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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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