Used by more than 400 value-added distributors (VARs) and systems integrators worldwide, ORBCOMM’s pioneering technology powers innovative solutions that address real problems in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, oil and gas, utilities and much more. But that’s not all: our team of highly trained field application engineers work closely with VARs to provide creative proofs of concept, troubleshoot complex technical issues, facilitate third-party integrations, and much more.
We recently caught up with Obinna Enemuoh, Field Application Engineer, to talk about what’s happening in the VAR space, hear some of his favorite projects to date, get his thoughts on the latest industry trends, and much more. . This article is also available at English e Spanish.
What is your background?
I am an electrical engineer graduated from Carleton University. I moved here from Nigeria in 2008 and attended a pre-university program before starting at Carleton.
In your opinion, has electrical engineering helped you as a field application engineer?
It was certainly very useful, but I would say that 80% of my work is software. When we have to debug a PCB assembly or use a multimeter or oscilloscope in the lab, it’s a hands-on experience.
So, you’re having a good learning about software engineering in the field?
Yes that’s right. I work a lot with satellite terminal solutions, which are programmable terminals, and this is where I work more intensively with software programming.
As an electrical engineer by training, how did you end up joining ORBCOMM?
My first job out of college was in the semiconductor industry and then I moved into manufacturing. I was very excited when I got the opportunity to come to ORBCOMM because it’s about IoT and machine-to-machine communication.
When looking at the direction of the current world, that is, digitalization, I understood that it would be an extremely strategic position.
And speaking of the world’s direction, you’re helping VARs embed this technology. What value does your team bring to VARs?
We are prepared to listen to the problems they are trying to solve. From there, we can suggest the best solutions from our portfolio for them to use. It’s recommendations like, “Okay, maybe you need a GT 1200 terminal” or “Maybe you don’t need a dual-mode terminal,” and so we suggest the technology that fits the use case.
In addition, we can provide proof of concept and maintain communication with them, leaving the door open for them to develop custom applications through our contribution.
Have you identified standout use cases that VARs are developing solutions for?
I didn’t identify and that’s part of what I like about this job: things change all the time. For the most part, the communication protocols are the same; for example, I did a lot of work with Modbusbut other than that, every new project is totally different.
What are some of the biggest challenges VARs are currently facing on the pitch?
I see many companies struggling to get the data they are producing. With our solutions, we help these companies gather the data and use it. Typically, they lack the right backend to access them, which turns out to be a common issue.
Another common problem is integrating solutions from multiple providers. Many of them use sensors and devices from different manufacturers and this leads them to constantly resort to an intermediary in communication between different manufacturers and suppliers.
And the way to help them is to know how to integrate with these devices?
Yes, exactly. We sometimes contact these vendors and work directly with them to resolve our customers’ issues. Furthermore, if the customer faces any issues with the configuration of these devices, we take action.
What’s your favorite project so far?
It was one made in Colombia that I really liked. They were trying to monitor gas and flame levels and report changes in states. It was challenging as there were around 69 different sensors. In our Modbus 2 application, we only have 31 distinct addresses. Basically I had to develop my own Modbus decoder.
This was an amazing experience for me. It took time, but it was definitely useful and I can now say that I really understand the Modbus protocol.
In addition, they gave us a live demo introducing different gases to the detector, which allowed us to see the application in action and efficiently report changes in states. We looked at a variety of gases, such as methane and propane, which had different dissipation rates. The application would have to be able to adjust and be fast enough to pick up on state changes, taking into account the gas type and dissipation rate.
It has to be something really smart, right?
No doubt.
You mentioned how the different projects happened, but is there a sector that you consider preferable?
To be honest, I don’t have a sector that I like so much that I consider it a favorite. All are interesting in their own way. This reminded me of another project where the customer wanted to measure the turbidity of a river. The intention was to assess the degree of purity of the river and inform if any limit was exceeded.
If that happened, the idea was to sound an alarm and activate a wash. We had to implement the digital output to start the wash.
But, yes, I love all the diversity in the projects. Anyway, one trend was the design of turbidity with the Modbus application. The same happened with the gas monitoring project in Colombia.
Thinking about solutions, what do you think are the biggest opportunities for our VARs in the near future?
I would say analytics because right now we can provide VARs with massive amounts of data, but I believe that in the future the industry will pay a lot of attention to the science of analytics as more and more companies benefit from their insights.
You claimed to have done a lot of work with ST products. Any other?
I worked with the GT 1200 solution and also for ORBCOMM Japan last year.
What do you most like to work with? Any preferences?
I would say the ST series. They are fully programmable and that gives me more flexibility to use my creativity.
Based on your experience on the field, where would the VAR market go?
Today, everything involves automation, right? In my opinion, VARs will be able to move more freely from vertical to vertical and offer more omnivertical solutions.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m a personal trainer. work with it and I dedicate myself too to the real estate sector, in addition to being a breeder of poodles.
Poodle Breeder?!
Yes. In fact, there are puppies available. They are about five weeks old, so in a few more weeks they will be ready to go.
Do you often visit your homeland Nigeria?
Yes definitely! I went back there in 2021 and plan to return for Christmas this month.
Before we close, what, in your opinion, is the most important characteristic quality that a field application engineer should have?
Be interpersonal. Having the ability to talk to people and communicate. Technical expertise is important, but we’re in this business to help our customers solve their problems.
