ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced today a partnership with GlobaLogix to provide a new SCADA Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that is based on ABB’s SCADAvantageTM product. The partnership is aimed at providing a robust and open SCADA service to reduce operation risks and maintenance burden, while also lowering upfront costs.
As the industry demands more security and reliability from SCADA systems, the architecture and maintenance of a system has become increasingly important. Some of the largest and most robust SCADA installations have been compromised recently and continue to operate without adequate protection.
GlobaLogix has built a highly secure and redundant cloud-based infrastructure to host ABB’s SCADA platform. The infrastructure provides access to 53 Data Centers in North America with 2048 bit encryption that exceeds the current Department of Defense standards. The infrastructure also complies with the most stringent Tier 4 data center standards from the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for mission critical computer systems. The standard requires fully redundant subsystems and compartmentalized security zones.
Additional security is provided by Citrix authentication installed on each of the client’s laptops, desktops and tablets that provide access to the cloud-hosted SCADA system. Field operators can optionally be provided with password protected web access to read-only data and key information to reduce exposure to malicious attacks and prevent operator errors.
“This cloud-based SCADA infrastructure can save companies money and time by eliminating the need to build and maintain their own dedicated server rooms, while reducing SCADA administration costs and overall risks,” said Sandy Taylor, Head of ABB’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical business unit. “The overall return on investment time can be reduced by 25-30% or more.”
The client is given full access to a completely customized set of their own SCADA screens. All data is housed in a database historian within the cloud. As needs evolve the system can be fully convertible at any point in the future to a traditionally hosted solution on a company’s dedicated servers.
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