A secure, reliable network is a must in the oil industry. No one knows that better than Ray Daily, product line manager of M/D Totco, the 80-year-old instrumentation division of National Oilwell Varco.

Integral to the complex process of oil well drilling, according to Daily, is the continuous collection and analysis of data, which is obtained by monitoring numerous drilling parameters on the rig. Sophisticated instrumentation systems collect and display measurements such as weight on drill bit, pump pressures, rate of penetration, and fluid circulation system variables. World-class companies depend on oil service companies like M/D Totco to provide this information via accurate, fast, and highly secure readouts. So dealing with network reliability problems was the last thing M/D Totco needed to keep its customers happy. That’s why Real Time Communications, the oil service company’s network management company, switched M/D Totco from its previous provider to HughesNet Optimized VPN service as the backbone for its customer network. A fully managed broadband offering, HughesNet Optimized VPN creates a seamless network service by using the most efficient and cost-effective technology available at each site—whether satellite or landline. The result is a uniform and cost-efficient broadband service at each site that includes operations, network management, and proactive monitoring.

Fast, Reliable, and Secure

Now, M/D Totco effortlessly monitors its network and provides customers with real-time data at a given oil rig site, which is uploaded to a remote location offsite. “The solution requires very little oversight on our part,” said Daily, “and our customers love the reliability, security, and speed that the network provides.”

A key benefit of the HughesNet solution is that it enables M/D Totco to filter and enforce security protocols, including data encryption and secure transport. The oil service company can also physically demonstrate high network security to prospective customers—before they buy and implement services. “Security is the number one concern for our oilindustry customers,” said Daily. “They like to see, even before they sign up, that their data never touches the Internet.”

The network must also be able to send data from geographically dispersed onshore and offshore drill sites to remote locations around the world. “The HughesNet Optimized VPN solution is fast and allows us to move data between locations with minimal network delay, no matter where the ends are located,” added Daily. “Another key advantage is that it gives us the ability to customize a customer’s VPN with specific applications, such as VoIP.”

Rising Demand

Since the initial deployment in 2004, the M/D Totco network has expanded twice to meet customer needs. Today, the HughesNet solution services 550 active sites around the world, many in locations where terrestrial broadband would be impossible or cost prohibitive. “What we’re seeing is a growing demand for customization while maintaining the same level, if not higher, of security,” said Daily. “Our customers have been extremely happy with the network we provide them and there is no doubt the underlying reason is the HughesNet Optimized VPN service.”

Fast, reliable, and secure. With the HughesNet Optimized VPN service, that’s how M/D Totco customers get their data—whether the drill site is located in the oil fields of Texas or out in the middle of the ocean.