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White paper
Smarter Fleets: The Case for In-Vehicle Compute Gateways
The internet of things (IoT) is making inroads in
transportation, with vehicles from passenger cars to
long-haul trucks sporting an ever-increasing number
of sensors, collecting information on everything from
vehicle speed to cargo temperature. As vehicles –
and the people operating them – continue to create
an avalanche of data, new approaches to on-vehicle
computing power can bring new value, drive up
efficiency, and create savings in completely new areas.
This white paper looks at how the evolution of
onboard tech from a myriad of custom devices
to intelligent, industry-standard gateways will
accelerate the digital transformation of vehicles,
fleets, and the industries they serve.
Introduction:Fleet Technology EvolutionSensors have been part of vehicles for decades.
Modern vehicles are teeming with all kinds of
sensors from proximity to speed and acceleration to
tire pressure, but for the most part vehicle sensors
haven’t shared the data they collect beyond the
vehicle (and its driver) itself.
Today, the data from vehicles needs to be
connected beyond the driver – to operators
who require a better handle on logistics, and
even regulators who want to ensure drivers are
operating with enough rest to perform safely.
The most impactful value from IoT is analyzing
sensor data quickly to drive positive actions. This
capability has potentially a large impact on vehicles
because it enables use cases such as predictive
maintenance and stronger cargo temperature
management for cold chain operations.
This has led to many, often incompatible,
disparate vehicle systems, and has created
the need for multiple devices to collect and
process vehicle and driver data, and in some
cases the same data in multiple devices. This
siloed approach to vehicle applications worked
initially, but as more sensors and applications
were added to the mix, the ensuing data
onslaught made it very difficult to make
sense of all the data being collected. And,
adding insult to injury, although data services
providers are in abundance, many of them
charge fleet operators for access to the data
they have collected, putting operators in the
untenable position of paying for the use of
their own data, collected on their own vehicles,
by their own drivers and sensors.
So, we arrived at a point where vehicles often
had several SIMs, one for each WWAN-based
collection device, and the need to manage
multiple wireless broadband connections for
every vehicle, when each vehicle really only needs
a single connection to the world of IT.
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SMARTER FLEETS: THE CASE FOR IN-VEHICLE COMPUTE GATEWAYS
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Edge Gateways EmergeThe technology burden on vehicles was eased
somewhat with the introduction of edge
gateways – devices that combine compute,
connectivity, and storage in a single device to
provide intelligence to a broad range of IoT/vehicle
sensors, including vehicle telematics, operator
information, and camera video recordings.
Edge gateways at the network edge can break
down the individual information silos and
become a repository and access point that
helps turn data into actionable information.
Empowered by edge gateways, operators now
can integrate new applications into vehicles,
and the ability to combine data sources can
drive new insights into operations, uncover new
revenue streams, and improve vehicle, driver,
and maintenance efficiencies overall. Since
edge gateways offer the ability to share their
processor, networking, and storage capabilities,
adding new applications is a breeze.
The major benefits of deploying an edge gateway
are the ability to move from multiple purpose-built
point solutions to an open platform based on
industry standard CPU and operating systems,
and the simple fact that data that is collected by
the gateway from all the sensors is owned by the
fleets and not the service bureaus, eliminating the
need for operators to subscribe to their own data.
It is today’s data-driven business environment,
where everyone wants faster decisions, that
has created a demand for near-real-time vehicle
information. And placing compute at the edge –
close to where the data is – enables operators
to generate and run analytics locally on the
Taking it to the StreetsA large public snow-removal fleet wanted to add a new
capability to snowplows, specifically capturing up to 72
hours of continuous video that could be used to determine
if the plows were involved with collisions or other
damage. The video was also to be used to support worker
productivity and route completion.
Once the state deployed the cameras using Dell Edge Gateways, they found they could now use the snow
plow vehicles as barriers at large events, where video could additionally support public safety officers.
Now, the state is evaluating ways of using IoT sensors on the plows to measure the amount of salt
spread during snowstorms and automatically adjust dispersion based on feedback from the already-
installed cameras.
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SMARTER FLEETS: THE CASE FOR IN-VEHICLE COMPUTE GATEWAYS
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vehicle edge gateway and just send the results
‘home’. This also reduces the amount of network
traffic required to meet business objectives and
increases operational efficiency at the same time.
Gateway ChallengesAlthough edge gateways have been around
for a while, until now they have been highly
customized, low-volume, specialty devices. As a
result, early edge gateway products suffered from
long lead times, often months or more, which
often hindered deployment for new vehicles as
availability was spotty at best.
There were maintenance challenges as
well, as it has been difficult to find those
maintenance organizations with a sufficient
footprint to install and service gateway
products in vehicles around the US and
abroad. In general, gateways have traditionally
been expensive and difficult to maintain.
There are two major reasons why some operators
have shied away from early gateway products:
First, the niche players who provided many of
them could come and go, leaving fleet operators
in the lurch when they do. Secondly, much of
the early crop of edge gateways were non-
ruggedized, leading to more equipment failures,
more service calls, and lower overall reliability.
Bringing PC Economics to Edge GatewaysWith the importance of sensor-based IoT devices
rapidly growing, it is no surprise that Dell took
notice of the shortcomings in the edge gateway
marketplace and decided the time was right to
offer a solution that meets the needs of vehicle
Chilling on the RoadA third of the world’s food goes to waste, and most of the losses come from spoilage on its way to being
consumed. The average piece of produce in the US travels 1,500 miles from its source. Much of the waste
is due to lack of proper refrigeration.
The Cold Chain not only poses the opportunity
to apply IoT solutions at the food production,
storage, distribution and retail stages, but also
the opportunity to then combine that data from
those environments to strategically leverage the
IoT and deliver considerable business value.
Learn More >Solution brief with IMS Evolve
Solution brief with Nokia
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fleets of every size. The introduction of the Dell
Edge Gateway 3002 was designed to address
the shortcomings of past devices on the market.
Built on Intel and driven by Ubuntu Linux or
Windows 10 IoT, the Dell Edge Gateway 3002
offers the broadest range of support for existing
vehicle applications and provides headroom for
integrations and applications to come.
The Dell Edge Gateway 3002 offers a broad
range of connectivity options for vehicles today:
from CANbus to Zigbee for mesh, along with
traditional WiFi, Bluetooth, and WWAN (3G or 4G
LTE), enabling operators to choose their preferred
networks and devices for today’s environment
and tomorrow’s demands.
For many applications, Dell may already have
all the functionality that operators need.
Sensors in the device itself include built-in GPS,
an accelerometer, and even an atmospheric
pressure sensor.
And, the Dell Edge Gateway 3002 is ruggedized
from the start, designed to handle 24x7x365
operation over a 100-degree range from -30 to 70C,
whether wall, DIN, or VESA mounted or installed
under the dash of the truck. And, since Dell has a
global footprint, operators can expect the same
access to global support and deployment services
and world-class global supply chain that they
would for any Dell product or service.
Dell Gateways offer high performance in a small
footprint with low power consumption and are
Dell Edge Gateway 3002 is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ruggedized device designed to aggregate and analyze data across many protocols and sensors in the vehicle.
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rigorously tested for use in extreme environments
to ensure they are always available.
Dell offers fleet management and telematics
solution providers open, easy to use standard
platforms backed by decades of Dell engineering,
whether your fleet is 50 or 50,000. By relying on
industry-standard technology, Dell has delivered
a futureproof, commercial off-the-shelf design,
for around the clock operation and years of
uninterrupted service that operators and drivers
can depend on.
Dell provides cradle to grave support for
your edge gateway deployment, including
both pre- and post-installation services from
knowledgeable engineering staff, and also
provides access to its curated partner ecosystem,
including technology partners, ISVs, system
integrators and channel partners around the
world ready to help create and deploy the exact
fleet solution for your enterprise needs.
And, just as Dell changed PC economics decades
ago, Dell now brings IT-style procurement
and product design to vehicle IoT technology,
shortening lead time from months to days,
and ensuring a steady supply of consistent
platforms so IT need not be concerned with
supporting multiple platforms or environments.
Of course, an added benefit is that Dell can
help with much more than the edge – Dell
can protect your data enterprise-wide with
a broad portfolio of products including Dell
EMC storage, VMware for virtualization and
cloud, Dell Boomi for data integration, RSA
for security, and Pivotal for development
and delivery of cloud-native applications.
Image shows an edge gateway installed under the dash of the truck
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Dell is the only Tier-1 manufacturer with a full
line of rugged mobility and edge computing
systems. Dell ensures its ruggedized IoT edge
systems will perform anywhere by putting them
through a battery of tests simulating the harshest
environments imaginable, in an in-house facility
that employs test methods and situations difficult
for anyone – fleet operator or end user customer
– to match. Above is a picture that shows a few
of the tests that Dell edge systems undergo
before a customer ever sees them.
As on-board technology becomes increasingly
complex, the need for a single, unifying platform
to collect and make sense of driver, vehicle, and
sensor data becomes ever more important. Dell
edge systems are the heart of a powerful network
that meets the needs of today’s fleets and
supports uses and devices yet to be imagined.
Dell Edge Gateway 3002 was specifically
designed to be used in a vehicle or a trailer
and offers flexibility, connectivity and real-
time intelligence from harsh environments
and small spaces.
Learn more ›
Click here to learn how Dell, Blue Dot
Solutions, HMS Industrial Networks
and Microsoft are bringing together the
Connected Vehicle and the Connected
Driver with the Open IoT Driver & Driver
Support Team Platform.
Read the Solution Brief ›
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New images.pdf 1 10/15/18 9:57 AM
Extreme Testing for Extreme IoT Environments
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