With a long-standing reputation for being conservative, the wastewater industry has sometimes been slow to embrace innovation. There are compelling reasons for that: health protection, security, and compliance concerns often eclipse the benefits of new technologies. Plus, short innovation cycles in technology typically do not match well with an industry that plans in long-term investments.
However, cloud computing is an innovation that is hard to refuse - not least thanks to its inherent cost advantages. IT infrastructure and management are centralized and can be scaled to project size. Plus, the initial investment is relatively small and pays off quickly thanks to saving on infrastructure management and through attractive added value opportunities. Many other industries are utilizing cloud services which enable them to react much more quickly and take corrective action before something becomes a real problem.
So where is the potential for the wastewater industry? After all, constructing water infrastructure still means mortar and bricks. But maintaining it? That means big data! Big data enters into the equation when monitoring and inspecting of wastewater systems is automated through intelligent scanning systems. To this end, WinCan developed our WinCan Web application, a browser-based cloud-storage solution. With the help of cloud computing, all the raw data is stored centrally – meaning it can be accessed by the right experts regardless of where they are.
In addition to the cost saving benefits, storing data in the cloud instead of on local servers offers increased redundancy. Cloud-based storage has data stored across multiple servers, meaning if one is taken down for maintenance or is damaged somehow no data is lost, and users still have access. Cloud-based storage also offers security benefits. WinCan Web offers single-user logins, allowing managers to control exactly who can access cloud data. Managers can even give contractors and other employees temporary access and retract it when access is no longer necessary.
The biggest benefit of WinCan Web is the increase in efficiency. Because data is being uploaded to the cloud and can be access anywhere, engineers and others analyzing the data can view a stretch of pipe immediately after the inspection is complete. It also eliminates issues of outdated or inaccurate data. Because the data is stored in the cloud, when the data is updated or altered–perhaps to fix mis-measured sections–the old version is removed. Users get the most accurate, up-to-date data every time they check the cloud.
WinCan Web, a cloud-based, wastewater data delivery platform, can help drive the wastewater industry forward. WinCan Web connects operators with engineers and municipalities to streamline delivery of data electronically via its cloud platform. The delivery is instantaneous and there is no need to exchange hardware of any kind – a win-win for everyone involved, and a guiding light for the industry at large.
To find out more about WinCan Web request a free demo today:
