Frazier Engineering has chosen AU2MATION to provide a solution to support remote monitoring of their customer’s rain gauge systems across the southeast USA. “We needed a solution that would be easy to deploy and required minimal support and maintenance.” said Mark Lambert, Project Manager at Frazier Engineering.

The solution utilizes a cloud-based “SCADA as a service”(SaaS) called Palette, from UK company Metasphere. The benefits of SaaS for Frazier Engineering’s clients are substantial:

• A third party performs configuration, monitoring, backup,and other system management activities.
• The shared infrastructure - the computer servers and software that run the SCADA – reduces the cost to Frazier Engineering and their customers.
• The fixed annual costs covering all aspects of the service, which limits chances for equipment breakdown and replacement, help with budgeting and planning.
• No special software is required to access the system and its data.

The Point Green data loggers, also from Metasphere, deployed on each site were battery powered and included a built-in cellular modem. Configuration and commissioning is completed in a matter of minutes and the battery lasts 5 years or more, reducing the need for periodic maintenance visits. According to Mark Lambert: “Reducing time on site, whether for commissioning or maintenance, saves us a lot of money and frees up our personnel to be more proactive, providing a better service to our customers.”