Stratus and Schneider Electric showcase Edge computing solutions for the oil and gas industry

The EcoStruxure MDC is tested, validated, and available with pre-loaded software, such as AVEVA System Platform, in a physically protected, single enclosure solution, solving IT and OT management as well as data latency and bandwidth issues. The MDC architecture, which is available in a range of configurations, also simplifies the specification, purchase, and deployment of best-in-class class hardware and software from Schneider Electric, AVEVA, and Stratus. The result, say the companies, is a 40% reduction in field engineering time, a 7% reduction in maintenance costs, and a 20% increase in speed-to-market.

Manuel Rodrigues, vice president for secure power at Schneider Electric, said: “Schneider Electric and Stratus share a commitment to customers and System Integrators in addressing their critical needs as they safely field technology to improve operations. With the EcoStruxure MDC using Stratus ftServer, we are giving them confidence as well as simplifying their efforts by bridging IT and OT requirements in a single solution. For the oil and gas industry, this translates to a powerful, resilient, and secure data centre that can be reliably deployed in upstream, midstream, or downstream environments.”

The Stratus ftServer’s virtualisation capabilities consolidate workloads. This includes concurrently running monitor and control, on-premises historian, manufacturing execution, asset performance management, and automated material handling applications as well as advanced AI and ML applications. The Stratus ftServer also provides cybersecurity out of the box with its core software and operating systems wrapped in standard security protocols. Providing further protection, Schneider Electric offers physical security on its enclosures, including locks and card readers, along with its NetBotz security and environmental monitoring capabilities.

Corie Allemand, director, oil and gas at Stratus said: “The EcoStruxure MDC with Stratus ftServer delivers the reliability, efficiency, and zero-touch operation that the oil and gas industry requires to transform data from critical assets across the value chain into actionable insights. Its physical protection matched with application protection and cybersecurity allow EPCs, SIs, and owner-operators to deploy computing power where it’s needed and harness the vast amount of data generated by oil and gas equipment and processes at the edge.”