Pole Record Magic

In 1939, renowned futurist and the one of the brains behind 2001: A Space Oddysey, Arthur C Clarke posited that, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Across all of science, it is hard to argue with Clarke. Of course, people saw some of these magic technologies coming. For example, automobiles and telephones were a long time coming, but if you take a look at a far longer list of the technologies that form the foundation of the modern world, you might find that every one of them appeared to the general public as magic. Take the lightbulb, or X rays, or the atomic bomb, and as Clarke demonstrates, you will find that each of them represented magic in its day.

Here at IKE, we believe in giving our customers their own little slice of that magic. The Cambridge dictionary defines magic as, a special, exciting quality that makes something or someone different and better than others. At IKE, we simply define it as IKE Analyze. A few quick steps in the field, and your job is complete. Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, IKE Analyze builds a pole record and completes pole loading and MRE without you having to do anything but point our orange device at the pole.

I wont take the liberty here of trying to tell you to use IKE Analyze, that is someone else’s job. Instead I hope to have made a subtle point that magical technology is not only for the paradigm shifting surprises of science. It can be found even in the most obscure parts of society if you know where to look. If, by chance you are reading this as someone who works in the wonderful world of utility poles, let me offer nothing more than a brief introduction to the little slice of magic IKE offers our industry.

Pole Record Magic 101

Perhaps the best example of the magic of IKE Analyze can be found in the process of pole loading analysis. If you are not familiar, pole load analysis is the process by which the ongoing strength of a pole is calculated for various conditions based on how much equipment is attached. Using traditional methods, the process takes a long time and looks something like this:

• Field crew collects necessary data at the pole | ~20 Min/pole
• Data are entered into excel spreadsheet | ~4 min/pole
• Pole is built manually in SpidaCalc from data in spreadsheet | ~20 min

At minimum, you are looking at over 40 minutes a pole to simply know what kind of load it can take. That is not accounting for the revisits that have to happen constantly because of bad data or transcription errors.

Enter, IKE Analyze.

You simply collect data at the pole in half the time using the IKE Device. Then the data is uploaded to the IKE cloud and you can keep going about your business as usual. Maybe spend a little more time with your family, mow the lawn, go climb a mountain, all while IKE Analyze is working its magic behind the scenes. Before you know it, you get back the pole, fully loaded in SpidaCalc along with a photo verifiable record, just like magic.

That deliverable comes with the assurance that all of the data has been inspected by an experienced analyst and QC checked no less than 3 times, so you know there is no reason for your client, the pole owner, or anyone else to doubt the data they are getting from you. With projects ranging from 5 poles to 5 million, a little magic at each pole can go a long way. After years in the communication industry, I can tell you unequivocally that seeing IKE Analyze in action it has changed my view on how work can be done on utility poles.

While I can try and use words to describe quite how magical the process is, there is nothing quite like seeing it in person. I can only hope that one day, you will get the chance to experience it for yourself. To learn more about IKE Analyze, feel free to reach out to IKE or check out the IKE Analyze page.