From IT to the user in the field: the use of mobile devices in industrial plants is linked to company-wide specifications regarding their configuration, their integration into the company network, software and, last but not least, data security. Ideally, they should be used immediately and updates should be possible just-in-time. The Pepperl+Fuchs brand Ecom is now responding to these requirements. With the new Digital Products and Services product division, a solution is being launched on the market that offers customer-specific automated staging during device production, mobile device management and device analytics, and can now optionally be used as a fully-fledged enterprise mobility management system (eDS Portal).

Seamless service for mobile devices

The aim is to provide project and IT managers as well as users of enterprise mobility solutions with a seamless service. As part of this solution, Ecom delivers tablets or smartphones ex works with the customer-specific configuration secured in a container (no backchannel).

All security and WLAN settings as well as pre-defined applications can also be pre-installed for daily use in the customer's industrial plants and hazardous areas. This not only enables global rollouts, but also makes them significantly faster and more cost-effective. Error-prone manual configurations are a thing of the past, as are different device settings. By establishing an online connection, each device in question can be automatically updated or reconfigured over the air. The hosting of the cloud servers in Germany meets the highest data protection standards and thus ensures the crucial high availability and security of the data.

Security through remote device management

In daily industrial use, mobile devices are not only exposed to physical dangers. It must be ensured that the functionality of smartphones and tablets does not suffer due to a software update or critical software events. Ecom now offers functions designed to ensure that mobile devices can be operated securely at all times. With the remote device management functions Device Diagnostics and Device Analytics, the current status can also be permanently monitored by the company's IT department. Malfunctions can be rectified preventively or directly, and updates can also be carried out during operation. The live visualization of network coverage allows administrators to identify and track critical software events as well as software installations by the user. A statistical accumulation of events and correlations can be used to establish causalities - for example between geographical data, WiFi coverage and software errors.