Industrial Case Study: How One IIoT Device Enabled Regulatory Compliance and Generated Thousands of Dollars

Nov 24, 2016
4 min read

Updated: Feb 17

This IoT case study shows how one Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) deployment turned a service bottleneck into scalable growth.

EmissionGuard Inc. helps companies meet regulatory compliance requirements for emissions monitoring on GenSet generators. That work requires consistent data logging and reliable reporting. If the data is missing, delayed, or inaccurate, customers risk falling out of industrial regulatory compliance.

EmissionGuard’s challenge was not whether IoT devices could help. It was how to apply industrial IoT applications in a way that reduced support burden while keeping compliance simple for customers.

Before IIoT Device Implementation: Field Service Engineer Installs and Support Strained Growth

Compliance is only as strong as the data behind it.

For emissions reporting, customers need monitoring that is continuous, verifiable, and easy to audit. That typically means:

Connected monitoring of the GenSet and supporting sensors and devices
Time stamped data generated for reporting and proof
Reliable storage and access for audits
Minimal gaps caused by hardware failure, PC issues, or missed manual steps

This is why industrial IoT applications matter in compliance environments. You are not just collecting data. You are protecting customers from risk.

That is exactly where EmissionGuard was feeling pressure, because their original model depended heavily on on site installs and customer owned PCs.

Before IIoT Device Implementation: Field Service Engineer Installs and Support Strained Growth

Two years ago, EmissionGuard had grown to over 100,000 customers.

To support that scale, they relied on a highly skilled network of systems integrators and partners to travel for installations. Each install required:

On site hardware installation and configuration
On site software installation on a customer PC
Ongoing support across many operating systems and local IT setups

After installation, support calls often had nothing to do with emissions monitoring. They were classic IT problems:

“I replaced my printer and now it doesn’t work with your system.”
“A Windows update changed security settings and now it won’t connect.”

A significant amount of support time was consumed by PC and software variability. Growth was strong, but scalability was strained. More customers meant more installations, more travel, and more support engineers.

That is the moment many service businesses hit a ceiling.

So EmissionGuard changed the approach.

The Solution: Utilizing IIoT Devices to Auto Update their Remote Equipment

This year, EmissionGuard adopted an IoT enabled approach that removed the need to dispatch a field service engineer for each install.

Now, when a customer places an order, EmissionGuard ships the product instead of scheduling an onsite engineer. Installation can be completed by a regular electrician.

The product is the IoT enabled G3 IoT Edge Controller (an IIoT device designed for remote equipment).

The customer installs it, then:

Plugs the Modbus port into the GenSet
Connects additional sensors and devices
Applies power

From there, the device handles connectivity and publishing.

The unit automatically connects to the internet using a 4G modem. Verizon has guaranteed that modem will work on their network for a minimum of 15 years.

Once online, the device begins streaming data to a single server, the same system used by all deployed units. The result is a more consistent remote monitoring and management model, with fewer onsite variables.

This also unlocked a major benefit. When EmissionGuard improves the cloud application, the update applies across the installed base. That means new value can be delivered without sending technicians back into the field.

In a recent update, EmissionGuard added a new feature that predicts catastrophic failure in GenSet units. They offered it as an add on, and many customers opted in for the peace of mind.

That is a real example of how IoT applications can create new revenue, not just reduce costs.

Results After IoT Implementation

EmissionGuard pay:

$4.00 per month to Verizon
$0.50 per month to Xively to run and maintain the cloud application

EmissionGuard charge their customers:

$11.00 per month for their standard service
$15.00 per month if customers opt for the additional catastrophic failure protection

The model is simple. Predictable costs, predictable recurring revenue, and a smoother customer experience.

Lower Support Costs, Higher Profit, and Scalable Growth

With the new IIoT approach, EmissionGuard now has only 3 support engineers. They also no longer rely on a network of expensive systems integrators for installations.

That reduction in travel and support complexity significantly lowered operating costs. It also kept more profit inside the business, while making it easier to scale the next 100,000 installations.

Even better, EmissionGuard found a new niche: replacing competitor non connected units with connected, remotely managed alternatives.

How Does the Future of Business Look With the IoT?

Most companies adopt IoT devices for one reason: fewer surprises.

When equipment is connected, you can see issues earlier, respond faster, and build services that feel proactive. That is where customer trust increases and churn decreases.

The same pattern shows up across industrial IoT applications:

Centralized visibility across fleets of remote equipment
Fewer truck rolls and fewer emergency calls
Faster troubleshooting based on live data generated
Better compliance reporting with fewer gaps

And as organizations mature, many expand into adjacent use cases like Energy management systems, where monitoring power usage and energy efficiency can create cost savings and support a sustainable approach.

The Future of Remote Business Operations with IIoT

As more operations move to the cloud, businesses can offload server maintenance, backups, and security tooling to a cloud service provider. That frees internal teams to focus on service delivery and product improvement.

As IIoT adoption grows: