A recent article by CIO UK points out how digital technology is rising exponentially in the oil and gas sector. From seismic imaging to e-learning, 80% of senior executives in the industry believe digital advancements have revolutionized how they work. The remaining 20% believe digital technology has had a tangible impact. No matter who you ask, it’s evident the adoption is positively affecting the oil and gas industry.
However, with companies using digital technology throughout the exploratory and production processes, sharing the information creates a bigger challenge.
All too often, company headquarters are not based where the exploration is happening or where production occurs; yet, the data needs to make its way back to a central location (often a company headquarters) for analysis. The digital technology being used in oil and gas will only create larger file sizes as time goes by, meaning the amount of data to be transferred will continue to grow. Transmitting this information to head office or a central location initiates a new and perhaps unforeseen challenge for oil and gas companies, particularly for those using satellite, 3G, or 4G connections in remote areas.
Traditional file transfer methods, such as email and FTP, have limits on file sizes and are hindered by impairments such as latency and packet loss. FileCatalyst, automates and maximizes bandwidth connections on all satellite, 3G, 4G, WAN, and Internet connections, up to 10 Gbps, removing the need for human interaction to transfer files. The communication and data channels are secured with military-grade encryption and transfer speeds are up to thousands of times faster than these traditional methods. This transfer speed can make a huge difference when time and accuracy are of the essence.
With the adoption of digital technology by the oil and gas industry, there are some unique challenges to be met. The fast, secure, and reliable transfer of large sets of data from remote locations requires specialized software. Selecting an appropriate accelerated and managed file transfer solution should be a top priority for organizations in the oil and gas space.
We’ll be attending a couple of upcoming oil and gas shows, including ONS 2014 this August in Norway. If you’re planning on attending, be sure to stop by and talk to our team about accelerating file transfer within your organization.