What are data SIMs all about?

More and more people are using data SIMs for all sorts of connectivity from simple things like being able to surf the web, to more complex things like remote management and mobile video broadcast. But are all data SIM’s the same? We’ll give you a brief rundown on what is available from Anvil Mobile  and in the coming weeks go into more detail on which S|IM is best for specific applications.

Anvil Mobile has multiple data SIM options. The reason for this is because different applications have different requirements, so a one size fits all approach just won’t work.

Fixed IP with private APN – We refer to this as our business grade mobile broadband connection. No data goes over the public internet. This means better security, performance and reliability. This SIM is used where a fixed IP address can be used to remotely access a connected device, a control system or a server.

Standard data SIM- dynamic IP – this is a standard data SIM great for lots of applications with a choice of data packages.

Low usage- If you need a connection which is only sending a very small amount of data e.g. 10-50 meg per month. The data is charged at less than 10p per megabyte

Bonded – If you need a high capacity mobile connection then look no further than our bonded solution. This bonds either 3 or 6 SIMs at once which makes it a great solution for mobile video broadcast or for locations where the user population is too large for a single SIM device.  

Click here for more information on data SIMs

4G is coming to the UK

We’re all getting very excited as it’s not long now until we are able to take advantage of the speed and capacity of 4G here in the UK. Everything Everywhere (EE) has managed to get a head start in the market as they’ll be able to provide a 4G connection to the consumer in a couple of months. The other operators will have to wait until next year before more spectrum is made available to allow them to start releasing 4G to their customers.

4G is the fourth generation of mobile communications standards. It is a successor of the third generation (3G) standards and often referred to as LTE (Long Term Evolution). 4G will offer super fast connection speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G connection. This will make internet access, downloads and multimedia applications dramatically faster and more user friendly.

Anvil Mobile will be at the forefront when it comes to bringing 4G connectivity to the UK market. We’ll be able to provide a 4G connection on the EE network in the very near future. Meantime we will be testing mobile devices for compatibility and performance to be ready to be one of the first to offer 4G solutions to businesses in the UK.

Anvil Mobile is now ISO 9001:2008 Certified Organisation

Anvil Mobile Ltd have been assessed and approved by CQS (Certified Quality Systems) limited to the following quality management systems, standards and guidelines.  BS EN ISO 9001:2008. The scope of this applies to the approved quality management systems relating to the supply of communication products and services.

This means that Anvil Mobile is recognised as supplying its services and products to its customers at a consistent standard of quality.

 

Secure remote access for people on the move

There are many advantages to working remotely, however there is one big problem that companies have to approach, and that is security. When it comes to remote portal and information access security is on the top of most companies list.  So how do you ensure that employees are not hindered by lots of security measures but valuable information is not put at risk?

Up until now, security solutions have either been very secure but devilishly difficult to use or the solution would be easy to use but not so strong on security.  Cloudkey delivers the best of both worlds and can be used in any computer with a USB slot, leaving no footprint behind in terms of browser history and user activity – ideal for BYOD environments.

Looking like a simple USB Modem (dongle), the Option Cloudkey offers much more by providing a platform for building secure internet and intranet access solutions.

Cloud key integrates market proven Vasco DIGIPASS authentication* with Option’s 3G communications technology to provide an all in one product that simplifies strong, secure access to sensitive applications in private corporate networks and Intranets. When used in conjunction with Anvil’s business grade 3G data service, security is strengthened by using a fixed IP address on the SIM which will give a un-contended internet connection plus a unique user name and password for each SIM. This means that data does not traverse the public internet with the result that the service is more robust, reliable, secure, and performs better than standard, consumer grade 3G services.

Corporate firewalls can be configured to only allow the correct IP address into the private network. Then, the combination of Option and Vasco security restricts the user to authorised applications only. All the user has to do is to enter their DIGIPASS password to gain access. Different models of Cloudkey allow DIGIPASS passwords to be set to varying levels of security – static, a one-time password and application specific.

Cloudkey can be deployed in any situation where users require secure, highly available internet connectivity combined with strong authentication for internet and intranet access in government, finance, banking, health authorities, commercial and industrial enterprises. Also, where DIGIPASS technology has already been deployed there is now a safe way to extend the service with mobile 3G communications.

The solution is modular and expandable and can be tailored to the specific requirements of an application or corporate policy. A USB port is used to power the Cloudkey, however, there is no software needed on the device and once a session has been terminated there is no footprint left on the PC/Laptop/tablet – this includes no browsing history or record of user activity.


For more info on Cloudkey click here.

For more info on fixed IP data SIM's click here

Are you constantly moving your office?

More and more people are moving offices regularly whether it is because your company is developing quickly, you're always on the move, or you are always attended different events. This process can be a difficult and a stressful task as lead times for internet connectivity are variable and can take a long time.   

Making this process as quick and easy means that people can get to work quicker, start making money, and keep client and customers happy. Anvil Mobile have made this easy with their Instant 3G Office. Instant Office provides a simple and quick way to get connectivity enabling communications to the outside world.

To see how quick and easy it is, take a look at the video below.

Remote Management In Action

Anvil Mobile have been supplying  fixed IP data SIMs to enable remote 3G access to wind turbines for some time now.  But, have never visited a site or seen the wind turbines in action until yesterday. One of our customers, a wind turbine site owner and a farmer by trade, had to reconfigure his 3G router and wasn’t comfortable with the technical challenge. Managing Director Ian and Business Development Executive Philip happened to have a meeting arranged in the same general area so volunteered to go on site to make the necessary changes. This was to help out a customer but also because they wanted to see a turbine in action and boys like toys – the bigger, the better.


Arriving on site and parked up right next to the turbine the first thing that was noticed was how quiet it was. The blades were turning and generating electricity but there was hardly any noise at all. This surprising as the press and media always talks about noise as a major problem. Perhaps it was just this type of wind turbine, manufactured in the Netherlands, that was quieter than other types, but this one was almost silent.

Connecting to the router via WLAN the changes that were required could be made in just a few minutes and also enabled a feature on the router that would mean the customer didn’t have to re-boot the router if it lost power or signal. This feature (ping re-boot) is very useful when the router is in a remote area and it can be a pain and an expense to have to visit the site personally just to press a button.

The router is the small blue box on its side with an external (white) antenna cable.











The site owner doesn’t manage the control system that keeps the turbine working safely and efficiently. This is all done by the manufacturer in the Netherlands who can see the control panel information which is linked to the system that controls all of the mechanics keeping the turbine working properly.
  
After calling the engineer in the Netherlands to make sure he had full access to the management systems we headed off to the next meeting after taking one last photo.  An interesting day at the office and as you will see from the photo fantastic weather for once!

Wind turbines and remote management of control systems in rural areas.

Applications & Case Studies

Wind turbines and remote management of control systems in rural areas.

Wind turbines need to be constantly monitored and managed according to the local weather conditions. There was a recent case that hit the TV and press where a wind turbine could not be shut down in gale conditions and was destroyed by fire. The pictures were dramatic and the cost of the incident included the valuable equipment that was destroyed, the clean-up operation and the lost revenue from the electricity that was no longer being generated.

Wind farms by necessity are located in rural areas where there is often no internet connectivity available using traditional fixed line connections. The cost of providing an internet connection is prohibitive in many of these locations as new cables have to be run from the nearest telephone junction. Sometimes satellite can be the answer, however, it is also expensive in terms of equipment, installation and running costs.

The latest solution to the internet connectivity problem is to use the, now mature, nationwide 3G network with some added capabilities that standard consumer grade SIMs don’t currently support. By using the 3G coverage that the mainstream network operators provide, Anvil’s data service with fixed IP addresses on the SIM allow for remote access to the control systems.  So, connectivity is now easy to establish, but issues such as security and reliability have to be addressed. The first part of the answer is to avoid sending any data over the public internet. This is accomplished using a private APN to establish a layer 2 connection and then secure the link with either VPN encryption using appropriate hardware devices such as an integrated router/firewall device - or – for larger implementations, Anvil can even build a private managed VPN over the 3G network using private IP address ranges so the network device housing the SIM can be simple and inexpensive.

The reliability and performance issues are addressed by providing an un-contended internet connection so that the data does not go over the public network. This means that although all mobile 3G networks have variable performance based on factors such as atmospheric conditions and congested cells (unlikely in rural areas), the stability of the connection is greatly enhanced.

In this application note we have concentrated on wind turbines, however the same capabilities can be used for any control or management system with an IP address. This includes Video surveillance and monitoring systems.