Ewon Netbiter solution enhances telecom data center efficiency

Inpro for Importing is a Yemen-based system integrator providing customers with solutions for remote monitoring of mechanical equipment, and technical expertise in electro-mechanical projects.

By using the Ewon Netbiter Remote Management solution from HMS Industrial Networks, Inpro for Importing has found a way to keep track of their customers’machinery via the web and always be on top of the state of the equipment.

In one of their more recent projects, Inpro for Importing has built a monitoring service which supervises the air conditioning system in a telecommunication data center in Yemen. The customer is one of the major telecom companies in the country. 

The challenge

The customer wanted to make sure they had 24/7 control of the temperature and humidity in their datacenter. More specifically, they needed to monitor two air conditioning units from Gea Denco.

Controlling the Gea Denco AC units is a pCO3 controller from Carel which sets the temperature and humidity in the data center room. Although the AC equipment is very reliable, the data center is still unmanned most of the time meaning that it can be difficult to know if something happens to it, or if the temperatures in the data center actually are the same as the programmed values. This is where Netbiter comes in.

Netbiter saves both time and operating cost for our clients.

Osama A. Nasher, General Manager, InPro for Importing

How it works

A Netbiter gateway is connected to the pCO3 controller via the RS485 interface. The Netbiter sends data from the controller via the cellular network to the Netbiter Argos web service. By logging into Netbiter Argos, Inpro for Importing can see current values such as temperatures, humidity, operating hours etc. 

Since the Ewon Netbiter solution comes with a ready-made GUI, In Pro for Importing can easily set up graphical dashboards which show current values in an intuitive way.

It is also possible to get alarms whenever temperatures reach certain levels. A very useful function as the data center is often unmanned.
The end customer can also log into Netbiter Argos where they can view all parameters online. They can view trends over time and download statistics on equipment behavior.

The results

Netbiter has given Inpro For Importing a secure and easy way to gather information from their customers’sites, and also allow them to log in to view values themselves. This substantially reduces the service efforts on the data center. Fewer service trips are needed and the up-time has been increased since potential issues can be detected before problems occur. 

Part of the offering

Netbiter is now part of Inpro for Importing’s standard offering. When a customer wants to supervise their installations remotely, Inpro For Importing will arrange for a Netbiter to be connected to the customer’s equipment.

“Netbiter saves both money and time for the customer,” says Osama A. Nasher from Inpro for Importing. “They can keep constant track of their machinery and get online access to real-time data about their machinery without having to physically visit their machinery every day. The result is reduced site visits and a quick payback time. Netbiter is indeed a very economical solution for remote visualization and troubleshooting.”