As oil and gas exploration companies are having to find new ways to improve the efficiency of their operations, multinational telecommunications company Vodafone is convinced that the use of machine-to- machine (M2M) technology can significantly improve mine operations.

“Having been in contact with mining companies throughout the African continent, what has come to our attention is that, while mines are aiming for operational efficiency, productivity and safety remain important. Therefore, M2M solutions enable us to manage information, people and assets to ensure more effective collaboration and higher levels of safety,” says Vodafone business development head Nick Kamen.

He notes that Vodafone will not only provide the solution for the mine but also train personnel on how to use the solutions effec- tively to yield positive results.

Kamen adds that adding value to the mine’s existing business model by providing software solutions that prompt business growth and increase the optimisation of the business is important to the company.

“The substantial investment we have in business process expertise enables us to analyse the business processes of a mine, as we try to understand the way in which it operates. This includes observing communication channels within the plant and identifying current management models being used. After we have a thorough understanding of these issues, we improve each process through expanding mobile communications or through exploring new ways of viewing global data,” he explains.

Through its asset-tracking and asset-recovery M2M solutions that use multiple tracking and positioning technologies, Vodafone highlights, it can reduce asset theft and increase asset use, which, in turn, increases operational efficiency.

People working alone or without direct supervision at a plant are potentially more at risk of facing dangerous situations. Vodafone can pinpoint the worker’s location by tracking an application that is loaded onto mobile devices that give comprehensive access to real-time information. This enables Vodafone to provide 24/7 emergency response and support services using several location-based M2M technologies.

“Supplying real-time information to mine personnel enables them to deduce that possible maintenance work would be needed on site. By being aware of what is happening during the operation, maintenance can be predicted early and, possibly, prevented, which is cost effective for the mine

,” Kamen concludes.