Highlights:
- Neuron 360 provides companies that operate connected fleets with a real-time, 360-degree view of their connectivity operations so they can monitor, analyze and act.
- Neuron 360 is built with spatiotemporal and contextual awareness, meaning, it factors in time of day, day of week, location, elevation and more to provide an accurate and complete view of a vessel’s network performance as it moves.
- Dashboards in Neuron 360 include connectivity quality of experience (QoE) scoring and insights to quickly identify and resolve network performance issues, manage connectivity costs and revenue, improve customer experiences, and more.
For reliable, always-on connectivity, every second counts – especially for things that move, such as ships, planes and trains. That’s because a variety of time-sensitive external factors come into play, from coverage gaps to weather to satellite interference, and even the curvature of the earth, which can impact network efficiency at different latitudes.
Companies that operate connected fleets need an agile, data-driven system in place to be able to make critical network performance decisions on the fly. However, as we discussed in this blog post, legacy connectivity solutions are siloed. Consider the broad range of services to choose from, including LEO, MEO, GEO, 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi, and all the equipment needed to support those services, from modems to routers, antennas and more. All of that data lives in different systems. Not only does this impact time-sensitive decision making, but it also makes it nearly impossible for companies to correlate their connectivity performance with key business objectives.
Neuron 360 breaks down these silos and provides companies with a real-time, 360-degree view of their connectivity operations. It consolidates all of their connectivity and performance data, spanning multiple providers and systems, onto a single platform and keeps a pulse on their network performance, every second. It then generates dashboards that companies can use to monitor and analyze their performance and take action. The data is built with spatiotemporal and contextual awareness, meaning, it factors in time of day, day of week, location, elevation and more to provide an accurate and complete view of a vessel’s network performance as it moves.
Armed with these insights, business leaders – from IT to digital experience, entertainment, and up to the C-suite – can make better decisions to save time, reduce costs, optimize network performance, boost revenue and accelerate digital experiences for the people they serve, wherever they are in the world. Below are examples of how Neuron 360 customers are using the platform to monitor performance, analyze trends and take action.
Monitor Performance
Neuron 360 displays real-time, spatiotemporal dashboards that companies can use to monitor their network performance, and quickly detect and resolve issues.
At the heart of Neuron 360 is our first-of-its-kind Quality of Experience (QoE) scoring system, which makes it easy for companies to keep tabs on their network performance, in real-time, and make necessary adjustments on the fly. A company's QoE score is determined using machine learning models and an end-to-end proprietary probe that measures network performance data, including application performance, packet loss, latency and more. That data is correlated with utilization metrics to provide a reliable measure of user experience. If their QoE score drops, they’ll know there is an issue. They can then leverage various performance metrics dashboards to find the root cause and solution. Neuron 360 provides an overall connectivity QoE score, as well as QoE scores by specific use cases, such as streaming, browsing, collaboration and more.
Unlike legacy solutions, Neuron 360 breaks down service and technology silos, and monitors the entire connectivity lifecycle end-to-end. This means that even subtle anomalies, like DNS spoofing or antenna blockage, won’t go unnoticed. Previously, these issues could stay hidden for days or even weeks, and once someone realizes a problem, it will likely take additional time to identify the root cause and implement a solution. Because Neuron 360 integrates all connectivity data, from network performance to equipment to end-user quality of experience – errors can be quickly detected.
Neuron 360 also includes fleet views that allow teams to see, in a single dashboard, the performance of every operational vessel in their fleet as they move around the world. If a large number of ships or planes turn red, they can see that there is a fleet-wide problem that needs to be addressed. For example, if weather at a teleport is affecting a large number of sites, then the scale of that impact can be quickly identified.
Analyze Trends
Neuron 360 enables companies to analyze network trends over time. This allows them to distinguish systemic issues from isolated incidents, correlate network performance with business outcomes, and more. For example, teams can pinpoint consistently poor-performing routes or itineraries so they can make regionally-focused decisions. They can also see trends based on factors like day of the week, time of day, weather patterns and antenna blockage.
Companies can also use Neuron 360 to correlate connectivity with their NPS and customer satisfaction scores. In the airline and cruise industries, for example, guest satisfaction is intricately tied to connectivity quality of experience – especially for guests who purchase Wi-Fi packages. If their in-flight or onboard teams see a drop in guest satisfaction scores, or a spike in Wi-Fi refunds, they can use Neuron 360 to determine whether or not connectivity issues could be attributed.
Profitability analysis also plays a crucial role in connectivity management for cruise and airlines, as many transition to free or freemium Wi-Fi models. Neuron 360 provides insight into the actual bandwidth usage of specific apps, enabling teams to tailor their plans accordingly. Sometimes, the findings are surprising, especially as new apps emerge. In one instance, for example, a customer discovered that a new home security app on their basic plan was using substantial bandwidth because it streams video content. This wasn’t aligned with how its internet plans were structured, prompting the company to revise its Wi-Fi packages to better meet both business and guest expectations.
Take Action
With access to critical connectivity data and insights, Neuron 360 empowers companies to take action to improve digital experiences across their fleets.
This includes making more informed purchasing decisions. For instance, Neuron 360 offers a comprehensive view of a company's bandwidth, including consumption, availability and demand estimation. Unlike the traditional approach of measuring and monitoring bandwidth against an agreed-upon CIR, Neuron 360 shows companies all of the bandwidth that is available to them so that they can get a complete picture of their usage, needs and costs. If they are underutilizing their bandwidth, they can adjust future purchasing, loosen their traffic policies for better utilization, or find other uses – such as running extra digital promotions for guest internet packages. If they max out their bandwidth, Neuron 360 provides an estimation of how much more bandwidth their vessel would have consumed, so they know how much more they need to buy.
Because Neuron is a vendor-neutral platform, this independent view of their data helps companies take control over their connectivity operations and make better decisions.
Neuron 360 can also help companies take action to better address connectivity issues for guests who purchase Wi-Fi packages. As we mentioned previously, if the Wi-Fi on a cruise or flight doesn’t meet guest expectations, that may be reflected in the company’s NPS or customer satisfaction scores, and it’s likely that guests will request refunds. By monitoring and analyzing QoE scores in real-time, companies have the insight they need to proactively reach out to customers, acknowledge when their experience wasn’t up to standard, and offer a voucher or refund.
We’re excited about the journey ahead as companies in aviation, cruise, shipping and more accelerate their digital transformations. To learn more about how Neuron 360 can help your business, send us a note here. Be sure to also check out how Neuron Grid, our AI-powered network management solution, helps companies optimize their network performance and end-user experiences.
To stay up-to-date on our latest news, and opportunities to join our fast-growing team, connect with us on LinkedIn. Neuron is headquartered in the greater Miami area, with offices in the UK and India, and remote teams around the world. See open roles here.
