The wireless networking options for the Boomerangs are varied and range from the simple to the somewhat complex. This paper enumerates several of these options and provides some concrete, real-world examples of different configurations and some of the pros and cons of each.

VPN Between Cellular Provider and the Utility: Under this scenario, a VPN is established directly between the cellular provider (both GSM and CDMA are available) and the end user.

Canvass Only System – Hosted at PMI: With a PMI-hosted Canvass solution, a customer’s Boomerangs will report back to the PMI network using a proprietary communication protocol designed and developed by PMI.

Utilities that are looking to deploy Boomerangs into an existing SCADA system are really given two options from those listed above: public static IP addresses outside of a VPN (the no VPN option) and the VPN between the wireless provider and the utility.

In one final scenario, a utility may wish to take advantage of all of the Boomerang’s capabilities and report both back to the utility’s SCADA network and to Canvass.