Microlink launches IoT solutions for flood mitigation, plantations
KUCHING: Microlink Solutions Berhad (Microlink), a local ICT solutions provider, yesterday launched three new Internet of Things (IoT) applications that can address some of the recurring issues affecting the operations of Malaysia’s flood and natural disaster mitigation, energy management and plantations sectors.
Simply known as the Smart Environmental Management System, Smart Energy Management System and Smart Plantation System respectively; Microlink group chief executive officer Chia Yong Wei hopes that the introduction of these three IoT solutions will benefit industries that have been underserved by the IoT players so far.
“Technology is moving at a rapid speed to enable us to live better more efficient lives. However there are obvious gaps in the market for effective IoT solutions for different segments of the industry.
Recognising industry needs, Microlink’s Enterprise Solutions division has developed applications that can accelerate, mitigate and resolve issues that up till now lacked the right tools,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters in Malaysia, resulting in loss of lives and homes as well as incurring costly damage in flood prone areas.
In January, an estimated 15,000 Malaysians, mostly in Sabah and Perak were evacuated as flood waters rose to dangerous levels. Most recently in March, roads in Kuala Lumpur were submerged following intense rainfall.
Chia explained that Microlink’s Smart Environmental Management System is an IoT solution that collects, analyses and transmits critical information on rainfall, water levels, humidity and so on to enable better flood prevention and mitigation measures.
“This solution will enable authorities to better analyse risk areas and predict potential disasters based on existing data to provide an early warning system. In the event of a flood, the system will be able to transmit relevant information on affected areas with images overlaid onto maps in real time,” he elaborate.
Meanwhile, the country’s electricity demand per Capita (kWh/ person) rose from 4,074 in 2013 to 4,194 in 2014. While consumption continues to rise, unfortunately energy costs are also going up on a consistent basis.
Chia says, “One of the key priorities of building owners and managers is to reduce energy consumption in order to bring down operational costs. Microlink’s Smart Energy Management System achieves this by capturing and monitoring energy usage from all the devices in a building’s power circuit in real time.”
This data is then churned and analysed to allow building managers to make analytics-backed decisions to better manage energy consumption across different sections or buildings. The solution can be deployed via web or mobile app.
“Most businesses already have the data, what they need is an IoT solution that can analyse that data to help them make the right decisions to reduce energy consumption and operational costs,” said Chia.
Lastly, Microlink’s Smart Plantation System enables farms to operate in a smarter manner by controlling the vital functions that impact overall production quantity and quality of the plantations, such as water usage and irrigation. The system utilises a sensing technology run over an IoT platform that feeds farmers information such as temperature, moisture, conductivity, soil nutritional values – which are critical to break or make a successful harvest season.
Microlink has laid out strategic plans within its Enterprise Solutions division on promoting the awareness of the availability for all three of its IoT solutions, and expects to periodically share on its new adoptions and case studies.
“Microlink is focused on helping enterprises in different sectors grow by developing tools that help address the gaps in the ICT solutions market – especially in the area of IoT.
Our team will continue to design applications that not only solve issues and increase efficiency but that are also cost effective by being subscription-based and available on cloud. This will enable organisations of all sizes to take advantage of flexible cost structures while adding value,” Chia concluded.