News
IQGeo hopes their finalized acquisition of Deepomatic, an AI computer vision developer, can help enhance predictive maintenance for networks.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
IQGeo’s acquisition of an AI computer vision developer called Deepomatic sets the stage for the next phase of development in the world of predictive maintenance, according to David Cottingham, IQGeo’s CTO.
The UK-based global firm, which develops AI-powered geospatial software, announced the completion of their acquisition of Deepomatic earlier this month.
Cottingham, speaking to BBCMag.com last week, said the acquisition plays into IQGeo’s larger mission of revolutionizing how networks are maintained.
On the surface level, Cottingham said Deepomatic’s platform, which can be integrated with IQGeo’s Network Manager, allows contractors to use computer vision to prove work is completed correctly.
On a deeper level, however, Cottingham said Deepomatic’s approach, where a rich dataset is captured about the network with each photo, could help telecoms correct the models of their networks.
“All that data has maybe 20-30% errors in it,” he said, referring to operators’ records that have been built up over decades.
“Now what you’re doing is saying, ‘we can now make your system of record—that thing that has, you know, 20-30% errors in it—we can correct that,” Cottingham added.
According to Cottingham, operators currently are faced with the task of resurveying incorrect data, mainly by sending human employees to the field.
In the next phase, Cottingham said IQGeo hopes to use proactive AI agents, which can recognize patterns in images and sensor data, to intelligently surface recommended actions. For example, to carry out maintenance activities on a predictive rather than a reactive basis.
‘A step toward agentification’
IQGeo’s release earlier this month explains further.
“The addition of AI-driven data capture is a step toward agentification of the network, where software systems take on a greater share of operational control,” the release stated. “By automating task validation at the point of work, operators lay the groundwork for predictive and proactive network models.”
Cottingham also said the acquisition positions IQGeo to offer improved services in regard to quality control on installations. The reason, Cottingham said, is because contractors are unable to mark field work as finished until Deepomatic’s AI verifies that the task has been completed to specification.
Contractors, at first skeptical of the real-time checks Deepomatic offered, have become supportive of the technology at large, Cottingham said.
Cottingham elaborated, saying that AI verifies task completion automatically, meaning contractors can receive payment without the delay of manual sign-off.
“The contractors start off with, ‘oh, this is scary, because you’re checking my work,’ and they turn into, ‘ah, this is really positive, because now I get paid quicker.'”
According to IQGeo’s release, announcing the finalization of their Deepomatic acquisition, the company is now actively working with customers to embed computer vision into field processes.
As of the finalization of the acquisition, Deepomatic had 20 existing telecom operator customers, according to IQGeo.
To get content like this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to the Broadband Communities newsletter.
