Simplicity and flexibility will determine winners
In the U.S., TIA has recently emerged as a leading voice, and best hope, for M2M standardization with the development of their M2M Standardization Task Force that includes representation from the U.S., Europe, Japan, China, and Korea. Regardless of the geography of the network or the device, the continued proliferation of connected devices on a global scale will force everyone to agree on one standard sooner rather than later. Standards will boost interoperability and speed time to market for new applications and services.
M2M Market Defined
“The M2M market continues to evolve rapidly, creating confusion about how to define and categorize it,” Kathryn Weldon, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Mobility for Current Analysis says in her recent report. “We view the M2M market as consisting of four essential segments: (1) modules and devices; (2) management platforms; (3) connectivity; and (4) applications.”
Further, AT&T breaks down M2M opportunities into eight tidy verticals:
- Asset Tracking
- Fleet Management
- Remote Monitoring
- Security
- Telematics
- Wireless POS
- mHealth
- Smart grid
Of these, John Horn, President of RACO Wireless, T-Mobile's M2M partner, says there are a few to keep an eye on: asset tracking, security, fleet, and personal tracking.
V2X Solutions
“The transportation industry was an early M2M adopter, and fleet management applications continue to gain traction today,” Bruce Thompson, senior product marketing manager, M2M, AT&T Business Solutions says. “We still see significant demand for solutions using GPS tracking and vehicle Telematics, along with a number of additional services. In the past several years, the “connected car” space has expanded to include a variety of new and innovative applications.”
Airbiquity is one service provider who is working on the edge of connected car services, or what Leo McCloskey, the VP of Marketing for Airbiquity calls Vehicle-to-Vehicle or V2X services.
“We're really talking about the vehicle as a connected product,” McCloskey says. “There's going to be a psychological change in the way we use our vehicles.”
Aribiquity's Choreo provides services for brands including the Nissan Leaf that include everything from a smartphone app. for drivers that lets them remotely warm up the car, to a cohesive platform for service and maintenance.
V2X solutions are also helping insurance companies gather vast amounts of data on the way we drive, even offering discounts for drivers willing to allow them to collect data about habits behind the wheel. Progressive Insurance's commercial star, Flo, advertises the M2M device you plug in so that your daily driving habits can be monitored to determine your overall driving safety.
“Then there's systems that can be put in cars that monitor how your teenager drives so you can know if they're not driving safe and you can help them learn how to be safer,” Horn adds.
Verizon and GM are also getting in on the "connected car" with this year's debut of a research vehicle with 4G connectivity. The prototype GM Chevy Volt is connected with OnStar's Advanced Telematics Operating System (ATOS) cloud server via Verizon's 4G LTE network, making the car itself a mobile hotspot.
Two Sides of Security Solutions
Thank the Patriot Act if you will, but governments are willing to spend big bucks on M2M security solutions. IBM's i2 acquisition positions it to capitalize.
“IBM’s goal is to better equip public safety officials and businesses with the information and tools they need to ensure safer cities,” said Craig Hayman, General Manager of Industry Solutions at IBM.
