Alesea - IoT Solution for Cable Drum Management

“We are focusing on digital to expand our range of new services”, declares Prysmian’s Energy EVP F. Fanciulli

Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, in collaboration with its innovation hub Corporate Hangar, is poised to launch Alesea, an IoT solution that provides virtual assistance for cable drum management.

Alesea is the first start-up to enter the runway phase at the Corporate Hangar, the innovation hub co-founded by Prysmian Group in 2017 to support and develop high-value projects of strong interest. The Alesea solution is comprised of a smart device that is installed on the cable drum, a cloud infrastructure where the data is stored and processed, as well as an intuitive web platform. Alesea is equipped with a GPS locator, environmental and movement sensors and multi-network mobile communications providing worldwide coverage. The system offers near real-time access to information regarding the location of the cable drum, potential cases of theft and tampering, drum use and the amount of cable available.

Innovation is integral to Prysmian’s approach, allowing the Group to anticipate the market’s needs and meet our customer’s requirements with increasingly innovative solutions. Corporate Hangar is where Prysmian identifies, develops and implements promising ideas without interfering with the Group’s successful business model. Prysmian and Corporate Hangar have formed a team fully dedicated to developing cutting-edge solutions and constantly improving the services offered to clients. The Corporate Hangar team has extensive experience and can assist customers not only with the project launch phase but also with data analysis, insight and support for the entire decision-making and business plan development process.

Alesea is the result of the unique partnership between Prysmian and the Corporate Hangar. The data, which is automatically stored on the cloud, can be retrieved at any time and viewed on desktops and customizable mobile platforms. Alesea is then able to provide full inventory management service, while also contributing to reducing the total cost of cable management, through better asset use and greater operating efficiency. In addition, the device is installed during the cable manufacturing phase so that no intervention is required in the field, while also lessening the impact on the environment through optimized logistics while keeping cable waste and scrap to a minimum.

“Alesea transforms cable drums from mere packaging into smart assets,” said Francesco Fanciulli, Executive Vice President Energy Business at Prysmian Group. “This tool will enable us to support our partners by helping them improve their performance in terms of operational efficiency and sustainability. This digital solution for the cable industry further confirms that the Group is at the forefront in terms of innovation. We have an ambitious development roadmap and we aim to reach global scale as early as 2020.”

After a thorough research and development process carried out in recent months together with Prysmian's Digital Innovation Lab, over 1,000 Alesea devices have been tested in seven countries and the solution is now ready for large-scale distribution. Alesea is a dynamic solution that will continue to evolve through collaboration with clients and industry partners, with the aim of meeting emerging market demand and keeping pace with the newest applications.