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!

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 M2M News Weekly – June 30, 2010

You are reading the first edition of "Kevin's M2M News Weekly." This is an online newsletter that is made up of the most interesting news and articles related to M2M (machine to machine) and embedded mobile devices 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 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.

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!

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ABI Research forecasts that Wi-Fi-enabled health care products will hit sales of nearly $5 billion globally in 2014, up 70% from 2009. The increase is expected partly because of the need to provide wireless networks to support improved asset management, mobile workers, standard administration of medications and digitized records, said Stan Schatt, an ABI analyst.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135412/Wi_Fi_enabled_health_care_products_to_surge_with_electronic_medical_records?taxonomyId=1

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If you are interested in the M2M or embedded mobile devices market for consumer electronics, you may want to watch this short video on the consumer electronics segment of M2M.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/06/m2m-market-overview-part-2-consumer.html

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Vodafone’s machine-to-machine business has taken 40 percent of the market since it launched the M2M division last year, it said last week.

http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2010/06/25/4869524.htm

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TMC and Crossfire Media announced that their M2M Evolution Conference will once again be collocated with TMC's ITExpo, October 4-6, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2010/06/24/4866658.htm

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In emerging markets, “device” was almost synonymous with “smartphone,” while in mature markets the “device” focus went beyond smartphones and into other devices, such as machine-to-machine readers, netbooks, e-readers and tablets.

http://connectedplanetonline.com/mobile-apps/news/amdocs-sp-role-study-062410/
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A new M2M analyst report is available on the Maximizing Wireless Profits website. M2M is a very intriguing market. It is closely related to enterprise mobility in that mobile devices (embedded mobile devices, remote sensors and monitors) are collecting and sending data back to a central server. The audiences for this report are mobile network operators (MNOs), M2M and mobile enterprise software companies.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/06/m2m-growth-opportunities-for-mnos-in.html

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Gemalto is looking to insert SIM cards into mobile devices. Today the identity module–maker announced it is purchasing Cinterion Wireless, the world’s largest manufacturer of GSM machine-to-machine wireless communications modules. The combination will put under a single umbrella the two technologies necessary to make an M2M solution work: the radio module that physically connects a device to the network and the authentication and security software that allows it to transmit.

http://connectedplanetonline.com/3g4g/news/gemalto-buys-cinterion-062910/

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M2M, or machine-to-machine communication, is fast becoming a market-changing force for a wide spectrum of entrepreneurial businesses. Since launching its Emerging Solutions Group in October 2009, Sprint has worked with solutions partners to help a growing number of businesses serve customers -- and in some cases outflank their competitors -- with M2M innovation.

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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/machines-talk-together-and-transform-business-operations-with-sprints-m2m-wireless-mobility-solutions-2010-06-16?reflink=MW_news_stmp

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Machine-to-machine communications is emerging as an important growth area in wireless, but there's a battle underway over which network is best suited to accommodate the expected onslaught of connected devices.

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=193336&f_src=lightreading_gnews

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Now that SAP has enterprise mobility all figured out, it is time to explore opportunities in the M2M marketplace. M2M is a vision of connecting physical things through a network that will let them take an active part in exchanging information about themselves and their surroundings over the Internet.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/05/m2m-market-opportunities-introduction.html

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Over the next five years the market for wearable wireless sensors is set to grow to more than 400 million devices by 2014. Demand will come from the professional healthcare, home healthcare and sports and fitness markets, but these markets will develop at different speeds and will support different applications. The sports and fitness market represents more than 90 percent of the market today.

http://www.abiresearch.com/press/1460-Market+for+Wearable+Wireless+Sensors+to+Grow+to+More+than+400+Million+Devices+by+2014

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Sprint plans to open up a center to help foster the development of embedded mobile devices using a cellular connection later this year, according to a company executive. As the traditional business of providing cellphone voice and data services begins to peak, carriers are racing to stake a claim in a new area commonly known as connected devices. Sprint, which moved early in the area and pioneered a wholesale business model with Amazon’s Kindle, has since fallen behind its larger peers Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100616-710644.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines


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 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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M2M - Growth Opportunities for MNOs in Developed Markets

The new M2M analyst report that I just finished has now been uploaded and is available on the Maximizing Wireless Profits website.  M2M, machine-to-machine communications, is a very intriguing market.  It is closely related to enterprise mobility in that mobile devices (embedded mobile devices, remote sensors and monitors) are collecting and sending data back to a central server. The audiences for this report are mobile network operators (MNOs), M2M and mobile enterprise software companies.

Handset driven customer growth has reached the saturation point in many regions of the world and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are looking for new applications, new markets and new technologies for their next phase of growth. Machine to machine (M2M) devices and applications are an area of wireless data usage with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 25% per year through 2014 and a projected need for up to 50 billion M2M devices by 2025. In addition, low churn rates, low acquisition and operational costs, expected long product lifecycles, and a market that needs many additional value added services makes this a compelling market opportunity for many MNOs.

Why is the M2M market interesting for enterprises?  Nearly all high value assets and equipment that are remote or mobile could benefit from having an embedded mobile device in sensors and monitors that provide information wirelessly back to the asset management and tracking system at the office.  Pressure gauges, measurements, volumes, temperatures, operating hours, mileage, etc., can all be collected and wirelessly sent to the central management system. 

When a piece of remote equipment begins having problems, an alert can be wirelessly sent to the asset management and work order management system so repairs can be scheduled.  Maintenance schedules can also be set based upon data collected by remote monitors.

Embedded mobile devices can also be implemented to both send and receive data.  Some M2M systems provide the capability for instructions to be sent to remote monitors that will change settings on equipment.  I have read about large trucks having their engines adjusted remotely to improve performance or fuel mileage.

I believe that mobile enterprise application platforms (MEAPs) may expand to support M2M data integration that will be used by enterprise asset management systems and service optimization solutions like SAP's mobility partner ClickSoftware at some point.  The data, whether coming from a smartphone or a remote sensor, looks the same to the platform.  It is just data coming in wirelessly to the system.

There are some very interesting M2M companies like Enfora that are offering a wide range of specialized M2M devices, services and systems.  Enfora is a provider of wireless networking solutions that enable enterprises to access, analyze and leverage information from their geographically dispersed assets.  It is interesting to read about how their solutions are being implemented and the ROIs their customers are experiencing.

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile & 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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