Open Gateway Solutions for Manufacturing and Industry

The industrial and manufacturing sector is moving in leaps and bounds towards mechanisation and digital transformation of the companies operating in this field. So says a study by Statista, estimating that by 2025, the global industrial automation market will reach 265 trillion US dollars.  
  
However, despite the progress they bring to the industry, these processes can pose some challenges for companies, such as tracking the supply chain or ensuring control of a drone fleet. Hence, it is essential to adapt to new circumstances and to have tools that enable processes to be optimised in an agile manner, as well as improving productivity and accelerating innovation.   
  
At Telefónica Open Gateway, we have Standardised and easily programmable Telco APIs that facilitate more precise control of connectivity, to increase security, performance and automation of operations. In this article, we will take a look at the different tools and their benefits.  

Industry and manufacturing have followed a trend of growth over the last few years. This is due to the transformation of the sector, which is becoming increasingly automated and digitised. Therefore, in the so-called Industry 4.0, optimised connectivity and monitoring of the production process are key factors. This is especially important for factories that are located close to cities and use public network infrastructures (such as LTE or 5G) for their processes.
  
This is where the QoD Mobile API can be useful, as it allows for a more precise optimisation of the quality of mobile connectivity, setting a specific network configuration for those services that require advanced capabilities in terms of availability or throughput (latency and bandwidth). There are critical moments where connectivity faces adverse conditions, such as situations of high network saturation. Here the API acts as an emergency insurance providing that necessary temporary ‘boost’ in quality of service when required and providing additional flexibility.

The application of its use is usually in industrial processes that occur outside of factories, such as AGVs or the company's delivery fleet. They are tools that must be connected at all times. There are times when they may find themselves in congested environments, where the network does not offer the necessary level of connectivity. It is at these specific moments that the QoD Mobile API demonstrates its capabilities and optimises connectivity, providing the level of connectivity required. 

As part of innovation in the industry, the supply chain is finding new ways to make the necessary deliveries, both inbound and outbound. One case that is growing exponentially is the use of drones to do this. These tools make use of airspace to cross cities more efficiently or access remote places where conventional transport cannot reach.  

In this context, we have developed APIs for the drone ecosystem that ensure their proper functioning. They are focused on planning the flight path prior to take-off in a safe and efficient way. One of them is the Population Density Data API, which allows us to obtain information about the population density in a specific area and time, estimating the number of people that will be under the route. On the other hand, we have the Dynamic Airspace Connectivity Data API, which provides an analysis of the connectivity levels at each point that the drone will pass through. This makes it possible to implement the necessary safety measures, reduce potential risks and select optimal routes for industrial deliveries with drones.   
 
With this type of vehicle, and even with more traditional vehicles, staying connected to the factory is paramount. As mentioned above, the QoD Mobile API can be used for times when they pass through highly congested areas where the network is saturated, such as flying over a stadium in the case of drones or a motorway traffic jam in the case of a truck. API can provide a temporary boost and optimise the quality of services in these situations. 

Telefónica Open Gateway offers companies and institutions this and many other APIs to make a qualitative leap in the use of networks. You can discover our entire repository and the different use cases on our website. 
 
If you want to join the project, you can do it now through the Telefónica Open Gateway Partner Program. There are many benefits to joining this programme. For starters, you will be able to collaborate directly with our business development team to choose the best route to market. You'll also be able to take advantage of our Developer Hub, such as our Sandbox, or testing environment. This space will allow you to experiment with several of our APIs and test different use cases that you develop. You will also have access to technical documentation, training seminars and much more. Sign up here! 
 
Telefónica Open Gateway is growing and working to increase the capabilities of the network and make them available to experience creators, companies, developers and institutions, in order to build together the network of the future. If you want to keep up to date and be part of this new way of networking, subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss a thing!