Digita’s private networks combine the advantages of other technologies – “information security is in perfect order”
Private networks consist of technology familiar from public mobile networks, which enables companies to implement a wireless communications network for their own use. Private networks are not a well-known concept as yet, but Henri Viljasjärvi, Director, Business Development at Digita, explains what private networks are and their benefits.
Viljasjärvi started working at Digita at the beginning of 2001, which means that he has been with the company for over 20 years. For the past ten years, he has held various management positions, and nowadays his calendar is almost entirely filled with matters concerning private networks.
In many industries, especially services, the digitalisation of things and business functions is well under way. However, in industries based on physical products and services, digitalisation is only just beginning to gain a foothold. For example, ports, mines, the manufacturing industry and hospitals are environments where technological solutions have slowed down digitalisation.
“Digita’s private network technology provides a new kind of technological solution for physical business, enabling the processes and material flows of the physical world to be digitalised. In this way, private networks serve as a digitalisation platform on which activities can be automated and developed”, Viljasjärvi says.
According to him, private networks are not a well-known concept as yet, but their benefits to companies are all the greater. Private networks enable companies, for example, to shorten production times, improve quality, reduce costs as well as increase safety and flexibility. Private networks can also be used to develop completely new business models.
With public networks, companies cannot decide, for example, where the network is available or who uses it. Private networks, on the other hand, allow companies to manage their own network and combine all the advantages of other technologies.
“The company can make its own decisions and choose what kind of activity it wants from private networks. When you can decide these things yourself, the information security matters of the private networks are in perfect order”, Viljasjärvi assures.
Digita provides private network services with a large organisation’s expertise but with the agility of a small one
What makes Digita’s private networks unique is that they are always implemented according to companies’ individual needs. The core of the entire private network business is that these needs are listened to and met.
According to Viljasjärvi, Digita’s strength lies in its ability to provide tailored network services, even though Digita itself is not a particularly large operator.
“Digita’s strength is that we have all the capabilities required of a telecommunications operator: our own organisation covering Finland 24/7, a service management centre monitoring networks, and the technical competence to build and operate these networks. At the same time, we are a suitably small, compact and agile organisation that can tailor each network to the customer’s needs.”
According to Viljasjärvi, the future of private networks looks bright, and suitably small and agile operators like Digita are needed in the private network field. Compact organisations are always able to adapt their services and maintenance processes to the needs of companies.
Private networks through cooperation between Digita, Telia and Nokia
Digita’s partners in private networks are Nokia and Telia.
A fantastic example of the cooperation is the globally unique 5G private network project of the Kittilä gold mine.