M2M alliance seeks global harmony

Machine-to-machine companies around the world have banded together to form an alliance geared at providing a unified, seamless network across the globe for delivering applications created by providers in the emerging technology.
Announced today, the m2mGlobal Alliance consists of M2M providers in North America, Australia, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Founding members are KORE Telematics Inc., Wireless Maingate AB, Mach Communications Pty and Vianet Ltd.
The alliance “was created to help global M2M application providers more quickly and cost effectively expand their services overseas,” Alex Brisbourne, KORE Telematics president and COO, said in a news release.
The alliance is geared to unify disparate networks so companies no longer have to deal with roaming charges or negotiating a wireless plan with a local network in a foreign market.
In the past few years, M2M applications have become increasingly important to user companies and there is a growing need to use the technology internationally, said Robin Duke-Wooley, CEO of the international analyst firm Beecham Research Ltd.
The initiative “aims to satisfy many concerns that international companies have with extending their use of M2M and is a welcome development for this market,” Duke-Wooley said.
Each of the founding members of the alliance has an established presence in its own market. The alliance was formed after 18 months of work, Brisbourne said.
“We had to find companies that had the right systems, the right financing, the right management and the right products,” he said. “It took a significant amount of time.”