University of Miami - case study
Reduce Cost
Decrease support call repeat rates, call handling time and on-site travel costs
Improve quality
Provide engaging, real-time connections that improves employee and customer satisfaction
Increase uptime
Avoid downtime with faster problem identification and resolution
Company
Part of the University of Miami, the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, is one of the leading academic oceanographic and atmospheric research intuitions in the world. Instruments installed onboard several boats, which travel constantly around the world, make its research possible.
By deploying RealVNC® software with an Enterprise license to these systems, researchers can troubleshoot and maintain the systems from their laboratories, eliminating the need for personnel on each vessel.
Challenge
The Meteorology and Physical Oceanography department conducts research measuring hurricanes, climate, ocean modelling, clouds and mesoscale processes, and satellite remote sensing. In order to carry out these investigations equipment is installed on research vessels and small boats which are deployed across the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
This equipment needs to be regularly monitored and any problems that occur must be dealt with quickly and effectively so as not to reduce valuable research time. A solution was required to remove the need for a person to be physically present onboard in order to maintain such systems.
Solution
Previously when equipment failed a staff member would have to travel to the boat or wait for the equipment to be sent back to the research laboratory for repair. With RealVNC remote access software installed on the equipment, researchers are able to access the software to diagnose and repair issues remotely, at any time of the day.
In addition to the instruments on vessels, equipment is also housed at a number of remote research stations located around the world. RealVNC software is installed in the same way at these stations and extends the opportunities research staff have for collecting data around the clock, enabling real-time monitoring and maintenance.
Telesat’s Satellite Controllers and Antenna Engineers use RealVNC remote access software from their Control Center to remotely connect to distant Control Systems when configuring or troubleshooting at various sites around the world from Spain and Austria in Europe to Brazil and North America. They can also connect to remote PCs which control the Antenna Drive Systems that keep a Satellite Dish pointed at the Satellite as it orbits the earth.
Telesat provides Transfer Orbit Services (TOS) support to companies around the world; delivering a data and communications network to customers when they launch satellites. This allows tracking of a satellite from launch to when it becomes parked in orbit.

“ RealVNC remote access software has decreased the amount of downtime when our onboard systems do not perform properly, allowing us to increase the amount of time sampling. ”
Marc Peters
Technical Support
Future
Research staff are delighted that RealVNC software has drastically reduced equipment downtime affording them more time to collect data samples, without technical issues hampering their research efforts.