INSYS icom Case Study: Empowering IIoT Giant Expansion from Europe to Asia (China）

Establishing a reliable Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) infrastructure while complying with stringent data sovereignty requirements and navigating complex regulatory landscapes was the main challenge for INSYS icom in expanding to Asia, particularly China. INSYS icom chose support from CITIC Telecom CPC due to our extensive technical and business expertise, especially in the intricate Chinese market, to overcome these challenges. The core result of the collaboration was the seamless integration of cloud-network services, ensuring minimal latency, maximum reliability, and compliance with stringent data sovereignty requirements, thus enabling INSYS icom to offer enhanced IIoT services globally.

CITIC Telecom CPC supports INSYS icom, a leading European provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions expanding into the Asian and Chinese markets. Leveraging our TrueCONNECT Premium enterprise connectivity and SmartCLOUD cloud computing solutions, INSYS icom aimed to extend its mission-critical global infrastructure and launch new real-time IIoT data telemetry services.

Background

INSYS icom specializes in secure communication and networking of data in industrial applications. The company’s expertise lies in intelligent hardware and software solutions, enabling remote access to machines, plants, and devices for the transmission of operating data. With a focus on continuous innovation, INSYS icom positions itself as a premium partner in energy, water supply, and mechanical engineering.

Business Challenges

With significant growth in Europe, INSYS icom, a Germany-headquartered global producer of mission-critical IIoT solutions, sought to establish a reliable IIoT infrastructure to support global connectivity to its manufacturing industry customers’ plants in Asia.

To comply with data sovereignty requirements and global-local laws and regulations, particularly in China, INSYS icom faced challenges in establishing a reliable IIoT infrastructure as well as cultural, language, and technological differences in the dynamic markets of Asia and China. INSYS icom needed a partner with expertise in navigating complex technical, business, and regulatory landscapes for successful deployment in diverse regions. INSYS icom chose CITIC Telecom CPC as its strategic partner for Asia and China markets expansion, as we are seen as a trusted and experienced player with extensive technical and business expertise, particularly in the complex Chinese market.

Safeguarding Global Operations

Scaling up beyond Europe meant a new milestone for the company, not only regarding the broader geographic coverage (including mobile connectivity), but also the capability of establishing a reliable IIoT infrastructure to support global connectivity and address complex global-local laws and regulations.

The collaboration focused on leveraging CITIC Telecom CPC’s resources, including the TrueCONNECT Premium Private Ethernet LAN for extended geographic coverage, and SmartCLOUD cloud computing to safeguard localized IIoT data within borders, ensuring compliance with stringent data sovereignty requirements.

Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability

IIoT applications operate in mission-critical environments and require robust networks with high availability and low latency. INSYS icom joined forces with our professional teams to implement flagship enterprise solutions to support both: the connectivity expansion to Asia (including mainland China), and the need to address in-country regulatory requirements.

In co-operation with both companies, TrueCONNECT Premium (VPLS), a fully meshed and highly redundant Ethernet-based private network service was implemented to facilitate high-performance connectivity. Specifically, high-performance TrueCONNECT Premium (VPLS), fully meshed and highly redundant Ethernet-based private network service, is linking up INSYS icom’s European headquarters and diverse IIoT devices located in other regions, including Asia and mainland China. IIoT applications operate in mission-critical environments and require robust networks with high availability and low latency.

TrueCONNECT Premium’s high reliability and performance underpin this crucial connectivity and pave the way for INSYS icom to launch a new offering of its icom Connectivity Suite which enables customers to configure machinery anywhere and deploy it globally to achieve even higher productivity and cost efficiency. New 7x24x365 emergency support hotline services have also been launched, again supported by TrueCONNECT Premium’s superb reliability.

INSYS icom also needed a cloud computing platform to facilitate and store data in proximity; they deployed the SmartCLOUD cloud computing service for local data storage in China, meeting data sovereignty requirements. CITIC Telecom CPC’s cloud computing platform SmartCLOUD is designed to offer a range of cloud services to businesses. It provides a flexible and scalable infrastructure, allowing organizations to deploy and manage applications and services without the need for on-premises hardware. The platform is tailored to meet the evolving needs of businesses in terms of performance, security, and efficiency. It ensures rapid access and enhanced service productivity, and also complies with local requirements such as GDPR and China MLPS 2.0., stipulating data sovereignty specifications.

Results

• Seamless Global Connectivity: The integrated Cloud-Network services provided a seamless global connectivity and cloud storage solution, ensuring minimal latency, maximum reliability, and security. TrueCONNECT Premium’s high reliability facilitated seamless global connectivity, enabling INSYS icom to offer new services and extend the functionality of its icom Connectivity Suite.
• Enhanced Productivity and Cost Efficiency: INSYS icom elevated customer experience with high productivity, performance, and cost efficiency through location-agnostic worldwide deployment of IIoT solutions. The new offering of the icom Connectivity Suite allowed customers to configure machinery anywhere and deploy it globally, resulting in higher productivity and cost efficiency. This approach increased the value by coupling business agility and decision-making capabilities.
• Emergency Support Hotline: Thanks to the high reliability, the client was provided with 7x24x365 emergency support hotline services globally.
• Compliance with Data Sovereignty: SmartCLOUD ensured compliance with data sovereignty requirements, including GDPR and China MLPS 2.0, positioning INSYS icom as a trusted partner in the IIoT space.

Continuous Innovation

With our company’s services and expertise, INSYS icom is now continuing to develop other new applications and extend functionality for customers within existing markets and new geographies. Both companies have exhibited strong resonance with a corporate culture of continuous innovation and commitment to quality, with the aim to transform technical potentials into real-world positive impact for customers.

In collaboration with our CITIC Telecom CPC, INSYS icom plans to upgrade its icom Connectivity Suite to improve user experience, refining industrial communications systems to be simpler, more efficient, powerful, and secure. The partnership reflects a culture of continuous innovation and a shared commitment to progress.

Conclusion

The successful collaboration between INSYS icom and CITIC Telecom CPC demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships in navigating complex markets, addressing technical challenges, and achieving global business expansion. The digital business models and ecosystems implemented have not only addressed the immediate challenges but positioned INSYS icom for future growth and innovation in the competitive landscape of IIoT solutions.

The strategic partnership between INSYS icom and CITIC Telecom CPC proved instrumental in addressing the challenges of global expansion, regulatory compliance, and technical complexity in the IIoT space. By leveraging CITIC Telecom CPC’s expertise, INSYS icom not only successfully expanded its presence into Asia and China but also enhanced its service offerings, providing customers with innovative, reliable, and compliant IIoT solutions. The collaboration showcases the importance of strong partnerships in navigating the complexities of the global digital business landscape.

With 25 years of strong experience working at National and International Service Providers, Serve Bunnik is one of the well-known experts in the ICT industry. In addition to helping enterprises overcome complex IT challenges, he has vast interest ranging from emerging technologies to corporate strategies.