POEM: How Smartphones Monitor Oil Tanks

When is a “POEM” pure poetry in motion? When it prevents your pipes from freezing and ruining your beautiful home. How does this make sense? The answer lies with a physicist in Huntington named Arnie.

Arnold Stillman founded POEM Technology in 2013 with a simple idea: devices that effectively measure can save humans a lot of trouble. Eighteen years as an engineer for Brookhaven National Laboratories gave Stillman a lot of knowledge and insight to build upon.

Though the technology behind this movement is only truly “simple” to a trained physicist—Stillman is the rare scientist and inventor with a gift for rendering the complicated understandable. And, for users, the technology is a simple matter. POEM installs their Point of Entry Monitors (POEMs) in your tank and gives you access to your data on their website via your Smartphone, Tablet or personal computer. Bingo—you can check on your home’s oil supply while you surf in Hawaii.

For spot delivery clients, POEM is currently at work on a “push to deliver” function—so you can initiate delivery from any device connected to the internet. Even better, your contract delivery service can monitor your oil supply for you so that you never run short—and never even have to check on it yourself. “We’re the only company offering this technology to homeowners,” says Stillman. At a recent trade show for property managers in New York, Stillman demoed several devices to prospective clients. During the event he found one tank down to 14% full.  He alerted the delivery service and oil was delivered the next day. The property had been scheduled for an oil delivery on January 3. This discovery was made on December 3.

POEM clients get regular updates about their oil tanks. An alert is sent when any tank drops below 15%. Of course this technology is already in use in many commercial enterprises, including hotels and multi-unit dwellings. Stillman says, “our devices can be used to measure any liquid. Though federal regulations currently prevent their use for gasoline.”

Right now, POEM staffers are working in their newly expanded Huntington offices to establish regions for their services. When asked if the company was going national, CTO and Partner Tom Canino responded, “We’re going international!”

What’s next for these inventive entrepreneurs? Solar-powered sensors to monitor your outdoor, home propane tanks!

POEM Technology, poemtechnology.com, 844-763-6832.