Study: M2M market to see 80M module shipments by 2013

The market for cellular machine-to-machine communications modules is expected to grow to nearly 80 million shipments in 2013, according to a new study from ABI Research.
The firm predicts four applications will provide the strongest drivers for growth in the M2M market, including OEM telematics, point-of-sale terminals, advanced metering and home security and managed home automation.
OEM telematics’ applications included car-based navigation and emergency communication systems like GM’s OnStar service. ABI said most major car manufacturers have announced their own telematics programs.
Advanced metering encompasses electricity and water meters that automatically transmit data via power line, wireless sensor networks and cellular connections. All developed regions of the world have seen smart metering rollouts, said ABI.
Wireless point-of-sale terminals and ATMs support the ongoing shift to cashless transactions, and there appears to be a global trend toward bundling cellular connectivity as an offering to merchants along with POS terminals, said ABI.
Finally, a trend is emerging to add wireless as a backup or replacement option for traditional landline connectivity in home security and automation applications, said the firm.