Research and Markets: Role of Communications in Gas & Oil Industry – Market and Technology Trends

Business Wire, June 24, 2009

DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/764862/role_of_communicat) has announced the addition of the "Role of Communications in Gas & Oil Industry - Market and Technology Trends" report to their offering.

This report is intended for IT and communications departments of the Oil and Gas industry (GOI) organizations as well as for suppliers of communications equipment for GOI or similar industries. Oil and gas companies need highly- reliable and well-managed communication networks to control and monitor their mission-critical applications. The report researches two technological trends, which bring multiple benefits for users: development of Industrial Ethernet and development of TETRA radio. Though unrelated to each other, both trends are supported by numerous suppliers; and with equipment designed satisfying GOI requirements, including protection from various elements as well as with the ability to support specified communications characteristics in potentially explosive environments.

Industrial Automation (IA) "Ethernization" became a reality with proliferation of the Ethernet/IP (as well as other protocols discussed in this report). Ethernet/IP (EIP) is an industrial application layer protocol specifically built for the IA environment. Developed on the standard TCP/IP protocol suite, EIP-Ethernet Industrial Protocol- uses all the traditional Ethernet hardware and software to define an application layer protocol that structures the task of configuring, accessing and controlling IA devices. Ethernet/IP classifies Ethernet nodes as predefined device types with specific behaviors. The set of device types and the EIP application layer protocol are based on the Control and Information Protocol (CIP) layer used in popular IA networks. Building on these widely used protocol suites, Ethernet/IP provides a seamless integrated system from the sensor-actuator network to the controller and enterprise networks. The report analyzes specifics of Ethernet applications for industrial automation - though Ethernet is the primary protocol for Enterprise, it was not well known in IA just several years ago. Developed Ethernet standards as well as adaptation these standards for IA stimulated Ethernet proliferation at the industrial floor. The report analyzes portfolios of major vendors, and stresses that many of them are designing equipment to satisfy requirements of GOI users. The report also estimates the market size for industrial Ethernet and the addressable market for the GOI sector.

GOI also uses an extensive line of wireless technologies, including both terrestrial and satellite connections. The report shows that GOI gradually accepts standard land-mobile radio-TETRA- to fulfill requirements for terrestrial communications. TETRA radio is designed for public safety communications and for special industries such as transportation, utilities and GOI. Though a share of GOI in the TETRA market is not large (3%-5%), the report shows that further adoption of this standard may result in numerous benefits for GOI. The report analyzes TETRA technological and marketing features and stresses their applicability for GOI. It also introduces recent projects that resulted in TETRA deployments for GOI; and estimates the TETRA market size. Altogether, the report shows that proliferation of Industrial Ethernet as an important part of GOI Industrial Automation development; and the wide acceptance of TETRA radio for a variety of data, voice and video applications equip GOI with up-to-date advanced communications technologies. These technologies help GOI to develop a modern communications infrastructure and to support reliable operations even in extreme environments.

Key Topics Covered:

• Introduction
• Ethernet/IP
• IE Elements and Transmission Media: Major Trends
• IE Market
• IE Standardization
• Vendors: IE and IA Communications Products
• TETRA -Land Mobile Radio (LMR) in GOI

Companies Mentioned:

• Aaxeon (Ethernet Switches and Connectivity Devices)
• Amphenol-Socapex (Communications Products for GOI)
• Azonix (IE for GOI)
• Beckhoff (EtherCat and other products)
• Cisco (Rugged Ethernet Switches)
• Contemporary Controls (Industrial Ethernet)
• Ethernet Direct (Rugged Ethernet Products)
• GarrettCom (Ethernet Products-Rugged-GOI)
• Hirschmann (IE)
• Industrial Control Communications (Communications Devices)
• Korenix (Ethernet Switches for IA)
• Moxa (Wireline and Wireless Ethernet for Harsh Environments)
• Milper (Rugged Ethernet Switch)
• Neteffect (acquired by Intel in 2008; products for GOI)
• N-Tron (IE Ethernet Switches)
• Omron (IA)
• RuggedCom (IE GOI)
• Rockwell Automation (Communications Ethernet Products)
• Phoenix Digital (Fiber Connectivity)
• Parvus (Rugged Communications Products)
• Real Time Automation (EIP connectivity)
• Sixnet (IE Ragged Switches)
• Siemens Automation (IA Wireless and Wireline Ethernet)
• Westermo (IE Products)
• Woven (Data Center Solutions)