How’s the new normal treating you?
While COVID-19 hospitalizations have recently increased for children aged 11 and below, and coronavirus deaths aren’t going away anytime soon, the overall infection rates have dropped considerably.
According to the CDC, the Delta variant is the only one classified as a variant of concern (VOC) in the US (no surprise, really), and a full 64% of the population, or 212.6 million people, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
So things are looking up for the generational phenomenon, the “black swan event,” that effects all of us at least tangentially.
And speaking of universal applications, our October issue deals with the Internet of Things, which, in its ripe manifestation, ties all devices and hardware together in a global network – the fullest, most mature expression of the world wide web. So naturally, the IoT encapsulates a broad variety of verticals and products.
In this issue, alone, we cover IoT modules, the Industrial IoT, backup power considerations, and next-gen connectivity.
“Backup Power Considerations for the Digital Transformation,” from Ed Spears over at Eaton, ties in with our “new normal” and the broad shift in work venues. While many companies welcomed employees back to the office – notwithstanding sanitary upgrades – others maintained partial or full remote-work arrangements.
And as Ed points out, “Advancements such as the Internet of Things, automation and cloud infrastructure have gone from competitive advantages to business necessities to accommodate remote work, reductions in staffing and other critical challenges brought on by the pandemic.”
ABB Power Conversion’s Gopal Mitra cuts to the heart of IoT functionality in “Powering Industrial Innovation with Next-gen Connectivity.” Because you can’t create an advanced global network without reliable connections, be they 5G, 5G-powered private wireless networks, or several others.
Finally, ROHM focuses on the IIoT, which offers greater reliability, enhanced safety, minimal downtime, enhanced productivity, and cost-effectiveness, and was buoyed, at least in part, by safety concerns surrounding the pandemic.
But one of the key concerns for the IIoT, as with most everything else, is power consumption. “Remote monitoring and real-time data analytics require increasing amounts of power from energy sources such as power grids, batteries, and energy-harvesting devices. Consequently, engineers must develop innovative solutions,” explains ROHM’s Brandon Becker.
Best Regards,
Jason Lomberg
North American Editor, PSD
