OmniSite launches WINGs multimodal platform for utility monitoring

OmniSite unveiled WINGs, a new platform that combines surveillance, telemetry and PLC connectivity for municipal water and wastewater systems. The Indianapolis company says the device is meant to simplify monitoring across distributed infrastructure while reducing the need for separate systems at each site.

Why it matters: - Municipal water and wastewater utilities often manage distant pumping stations, water towers and treatment sites with limited staff. - A single platform that combines video, data collection and equipment control can reduce hardware sprawl, installation time and maintenance burden. - OmniSite is positioning WINGs as a lower-complexity alternative to traditional SCADA-style setups for smaller communities and utility teams.

What happened: - OmniSite introduced WINGs, a multimodal platform for municipal water and wastewater monitoring. - The platform combines camera surveillance, telemetry and PLC data gateway capabilities in one unit. - OmniSite said WINGs is the first multimodal device to combine those three functions in a single system. - Tom Ward, OmniSite president and CEO, said the platform lets operators manage systems from one interface, whether they oversee two stations or two hundred.

The details: - WINGs provides camera surveillance for remote sites, telemetry for real-time sensor and equipment data, and PLC connectivity for equipment control. - The platform runs inside OmniSite's GuardDog 2.0 cloud software. - OmniSite began developing GuardDog 2.0 in January 2024 as a multi-year project. - GuardDog 2.0 is a 100% web-based interface with text, voice-call and email alarm alerts. - The system includes dashboards for tablets, PCs and smartphones, plus date- and time-stamped logs of alarms and operator responses. - GuardDog 2.0 also includes trend analysis tools and a free smartphone app with every OmniSite device. - GuardDog is included at no extra charge with every OmniSite product, and customers can mix devices across a single private cloud account. - OmniSite's peer-to-peer control feature, released in October 2024, lets devices communicate directly for interlocked control across long distances. - The peer-to-peer setup uses a fill-in-the-blanks configuration table instead of specialized programming. - OmniSite says the feature can handle alternation and zoned arrangements for drinking water systems without custom code. - Peer-to-peer control works across the OmniSite product line, including OmniBeacon, XR50 PLUS and Crystal Ball PLUS. - Rapid Installation Kits have been available since August 2025 for the XR50 and Crystal Ball lines, with pre-terminated wire harnesses, conduit and analog sensors. - OmniSite upgraded legacy XR50 and Crystal Ball devices with new circuit boards and over-the-air update capability in October 2025. - The Virtual Microbiologist launched in March 2026 as AI-powered software that connects a camera microscope to OmniSite's cloud platform. - The software automatically counts and identifies wastewater indicator organisms, assesses floc health and other process parameters, and recommends plant adjustments. - OmniSite also offers free configuration services and free 1.5-day in-person training at its Indianapolis facility. - OmniSite was founded on January 3, 1998, as Logical Concepts, Inc. by Tom Ward. - The company holds a patent on its cellular technology and has been migrating back-end servers to multiple Amazon AWS regions since 2022 for high availability, redundancy and security. - OmniSite says tens of thousands of its monitors are deployed across the United States at sewage and water pumping stations. - More information is available on OmniSite's website, the company blog or by calling +1 317-885-6330.

Between the lines: - OmniSite is bundling hardware, software and support into a broader ecosystem rather than selling a single device. - The strategy appears aimed at municipalities that need remote monitoring but cannot justify the cost or staffing demands of a larger SCADA deployment. - The emphasis on no-code configuration, cloud access and free services suggests OmniSite is competing on ease of use as much as on technical capability.

What's next: - Utility managers can evaluate WINGs alongside OmniSite's existing devices and cloud tools. - Continued adoption will likely depend on whether municipalities see enough value in replacing multiple systems with one integrated platform. - OmniSite will likely keep expanding its device ecosystem and cloud-based control features as it targets water and wastewater operators nationwide.

The bottom line: - WINGs is OmniSite's latest push to make remote utility monitoring simpler, more integrated and easier to deploy.