M2M in the Home and at Work

Twice in the past two days a machine has sent me a M2M message in my home.  The first time it told me that its inventory was low, and then asked if I wanted to replenish its inventory from a specific vendor.  The second M2M message alerted me to a mechanical problem.  In both cases it was my HP wireless printer.

Ericsson predicts that by 2020 there will be 50 billion M2M enabled devices.  Those are large numbers, but I can see the value in my own home.  I can just image the value in a large manufacturing operation.  All the machines monitoring themselves and reporting mechanical problems, maintenance or replenishment needs.

I can also see the need for any company that has geographically dispersed high value assets like trucks, tractors, trailors, tools, etc., to want to track them and to know when they need repaired or serviced.

I have recorded a number of video comments on M2M which you can find on the SAP Mentor channel on YouTube.  Click here for the list of YouTube videos:   http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-video-comments.html , or read my M2M newsletter, M2M News Weekly here, http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html.

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analsyt, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles. ***************************************************

SAP Enterprise Mobility Podcast

One of the key messages from SAPPHIRENOW 2010 is that this is the year of SAP mobility. To get a better handle on how mobility trends impact the enterprise and how to track those trends on the SAP Community Network, Jon Reed sat down with SAP Mentors John Appleby and Kevin Benedict.  During this twenty minute podcast, John and Kevin explain the difference between enterprise mobility and point solutions and share their take on the SAP mobility trends to watch for this year.

Podcast: http://www.jonerp.com/content/view/354/55/

Newsletters:  If you are interested in the latest news on enterprise mobility, check out Kevin's Mobility News Weekly - http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-mobility-news-weekly.html or Kevin's M2M News Weekly - http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html.

Video Comments: View my ramblings on enterprise mobility - http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-video-comments.html

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analsyt, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles. ***************************************************

Kevin’s M2M News Weekly – July 14, 2010

Welcome to Kevin's M2M News Weekly. This is an online newsletter that consists of the most interesting news and articles related to M2M (machine to machine) and embedded mobile devices that I read each week. I aggregate the information, include the original links and add a synopsis of each article. I also search for the latest market numbers such as market size, growth and trends in and around the M2M market.

I believe that enterprise mobility and the M2M markets are converging. Both areas exchange wireless data with the enterprise. Both play important roles in enterprise asset management, fleet management and field services.

You can read archived editions of Kevin's M2M News Weekly at http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html.

Also check out Kevin’s Mobility News Weekly and Kevin’s Enterprise Mobility Blog.

Please send me any interesting M2M news links, market numbers, events, case studies, analyst reports or whitepapers that you come across and I will include in my newsletter. Enjoy!

********

I found this video by Vodafone on YouTube that paints an interesting vision of M2M.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujk1cprLpD8&feature=related

********

Cumulative global investment in smart grids, including smart meter implementations, as well as upgrades to the transmission and distribution infrastructure, will approach $46 billion by 2015 according to the latest forecasts from ABI Research.

http://www.fieldtechnologiesonline.com/article.mvc/Smart-Grid-Spending-Will-Top-45B-By-2015-0001?user=2373698&source=nl:28057

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Within the next five years, mobile phones, sensor technology, portable medical devices, and wireless health applications will play a larger role in connecting patients with their healthcare providers, yet many healthcare chief information officers haven't put plans in place to accommodate this surge.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/mobile-wireless/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224900533

********

The global market opportunity for mobile health could be worth as much as $60 billion, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

http://www.fiercemobilehealthcare.com/story/worldwide-m-health-market-opportunity-could-reach-60-billion/2010-02-23

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The market for mobile health technology will reach an estimated $4.6 billion by 2014, according to a report by CSMG. mHealth is already a $1.5 billion market and it is expected to grow over the next five years at a 25 percent CAGR (compound annual growth rate). If certain broad healthcare reforms are instituted, such as pay-for-performance, adoption could accelerate.

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/new-report-offers-insight-fragmented-mhealth-market

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The U.S. market for wireless home-based health care applications will grow from $304 million this year to $4.4 billion in 2013, according to a new report. That translates to an estimated annual growth rates of 96 percent in 2010, 126 percent in 2011, 95 percent in 2012 and 68 percent in 2013.

http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/home_health-38778-1.html

********

According to recent studies, the M2M market is estimated to grow $19 billion over the next five years.

http://m2m.tmcnet.com/topics/m2mevolution/articles/91259-machine-to-machine-market-grow-19-billion-over.htm

********

A new fire safety product alerts deaf or hard of hearing people, via their cell phones, of fire alarms in public places such as supermarkets, hotels, shopping centers and libraries.

http://m2m.tmcnet.com/topics/m2mevolution/articles/91327-uks-fireco-chooses-wireless-logics-m2m-fire-alarm.htm

********

What if my blood sugar's too high today? Is it time for my blood pressure pill? With nagging text messages or more customized two-way interactions, researchers are trying to harness the power of cell phones to help fight chronic diseases.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_med_healthbeat_cell_phones

********

The U.S. Army is using mobile technology to transmit health tips, appointment reminders, and general announcements to the cell phones of more than 300 wounded soldiers. The mobile phone based secure messaging system called mCare is one of several innovative wireless technology solutions that the Army is deploying to improve the health of its employees.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/patient/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=XRAP20EITORINQE1GHOSKH4ATMY32JVN?articleID=225701968

********

Tracking and tracing applications have always been a big part of M2M technology, and it seems there are no signs of this market slowing down. Companies continue to introduce new components and products that can be used for keeping tabs on location, whether it’s tracking a vehicle, cargo, or something else.

http://www.m2mmag.com/m2mnew/news/articles/article.aspx?ID=8469

********

Europe has 345 million energy meters, 254 million motor vehicles, 8 million security alarm systems and 6 million POS-terminals. Altogether these segments represent a potential market of over 600 million wireless M2M connections.

http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?productid=1493111

********

Ericsson is identifying M2M as a key component in the future growth of the mobile industry, driven by devices such as smart meters, tracking solutions in the logistics industry, digital signage, cameras, and vending machines which can reorder for them. Up to 50 billion devices are expected to be connected by 2020.

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/352836/50_billion_device_connections_by_2020_ericsson/

********

Doctors have already been finding ways to incorporate the new iPhone 4 and its videoconferencing features into their practice of medicine.

http://www.fiercemobilehealthcare.com/story/surgeons-connect-iphone-4s-facetime-videoconferencing-app/2010-07-13


***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict http://twitter.com/krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analsyt, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
***************************************************

Incorporating Video in Your Enterprise Mobility Application

Video on mobile devices is powerful.  I started blogging about videos in mobile applications about three years ago, but at that time it was only available on Windows Mobile devices via a link to a browser that connected to YouTube or other video sites.  Today mobile devices take and support HD video natively.  YouTube can now be an application on your device, and with the new iPhone's FaceTime application you can have real time video (if speaking to another iPhone 4 user).  All interesting, but how can it be used by the enterprise?

I believe training videos embedded in mobile device widgets or in your mobile enterprise application can be very useful.  The videos can also be multilingual.  I can image a field service technician installing a new piece of equipment and having challenges.  He/she clicks on the related video widget in their mobile field services application and watches how the equipment should be installed.  I can also imagine the field service technician video recording his work in real time and getting advice from a distant expert.

A quick three minute "How To" video, that is run on your smartphone, could communicate what it takes six pages of documentation and 30 minutes to read.  I can see embedded videos being used in many areas including:
  • Implementation instructions
  • Customer service strategies
  • Product features and functions
  • Sales instructions
  • Business process instructions
  • Safety videos
  • Repair and maintenance instructions
  • Company policies on various topics
  • Best practices...etc.
Gil Bouhnick, Director of Mobility at ClickSoftware, recently wrote about using video widgets on mobile enterprise applications on his blog Mobilefever, http://clicksoftware-mobilefever.blogspot.com/2010/07/importance-of-training-in-enterprise.html.

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
***************************************************

Kevin's Mobility News Weekly - July 8, 2010

Kevin's Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter that is made up of the most interesting news and articles related to enterprise mobility that I run across each week. I aggregate the information, include the original links and add a synopsis of each article. I also search for the latest market numbers such as market size, growth and trends in and around enterprise mobility.

You can read archived newsletters here - http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-mobility-news-weekly.html

You may also find Kevin’s M2M News Weekly on the subjects of M2M (machine-to-machine) and the mobile embedded device market of interest.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html

********

Microsoft discontinued its Kin cell phone effort just weeks after launching a pair of Kin-branded gadgets with Verizon Wireless. "We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship Kin in Europe this fall as planned," Microsoft said in a press statement quoted by a number of media outlets. "Additionally, we are integrating our Kin team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from Kin into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current Kin phones."

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/microsoft-quits-kin-focuses-windows-phone-7/2010-06-30

********

Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently stated that the computing giant approves 95 percent of App Store submissions within seven days.

http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/mozilla-submits-cloud-based-firefox-home-app-iphone/2010-07-01

********

Motorola will be split up the first quarter of 2011. One unit will be named to Motorola Solutions and will be headed by the other co-CEO, Greg Brown. His company will specialize in Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Network units, which includes wireless LAN gear, public safety communications equipment, and service-provider networks. This will effectively serve as Motorola's enterprise division, which requires a lot more integration work in a different way than its home division does, one of Motorola's claimed reasons for the split.

http://www.techeye.net/mobile/motorola-reveals-details-of-company-split#ixzz0sr0TyTBi

********

57% of applications on the Android Market are free applications, far more than what the other stores average. Most of them clearly circle around 25% free vs 75% paid, according to Distimo’s research findings. In fact, the only other app store with a share of free apps larger than one third is Palm’s App Catalog.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/05/distimo-june-2010/

********

ClickSoftware is an SAP mobility partner and the leading provider of automated workforce management and optimization solutions for every size of service business. This newsletter is sponsored in part by ClickSoftware.

http://www.clicksoftware.com/

********

In the first quarter of 2009 more than a third of smartphone subscribers used less than 1 MB of data per month. This number has dropped to a quarter in the first quarter of 2010 as the number of applications and the utility of smart devices has increased substantially. That means about 20 million current smartphone users are hardly using data.

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/entner-quantifying-mobile-data-tsunami-and-its-implications/2010-06-29?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

********

With Google's Android Market now offering about 65,000 applications, far behind the more than 225,000 iPhone and iPod touch apps in Apple's App Store, the company plans to fuel developer interest in the platform by introducing new in-app revenue opportunities like sales of subscriptions and virtual goods.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/technology/companies/05iht-android05.html?_r=3&scp=2&sq=google&st=cse

********

I recently wrote an article for The Enterprise Mobility Foundation, The Next Step in Business Process Optimization: Mobility. In this article I describe the enormous amount of work that has gone into designing and automating business processes and ERPs like SAP. The conclusion of the article is that as sophisticated as ERPs are today, there remains significant feature gaps, especially in extending business processes out to the mobile workforce.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/07/completing-field-force-automation.html

********

RIM's BlackBerry devices control 35 percent of the U.S. market, compared with 28 percent for the iPhone and 9 percent for Android, according to the Nielsen Co., a research firm. But the numbers belie a significant shift as RIM's market share — which five years ago was more than 50 percent — erodes in the face of increased competition.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/blackberry_still_leads_in_smart_phone_market_97824479.html

********

Google will introduce Android in Indian and China. It will introduce various programs to enable developers of India and China to make money by developing applications for Android.

http://www.southasiablog.com/2010/07/google-is-looking-forward-to-popularize.html

********

Remember the stylus? The handy little hard plastic faux pen used to write on the screen of PDAs, handheld computers and smartphones. They remain important to many field service processes today.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/07/stylus-proof-of-delivery-and-windows.html
********

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has posted financial numbers of US $741.392 million for June 2010, up 66.68% from a year earlier. HTC is the largest producer of Android phones globally, and these results speak loudly to the success of the platform in the smartphone space. HTC is the producer of many of the top Android phones — the EVO 4G, Droid Incredible and the Nexus One to name a few.

http://jkontherun.com/2010/07/06/htc-posts-66-revenue-increase-in-june/

********

Wireless broadband connections using LTE and HSPA+ technology accounted for 17 percent of all broadband connections in Europe at the end of 2009, and 7.1 percent in the United States and Canada, according to Berg Insight, a mobile telecommunications research firm in Gothenburg, Sweden.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/technology/07nokia.html?_r=2&ref=global?dbk

********

LG Electronics is following its larger South Korean rival Samsung into the Android tablet market and said it plans to release the device in the fourth quarter.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009674-1.html

********

Seventy-Four days after the iPhone was introduced at $600 a pop, one million have been sold. The Droid, at $200 has sold 1.05 million. The Nexus One has sold an estimated 135,000 units. By any measure, that's a total sales flop. Even worse: The sales rate is declining. In the first month, Nexus One sold 80,000 units. That's means that only 55,000 additional units have sold since.

http://gizmodo.com/5494406/the-nexus-one-is-a-total-sales-flop

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Garmin has been trying to establish a foothold in the smartphone market. However, the location services company has had difficulty addressing threats by free navigation services like those provided by Google and others. Garmin's latest navigation based mobile phone is reported to be seeing sluggish sales, with an estimated 20,000 units sold since the handset went on sale in the USA just under a month ago.

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/44112.php

********

The largest U.S. airline carriers, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, plan to expand their mobile workforce equipped with handheld devices that agents use to check flights and issue bag tags and boarding passes. They'll soon be able to sell passengers items or get them to pay for oversize bags that shouldn't have cleared security.

http://iphone.usatoday.com/News/1855239/

********

Gartner's new and complete 2010 Gartner Field Service Management Magic Quadrant report can be found, compliments of ClickSoftware, at the following URL – http://www.clicksoftware.com/Gartner.

********

Last week Foursquare raked in $20 million in venture funding. The ultra popular Foursquare, which offers a free application that lets people flag where they are, whizzed past the 1 million member mark in April and just passed 1.8 million.

http://iphone.usatoday.com/Tech/1853481/

********

The following links are interviews that I have conducted over the past few months with enterprise mobility experts and CEOs.

Mobile Expert Interview Series:

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/mobile-expert-interview-series.html

Mobile Expert Video Series:

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/mobile-expert-video-series.html

Kevin’s Mobility News Weekly archives can be found at:

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-mobility-news-weekly.html.

I would invite those interested in enterprise mobility to join the Linkedin Group SAP Enterprise Mobility, http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro.





http://www.clicksoftware.com/e86e075b-4fca-44c9-bfeb-4efcc978f416/knowledge-center-white-papers-delivery.htm
***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict

***Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
***************************************************

Completing Field Force Automation - Extending Intelligent Mobility

I recently wrote an article for The Enterprise Mobility Foundation, The Next Step in Business Process Optimization: Mobility.  In this article I describe the enormous amount of work that has gone into designing and automating business processes and ERPs like SAP.  The conclusion of the article is that as sophisticated as ERPs are today, there remains significant feature gaps, especially in extending business processes out to the mobile workforce.

In this article, I want to highlight some areas where there is still much work to be done in field services.  In field services, a number of SAP mobility partners like Clicksoftware and Syclo have comprehensive field services and enterprise asset management solutions with mobile clients for use on smartphones and ruggedized handhelds.  However, there are still feature gaps in the integration of real time data, M2M integration, geotags, business intelligence, augmented reality and multi-media support.

Let me give you a not so futuristic field services scenario to consider.  A field services technician arrives at a customer's location.  Recognizing the location (based on geospatial data and scheduling data), the service tech's smartphone begins to both display and read, using an audio feed, the customer highlights including recent support issues, account status, warranties, contracts and possible upsell sales opportunities.  As the service technician unloads his/her tools and walks toward the worksite, they are getting educated on all the most recent events through their ear piece.

As the service technician passes near various pieces of equipment with a maintenance and repair history the information is both displayed and an audible voice reviews the history.  As the service technician enters a building, the blueprint of the building and a map of  the location of all equipment under service contracts appears on their screen.

Now let's pretend we are movie directors and insert a flashback - before the service technician was scheduled and dispatched, the field service automation system queried the maintenance and support status of all equipment on the customer's campus.  Equipment needing repair or maintenance was identified, parts required were pulled from inventory or ordered for delivery.  Required tools and equipment were pre-loaded into the service technician's vehicle and time was allocated to complete all the necessary work on the premises.  Consolidating all the work possible during a visit reduces fuel, travel and labor costs.

As the service technician arrives at each piece of equipment, he immediately snaps a digital picture of it.  A diagram, with step by step instructions overlays the digital photo and instructs the service technician on how to complete the service most efficiently.  The service technician speaks to the mobile application confirming each step until it is completed.  This audio file is immediately translated, interpreted and the work order is closed.

If any step in the process takes longer than expected, the mobile application will ask if a digital video file demonstrating the necessary steps would be useful.  If the service technician affirms, then the file automatically plays.

If advice from another expert is required, the service technician can request it and the mobile application can initiate a knowledge management process (see solutions from SAP mobility partner's Leapfactor, Open Text's Open Text Everywhere, or SAP's Streamworks) that queries experts and connects with them automatically.  If a connected expert requests a live video feed of the equipment or the work, the service technician simply aims the smartphone digital video camera at the equipment or activates the hat mounted video camera.

Before each peice of equipment is reached, an automatic M2M (machine-to-machine) communication is sent from the office asking the equipment to perform diagnostics on itself.  The diagnostic is completed and wirelessly sent to the service technician's smartphone.

All of the technology in the scenario above exists today.  It just has not been integrated all together into specific use cases like the one above.  Perhaps SAP partners are waiting for customers to request it or for SAP to document it or for you to suggest it.

*Read the Mobility News Weekly at http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-mobility-news-weekly.html.

*Read the M2M News Weekly at http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html.

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict
***Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
***************************************************
http://www.clicksoftware.com/e86e075b-4fca-44c9-bfeb-4efcc978f416/knowledge-center-white-papers-delivery.htm

Kevin's M2M News Weekly - July 7, 2010

Welcome to Kevin's M2M News Weekly. This is an online newsletter that consists of the most interesting news and articles related to M2M (machine to machine) and embedded mobile devices that I read each week. I aggregate the information, include the original links and add a synopsis of each article. I also search for the latest market numbers such as market size, growth and trends in and around the M2M market.

I believe that enterprise mobility and the M2M markets are converging. Both areas exchange wireless data with the enterprise. Both play important roles in enterprise asset management, fleet management and field services.

You can read archived editions of Kevin's M2M News Weekly at http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html.

Also check out Kevin’s Mobility News Weekly and Kevin’s Enterprise Mobility Blog.

Please send me any interesting M2M news links, market numbers, events, case studies, analyst reports or whitepapers that you come across and I will include in my newsletter. Enjoy!

********

Gemalto announced on the 29th of June that it had acquired Cinterion Wireless Modules GmbH for a total cash price of €163 million. Cinterion Wireless Modules is a leader in intelligent cellular M2M communication. Frost & Sullivan believes that the M2M market will move from being a niche market to becoming a part of the mass market in the next few years. However, the M2M Average Revenue Per User will make sense only if providers are able to sell services and/or integration and maintenance.

http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=46788&t=1&c=33&cg=4&mset=

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Satellite and cellular communications firm, Orbcomc, is to build a gateway earth station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa. Orbcomm maintains its own low-earth-orbit satellite network, which provides two-way M2M communication from virtually anywhere in the world on a near real-time basis. The Orbcomm network provides near real-time messaging, tracking and monitoring, and the new facility is expected to significantly boost the M2M market in the greater Southern African region.

http://www.africanbusinessreview.co.za/sectors/other-construction/new-satellite-gateway-sa

********

On July 1, 2010, Chang'an Automobile Co. Ltd signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Mobile to jointly develop 3G cars and apply M2M communication technology to the cars. This technology can conduct remote monitoring and management of the car by downloading 3G network to collect the vehicle operating data, and then deliver it through China Mobile's wireless network.

http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1015836/changan-auto-to-develop-3g-car-with-china-mobile.html

********

AT&T reached an agreement with the Current Group that will allow it to extend its reach with smart-grid solutions for utilities. AT&T will offer Current Smart Grid Distribution Solutions, which help utilities increase grid efficiency and system capacity by managing demand dynamically and reducing power delivery losses.

http://urgentcomm.com/networks_and_systems/briefs/att-current-partner-20100701/

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Everything Everywhere is aiming to increase business customers' productivity by up to 15 percent over the next three years. Four areas of focus have been identified by Everything Everywhere: M2M, healthcare, 'information everywhere' and HD Voice.

http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/News/529447/everything_everywhere_b2b_vow.html

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Numerex Corp. , a provider of M2M products and services announced that it has been recognized by Everything Channel as one of North America's top M2M technology integrators. This recognition is the result of Numerex's strategy of offering an integrated suite of products and services in support of its customers' M2M solutions.

http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=221133&Itemid=58

********

AT&T’s wholesale business continues to shrink. Using their sequential (Q4 to Q1) figures, they are headed for a double digit annual revenue decline in 2010. Wholesale revenues for Verizon are trending toward a double-digit decline as well. Android will need to morph into something “Incredible” to replace business and wholesale losses at Verizon. ARPU (average revenue per user) will rise, as will prepaid customers and M2M connected devices.

http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20100629/REALITY_CHECK/100629954/reality-check-earnings-spotlight-on-consumer-data-and-enterprise

********

Bluetooth Low Energy is forecasted to dominate wireless sensor network (M2M) market. Wireless Sensor Networks are all still in an emergent state, however, they are projected to grow rapidly in home and building applications. While the usual listing of home security, entertainment and lighting control, automated fire containment and alarm, burglar deterrence, etc. are all important, the application in energy use monitoring and utility management will be immense. Nearly 70% of the average household utility bill could be influenced by WSN applications.

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-bluetooth-low-energy-forecast-dominate-wireless-sensor-network-/2010/07/01/4880244.htm

********

Cybercom has initiated a strategic partnership with Wireless Maingate, a leading supplier of M2M solutions. The partnership entails outsourcing of application management to Cybercom in China. Wireless Maingate works on the development of M2M wireless technology so that products can be online no matter where they are.

http://www.cisionwire.com/cybercom-group/cybercom-and-wireless-maingate-form-strategic-partnership23388

********

Hans Dahlberg, head of industrial services at TeliaSonera says, "Machine-to-Machine communications represents an opportunity that is potentially larger than the either the mobile or Internet revolutions.”

http://m2m.tmcnet.com/topics/m2mevolution/articles/90536-smarttrust-collaborates-with-teliasonera-advances-m2m-market-applications.htm

********

A good friend sent me an article over the holiday weekend about a tomato watering system that was set up to tweet whenever it needed more water. I like it! It contains a moisture sensor connected to an embedded M2M wireless device. It is a silly little proof of concept, but it helps us to understand how many unique applications there are for M2M systems.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/07/m2m-tomatoes-fisherman-and-drug-addicts.html

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BSQUARE Corporation and the Ford Motor Company have jointly setup a Telematics Competency Center. The agreement which was signed on June 29, 2010 stipulates that the Competency Center will be staffed by BSQUARE and will focus on development and deployment of the next generation Sync in-dashboard information and infotainment system (M2M or embedded mobile devices).

http://m2m.tmcnet.com/topics/m2mevolution/articles/90890-bsquare-inks-deal-with-ford-launch-telematics-competency.htm

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Wireless M2M telemonitoring devices are increasingly being used to offer assistance to diabetes patients who must manage vital blood sugar parameters at all times.

http://dataweek.co.za/news.aspx?pklNewsId=36068&pklCategoryID=42

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An ECG, which can detect abnormal heart rhythms, is usually carried out at a hospital or clinic, but Chow U-Jin, medical director at Ephone International, which developed the EPI Life, said the device is able to condense the whole ECG process onto a mobile platform, making it a life-saving gadget.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iSC36tk1MqPREb3isxLd4kd7Y9qw

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President Obama announced Friday a $795 million government program to develop broadband access in rural parts of the country. Among the beneficiaries will be 900 healthcare facilities. The FCC's National Broadband Plan estimates $700 billion in savings over 15-25 years from teleHealth initiatives. Telehealth is likely to get a boost from greater access to broadband, the FCC plan notes.

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/broadband-investments-boost-900-healthcare-facilities

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Swedish telecoms equipment manufacturer Ericsson expects that backhaul capacity in Latin America will have to increase 100 times if the region is to support what it predicts will be 5 billion M2M connected devices operating in the region in 2020.

http://www.bnamericas.com/news/telecommunications/Backhaul_must_increase_100_times_to_support_5bn_devices_in_2020_-_Ericsson

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict
***Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles. ***************************************************

Microsoft, Free Software and Enterprise Mobility

Three years ago, Microsoft's Windows Mobile dominated the world of mobility.  Thirty-six months later they have disappeared from consumer mobility and are fighting to defend their last foothold in enterprise mobility.  How could a company as successful and technologically astute as Microsoft fail so completely in a market as large and important as mobility?  They roared right past Palm with their marketing power a few years ago but then they seem to have taken a sabbatical.

In the July 5th edition of The New York Times, Ashlee Vance wrote an article entitled, Microsoft Calling. Anyone There?  In this article she writes that one of the key challenges Microsoft faces is attracting young developers.  Vance writes that young cash strapped entrepreneurs are working with free or low cost software from places like Google's Android and Apple.  They are avoiding expensive developer licenses that Microsoft often requires.  The hip young developer community doesn't even consider Microsoft when looking to develop cool new mobile software applications.  They don't believe it has market potential worth pursuing.

Microsoft is striking out on just about every attempt in mobility.  Not only have they lost incredible market share, but they bought mobile phone designer, Danger, released a mobile phone designed for social networking called Kin, and then canceled it after only eight weeks.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "A problem cannot be solved with the same thinking that created it."  I think Microsoft needs a new spin-off company that focuses on mobility.  It is painfully clear that the Microsoft of old is struggling in the mobility arena.  It is not just their mobile technology but their business model.  If young developers are focusing on developing applications with free software from Apple and Android and looking to make innovative applications for tens of millions of users, then Microsoft must have a solution for them if they want to be a contender.

A spin-off strategy is not new for technology companies.  Motorola announced this week that they are splitting their company into two separate entities the first quarter of 2011.  They are splitting the company into a consumer company and a company focused on enterprise mobility.  The purpose is to focus.  Focus on what it takes for each group to be successful.

Organizational changes are very interesting to me.  I have seen market leaders like Palm, Microsoft, GM and others simply lose their ability to compete.  Today, a company can go from market leader to after thought in a few months.  What makes the difference?  Is it luck or strategy?

Microsoft is making another attempt to jump back into mobility now with their new strategy that is summarized nicely in Gil Bouhnick's blog article: 
http://clicksoftware-mobilefever.blogspot.com/2010/06/microsoft-announces-windows-embedded.html.  It will be very interesting to see if they can right the ship.

I am serious when I say that the chaos therory, and the study of how ice crystals grow may be useful in understanding how to manage and build a mobile technology company nowadays.  Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, physics, economics and philosophy studying the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. This sensitivity is popularly referred to as the butterfly effect.

The phrase, butterfly effect, refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events (compare: domino effect). Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. While the butterfly does not "cause" the tornado in the sense of providing the energy for the tornado, it does "cause" it in the sense that the flap of its wings is an essential part of the initial conditions resulting in a tornado, and without that flap that particular tornado would not have existed (source Wikipedia).

Read the latest enterprise mobility news at  http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-mobility-news-weekly.html.



***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict
***Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
***************************************************

M2M - Tomatoes, Fisherman and Drug Addicts

A good friend sent me an article over the holiday weekend about a tomato watering system that was set up to tweet whenever it needed more water.  I like it!  It contains a moisture sensor connected to a embedded wireless device.  It is a silly little proof of concept, but it helps us to understand how many unique applications there are for M2M systems.

In the July 5th edition of the New York Times there is an article, Circuitry With a Feel for Humanity by Amy Harmon.  The article states that doctors at the University of Massachusetts are testing a wearable sensor designed to be worn by drug addicts.  The wearable sensor discerns drug cravings in addicts and sends, using an M2M system, text messages with just the right blend of tough love.

I read another article a few weeks ago about students at a school in Africa who developed an M2M system to help local fisherman know when there were fish available to catch.  Sensors, connected to simple M2M systems sent text messages to all subscribed fisherman.

All of these articles demonstrate innovative thinking in the M2M arena.  The uses for M2M systems are nearly unlimited.  It will be fascinating to watch how this market develops.


***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict
***Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
***************************************************

The Stylus, Proof of Delivery and Windows Embedded Mobile


I was interviewing Gil Bouhnick, Director of Mobile Solutions with ClickSoftware, an SAP mobility partner, today about their new version of ClickMobile 8.1.1.  In the course of our interview he mentioned the stylus.  Remember the stylus?  The handy little hard plastic faux pen used to write on the screen of PDAs, handheld computers and smartphones.  They remain important to many field service processes today as we will discuss in a moment.

Gil and I were discussing the differences between mobile consumer and industrial grade devices.  He mentioned that in most mobile proof-of-delivery projects that he works on, the customer requires a signature from the recipient.  The signature is often captured as a digital signature by using a stylus and writing on the screen.  It occurred to me that most smartphones no longer have this feature.  As a result, smartphones without styluses will not be used in these business processes. 

Windows Mobile (and the next Windows Embedded Handheld OS) lets you capture a digital signature, draw on the screen, use radio buttons, check boxes and other onscreen tools to input data.  Not being able to use these features would be a big problem for many service technicians and delivery folks that use rugged handhelds in their work today.  That is why I am so interested in Microsoft's recent announcement regarding their Windows Phone 7 and Windows Embedded Handheld strategy.  Gil wrote an article summarizing many of the recent announcements by Microsoft on their mobility strategy, http://clicksoftware-mobilefever.blogspot.com/2010/06/microsoft-announces-windows-embedded.html.

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
CEO/Principal Consultant, Netcentric Strategies LLC
http://www.netcentric-strategies.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://twitter.com/krbenedict
***Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant and Web 2.0 marketing expert. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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