New mobile software applications are making the tedious job of testing the cloud ’ s fiber optic cables much easier .
New mobile software applications are making the tedious job of testing the cloud ’ s fiber optic cables much easier .
When most people visualize the cloud , they see an ethereal , non-physical thing that connects their devices to vast amounts of computing power and nearly unlimited troves of data and information .
For Andrew Blum , a writer for Wired and author of Tubes : A Journey to the Center of the Internet , that illusion was shattered on the day a squirrel chewed through the wire connecting his house to the internet . That rude reminder of the net ’ s physicality sparked an interest in the infrastructure that makes the internet and the cloud possible -- the globe-spanning tangle of wires , cables , routers and data centers that most users take entirely for granted .
At the core of this physical network are fiber optic cables . Originally developed for endoscopes in the 1950s , to help doctors see inside the human body without performing surgery , fiber optic cables allow massive amounts of information to be shared at the speed of light ( 300,000 km / second ) and , ultimately , make cloud computing possible .
Because each fiber optic cable is less than a tenth as thick as a human hair , an incredible degree of precision is required to maintain the fiber optic networks running in data centers , through cities and around the world .
AFL Telecommunications makes connections possible using fiber optics to integrate voice , data and video applications into specialized solutions . They work with clients ( including many of the largest public cloud providers ) to solve unique technology challenges and ensure their networks are operating smoothly .
With Every Inefficient Workflow Comes an Opportunity to Innovate
Every day , hundreds of AFL field technicians travel to private data centers , internet providers , telecommunications firms and utilities , to install , test and troubleshoot fiber optic networks . Traditionally , technicians used PCs and a USB connection , often spending days at the client site collecting data , compiling custom reports and testing and fixing cables .
Recognizing a market opportunity , AFL set out to build a mobile solution that would streamline the entire fiber optic cable testing process . AFL engaged CTP to lead the design and development of a new generation of cloud-native testing software .
Following CTP ’ s iterative design and development process , CTP and AFL engineering teams first created a Minimum Viable Product ( MVP ) to demonstrate business value , and prioritize features .
After a successful MVP , the CTP team completed the production-ready software . Called aeRos , the application provides a state-of-the-art fiber testing platform that facilitates instantaneous data transfer between devices , while working simultaneously with AFL ’ s legacy hardware and testing tools .
Empowering Users & Saving Time
Running on a tablet , the new platform simplifies coordination between AFL ’ s headquarters and field technicians by providing remote project set up , automatic data collection and reporting , as well as the real-time job monitoring that is independent of technology or location . Users can preconfigure instrumentation setup and automatically collect data for reports remotely , decreasing on-site manual labor and margin for error . Inspection cameras take images at both ends of the cable to monitor and send alerts when fiber is damaged or needs repair . With realtime monitoring , bluetooth instrumentation and Wi-Fi or LTE , supervisors can also observe their technicians ’ progress to ensure they are collecting data that meets industry standards .
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