Just as mainstream business have started to understand and see the benefits of cloud computing and even the internet of things, a new IT phrase has begun doing the rounds – “software-defined everything”.
Francois Swanepoel
Devices and platforms are referred to as ‘software-defined’ when the tool for controlling or changing their functionality is implemented in software rather than using dedicated hardware. Imagine turning your car radio into a WiFi hotspot just by installing new software.
One of the biggest benefits of this concept is that the hardware doesn’t really matter – a single generic hardware platform can address a wide range of applications. This gives you much greater flexibility because you aren’t limited by your hardware.
It also means that you can address future needs that were unknown at the time you purchased the hardware, without having to replace it. If you wanted to add new functionality to your device or platform for example, you wouldn’t need to spend a fortune on new technology – you could simply visit an app store to download and enable the specific functionality you need on your existing hardware.
Already, software-defined technology is being applied in data centres, networking, storage systems and radio platforms.
The software-defined approach can provide extensive flexibility, a critical enabler for radio technology. Industries like the maritime and military, that communicate in a primarily radio-based environment, have a lot to gain from software-defined radio.
What it looks like when it works – a maritime example
The vast distances that ships travel make the maritime industry almost completely dependent on radio for reliable communication. But as more and more vessels have taken to the seas, the radio channels once used for sending simple messages have become overloaded and dangerous. What started as a basic radio standard built for safety applications and for avoiding ship collisions has evolved into a complex system supporting aspects such as logistics, navigation, collaboration, security, environmental protection, harbour management and other important applications like weather updates, tsunami warnings, geospatial information systems, and more.
All these additional messages are affecting the reliability of the system that was only made to handle safety communications. The risk of safety being compromised by ‘jammed’ radio channels is greatest in the busiest parts of the ocean, such as the English Channel and the Strait of Malacca.
To prevent any further overloading of current radio communication channels, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is working on an initiative called eNavigation.
The new standard will solve this problem by providing additional radio channels and standards to make sure that all these applications are supported in a clear, safe manner to protect the lives of people at sea. It is currently being finalised and requires international collaboration with various governments, universities and commercial entities around the world. Stone Three is heavily involved in conducting research for this, with international trials taking place in Australia. The results from these trials will answer critical questions to support the finalisation of the new standard.
It’s likely that the standard will change a couple of times as the industry begins to adopt it – just as we see WiFi standards evolving with releases a, b, g and n over time.
Without a software-defined radio platform, maritime companies risk having to replace expensive radio equipment whenever a new version or extension of the standard is released. This will be expensive and time-consuming.
With a software-defined radio platform, however, the same hardware platform can support all standards from the first release, to the future versions as they are released, through software upgrades released over time. This enables the shipowner to always have a cutting edge communication system. This software-defined radio platform is currently under development at Stone Three.
It’s closer than you think
Software-defined radio is just one example of what the software-defined future holds for us. We’re living in a very exciting time – already we can already see examples of the transformative power of software in all types of industries and sectors.
Just look at electric car manufacturer Tesla, that is now using software to enable its customers to control certain functionality of the car using an iPhone.
It’s still early days though, and the industry is at risk of over-hyping something that it can’t fully deliver yet – kind of like what happened with cloud computing in the beginning. But the future is bright and I have no doubt that in ten years time, the software-defined business will flourish.
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