Page 27 - ITAtube Journal 1-2021

Press releases
group, including remote support services, had proved highly successful and efficient.
The X-Pact® Service Portal uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology with 128 bit encryption. Highly efficient firewall and sin- gleport technologies guarantee high security of the Internet connection. A relay server, operating as facility gateway, organizes the equipment behind the gateway. Addition- ally, it is possible to admit other specialist department to the interactive process.
The customer sets up the connection, and without his permission it is impossible for the service specialists to access the plant system. The connection is stopped as soon as the support mission ends. Without a new service request, any external access to the customer’s network is precluded.
The benefits at a glance:
• Front-end software with Point2Point encryption assures secure data exchange
• Prompt support in trouble shooting and during scheduled service activities
• The customer has full connection authority
• Full traceability of all service activities
• Transparent workflow
• Access exclusively for authorized
specialist users
Proven service modules can be combined into a comprehensive service package.
ITAtube Journal 2021 – Special Edition
For more information on the X-Pact® Service port- folio, please visit: www.sms-group.com/x- pact-service
Remote services: far away, but yet close by
Interview
Remote support is used not only to resolve urgent issues, but also to perform scheduled maintenance activities.
Mr. Mackenbach, in which way has the service on electrical and automation systems changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Ralf Mackenbach: Even before the pan- demic, we had made intensive use of remote support as an option to assist our custom- ers promptly and effectively in their daily production routines. In order to guarantee utmost safety of our customers and employ- ees during these extraordinary times, we decided to expand our remote activities even further.
Especially, minor revamps that had originally been planned to be performed on site were increasingly handled remotely. I can’t think of a project where this did not work out fine. At the same time, we have been able to reduce travelling to an absolute minimum.
In concrete terms, how does remote support work?
Helmut Beckmann-Lenneper: Let me give you some examples. A German customer called our 24/7 service hotline one day before Christmas 2020 because there was
an issue with a hot strip mill. The rolling of certain strip thicknesses was instable, even leading to production stops. The customer granted our technician remote access to
the system. The technician first checked the diagnostics records of the strips concerned. He quickly found that the values measured by
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