Summary

  • Nokia has launched Cognitive Operations for mining, construction and other field operations, combining local computing with operational software and connectivity
  • Its edge node supports cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite-ready connections, but the launch does not show that every application can keep working without an external connection

The Fact

Nokia has launched Cognitive Operations, a platform that combines local computing, connectivity and operational software for mining, construction and other field operations. The platform became commercially available on 10 September, with deployment options on customer premises and through Microsoft Azure Marketplace. It is designed to bring information from equipment, networks and applications into one place so operators can monitor what is happening across a site.

Nokia is also offering a Cognitive Edge Node that can connect cameras, sensors and vehicle systems while processing some of their data locally. The node supports cellular and Wi-Fi connections and can be configured for satellite connectivity. Optional graphics processing can support applications such as video analysis.

Processing data at the site can reduce the need to send everything to a distant cloud or data centre. Nokia has not, however, published results from a named mining or construction customer showing which applications continue to work when an external connection is lost.

The assessment

At a remote industrial site, the basic problem is simple: not every application should stop when the main connection does. Some jobs, such as analysing a camera feed or monitoring equipment, may be better handled locally, while other information can still be sent to central systems when a connection is available.

Nokia's edge node gives operators both local computing and several ways to connect. Those features help in different ways. A backup connection can keep data moving when another link fails, while local processing can allow selected functions to continue when no external link is available. But an application will only keep working if everything it needs is available at the site.

For BTW readers, the important test is what happens when connectivity actually fails at a working site. Customer deployments should show which functions keep running, which ones stop and how local and central systems catch up once the connection returns.

What to watch

Watch for the first named industrial deployments and tests during real or simulated connection failures. Evidence showing which applications remain available, how quickly backup links take over and how data is synchronised afterwards would give a clearer picture of how useful the platform is in remote operations.