Among professionals discovering LPS Manager, one question keeps coming up: “What is the difference between Sky Sentinel and LPS Manager? Can one replace the other for lightning detection?”
The short answer: no, one does not replace the other. In reality, these two solutions address distinct needs and are designed to work together. This article clarifies the role of each, so you can choose the right combination for your situation.
Sky Sentinel: real-time hardware lightning alert
What Sky Sentinel does
Sky Sentinel is a lightning alert solution dedicated to HSE (Health-Safety-Environment) environments. It targets HSE managers, industrial site managers, site foremen, and critical infrastructure operators (energy, telecom, logistics, construction).
Concretely, Sky Sentinel offers:
- Multi-level alerts: pre-alert, alert, end of alert — allowing a graduated response from teams
- Coverage without on-site equipment (zero hardware to install physically) over a radius up to 50 km
- Real-time HSE monitoring: user status visualization, action traceability
- Audit documentation: alert history, proof of procedure execution
As such, Sky Sentinel is primarily an operational tool for personnel safety. Its main mission is to enable teams to make the right decisions before, during, and after a storm: sheltering, stopping exposed work, resuming activities.
What Sky Sentinel is NOT
However, Sky Sentinel does not manage lightning protection files. It does not perform IEC 62305-2 risk assessments. It does not track VGP (Periodic General Inspections). It does not generate compliance reports. In other words, Sky Sentinel is a real-time alert tool, not a document management tool.
LPS Manager: document management and free detection
What LPS Manager does
LPS Manager is a SaaS platform dedicated to complete management of lightning protection files, used by engineering firms, installers, and site operators in many countries.
Thus, LPS Manager allows you to:
- Create and manage complete lightning installation files according to IEC 62305
- Perform automated lightning risk assessments (IEC 62305-2 calculation)
- Plan periodic inspections (VGP) and track deadlines
- Generate compliance reports ready for audits
- Benefit from free lightning detection with no equipment for each managed site
- Access keraunic data and certificates via Strike Radar
Free detection in LPS Manager: for what purpose?
LPS Manager integrates a free lightning detection feature — without specific subscription, without equipment to install, without complex configuration. For each site managed in the platform, LPS Manager automatically reports storm episodes nearby.
Nevertheless, this free detection essentially serves to:
- Trigger a post-lightning inspection on potentially affected installations
- Know if a site was exposed to a significant storm episode (to decide on a post-impact VGP)
- Provide a first level of information before investing in a dedicated alert system
In other words, LPS Manager’s free detection is a pre-investment diagnostic tool. It is not designed to replace an operational alert solution like Sky Sentinel.
The frequent confusion — and why it occurs
Confusion between Sky Sentinel and LPS Manager is understandable, as both tools share a common point: they both provide information about lightning without requiring physical equipment installed on site.
However, their objectives are fundamentally different:
- Sky Sentinel: alert teams in real-time to protect people
- LPS Manager free detection: know if a site was exposed, to trigger an installation inspection
Therefore, one operates in the domain of operational HSE safety, the other in that of normative compliance management.
The complete comparison table
| Criterion | Sky Sentinel | LPS Manager (free detection) |
|---|---|---|
| Tool type | Real-time HSE lightning alert | Lightning file management software |
| Equipment required | None on site | None |
| Lightning detection | ✅ Real-time, multi-level | ✅ Free, post-storm |
| HSE alerts | ✅ Pre-alert / Alert / End of alert | ❌ No |
| Coverage | Up to 50 km | Per managed site |
| IEC 62305 file management | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (complete) |
| Lightning risk assessment | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (IEC 62305-2) |
| VGP and compliance tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Keraunic reports | ❌ No | ✅ Via Strike Radar |
| HSE user tracking | ✅ Yes (color codes) | ❌ No |
| Target audience | HSE, operations, construction sites | Engineering firms, installers, operators |
When to use one, the other, or both?
Use Sky Sentinel if:
- You have teams on exposed sites (construction sites, outdoor sites, pylons)
- You need to implement lightning HSE procedures (stopping work, sheltering)
- You need alert traceability for your HSE audits
- You operate multiple sites with teams and subcontractors to coordinate
Use LPS Manager if:
- You need to perform lightning risk assessments compliant with IEC 62305-2
- You manage lightning installation files (lightning rods, earthing, surge protectors)
- You track VGP and compliance of your installations over time
- You need keraunic reports or lightning strike certificates (via Strike Radar)
Use both together if:
- You operate a critical industrial site that must both manage compliance and protect people in real-time
- You are an installer or engineering firm that must deliver complete IEC 62305 files AND recommend alert solutions to your customers
A concrete example: the multi-risk industrial site
Let’s take the example of an ATEX-classified industrial site in Belgium, with maintenance teams that regularly intervene outdoors.
This site needs:
- A complete IEC 62305 lightning file, with risk assessment, installation plans and annual VGP → LPS Manager
- A real-time alert system to trigger HSE procedures during storms → Sky Sentinel
- Lightning strike certificates for its insurers after each impact → Strike Radar (accessible via LPS Manager)
In other words, LPS Manager and Sky Sentinel do not substitute for each other: they address distinct but complementary needs within the same lightning risk management strategy.
Conclusion
In summary, Sky Sentinel is a real-time HSE lightning alert solution with no on-site equipment, designed to protect people and trigger operational procedures. LPS Manager is a lightning file management software, with integrated free detection to identify exposed sites — ideal as a diagnostic tool before investing in a dedicated alert solution.
These two tools are designed to complement each other. To learn more about Sky Sentinel and its HSE alert capabilities, visit the dedicated page on lpsfr.com. And to discover how LPS Manager can transform your lightning compliance management, create your free account.
For more information about LPS Manager pricing and to download the app, visit our dedicated pages.
