The Rockshore Data Spend Manager platform is designed to monitor the usage of data across mobile broadband connections.
Thales approached Rockshore to modify this system to manage satellite connections and prevent overspend by their customer BP.
The Problem
Satellite communications are an essential service for many organisations, particularly those operating in remote locations with unreliable communication alternatives.
BP contracted Thales to build a solution to control and reduce the cost of using satellite communications in real-time. Time frames for the project were very tight with deployment needed to coincide with the movement of an offshore drilling rig.
Thales had the communications technology in place, and knew how an optimal solution should work – but needed the real-time data management platform to enable the cost control component of their service.
The Solution
Thales engaged Rockshore to deploy a modified instance of the Rockshore Data Spend Manager (DSM) platform. The DSM platform enabled the management of multiple communications links and their associated costs in real time.
The satellite instance of the DSM platform was designed to seamlessly route data traffic simultaneously over multiple satellite communications links – allowing burst capacity when additional bandwidth was required. Importantly connections were made and cut in real-time minimising the cost of each burst of communication.
The Benefits
The DSM platform quickly delivered an effective software solution for a technically complex communications system. Intelligently using multiple communications links and available bandwidth to significantly reduce cost.
Use of the REPP allowed Thales to focus on the hardware and service offered to the customer, knowing that the core software platform behind the solution was already delivered.
Advantages of the DSM Platform
BP Satellite Communcations Spend Management project demonstrates the advantage of the Rockshore DSM Platform:
- Flexible configuration minimising development time, cost and risk
- Real-time monitoring
- Rapid deployment as a Rockshore Managed Service minimised project time line, capital investment and ongoing support
Thales and BP were able to focus on the complexity of deployment at sea, confident that DSM would provide valuable real-time monitoring "out-of-the-box".
Customer Feedback
"Rockshore modified their Data Spend Manager platform to manage satellite data flows in a matter of weeks. The flexibility of their product and the responsiveness of the team was impressive and enabled us to deliver the project on time to one of our most important customers."
Guy Warrillow – Technical project Lead Thales
Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 January 2011 16:11.