attention has been paid to the development and deployment of IP-based video surveillance systems.  However, the rate of adoption has been slowed in part by the heavy bandwidth consumption of video streams, and their resulting adverse impact on the network. 

Meanwhile, unhindered by these restraints, manufacturers of relatively low data-rate access control systems have been gradually introducing network-based offerings of their own.  The idea is to take advantage of the TCP/IP communication platform, without the drawback of using large amounts of bandwidth. The IP network is also relatively affordable to deploy and universally understood.

However, in many cases, a wire-line network connection is not readily available at all of the locations where access control points may be required.  Very few buildings include network connections (RJ-45 ports) at their doors and gates.  As a result, wireless technologies are increasingly being considered to deploy these Ethernet-based edge devices. This paper will explore the factors to consider when designing and deploying a wireless Ethernet-based access control system.

Mike Derby , CTO • AvaLAN Wireless Systems

3:00pm - 3:45pm - Break Out Sessions

Remote Monitoring Track -
Ground Potential Rise – a Solution
In spite of the best bonding, grounding, TVSS and HV isolation practices, remote electronic sites experience recurrent failures.  Enhanced protection measures may actually increase failure occurrence and severity.  This experience is symptomatic of remote sites that are exposed to severe Ground Potential Rise (GPR) produced by high voltage power faults and lightning ground strikes.  Research and case studies have provided new insights regarding GPR determinants, fault paths and protection requirements. 

A new technology has emerged that augments conventional systems, providing reliable protection against commercial power and lightning GPR. The technology also affords remote management of the site protection and power systems via an Ethernet data or POTS connection.

Gary Fox, President & Co-Founder • ALSET Corp.

Remote Networking Track -
Incorporating Wireless Measurements with Wired Data Acquisition Systems
Everyone is talking about wireless in test, measurement and control industries. The benefits provided by wireless are enticing – reduced cabling costs, distributed measurements and intelligent networks. Wireless will no doubt play a significant role shaping future measurement systems; but exactly what roll and how? This session considers many questions on the minds of engineers interested in using wireless technologies to improve, replace, or complement existing wired systems.

Charlie Stiernberg, Marketing Manager for Remote Data Acquisition • National Instruments

Remote Networking Track #2 -
Secure Communications in the Field: Creating a Fast-Deployment Substation Network
Learn about the options for using powerline communications (PLC) technology as a highly secure, fast deployment network platform for critical field applications, such as in the utility substation environment.  The use of existing electrical low voltage power lines to provide high-speed communications provides a viable, cost-effective alternative to wireless and cell-based options, or even a temporary solution while fiber is being installed.  The presentation details the example of Telkonet's Series 5 PLC system operating with Serveron's remote monitoring Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) system, transmitting vital data about the presence of dissolved gases in the power transformer insulating oil that indicate impending problems.

Teejay Rield, Sr. Product & Training Manager • Telkonet

Security Track -
Securing Smart Meters and the Home Energy Network
To control high energy consumption, today’s smart meters can transmit customer energy consumption data to utilities, and metering companies can send pricing updates and control signals to customer devices to help proactively control and manage energy costs.  A key challenge is that these wireless transmissions require end-to-end security to protect both the metering company and consumer from attacks on the network. Specifically, smart energy devices must provide data integrity and authenticate the source of metering data and meter system commands sent to smart appliances. This presentation will discuss the importance of data security in a wireless smart metering environment.

Jim Alfred, Director, Product Management • Certicom

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