Editor’s Note: With 2014 now upon us, RCR Wireless News has gathered predictions from leading industry analysts and executives on what they expect to see in the new year.
As companies everywhere begin to re-examine their business processes, decision-makers need to consider the many benefits that machine-to-machine technology can bring to the table. M2M solutions offer technology that transforms, redefines and elevates an enterprise’s competitive edge for the long haul. We are seeing more businesses depend on M2M applications today for capabilities such as asset tracking, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance on deployed machines and devices. Over the last several years, tech innovators and designers have made tremendous progress in making our machines and deployed assets much smarter. While we have come far in this space, much work still needs to be done. As we start a new year, let’s take the time to look at what we anticipate in the M2M world in 2014.
M2M means big business
As huge companies like General Electric continue to take M2M technology to the next level, we can also expect to see other large and midsize companies feel the competitive pressure to connect their machines. Business owners and decision-makers at these companies will learn to rely on M2M solutions for ways to help grow their business. This also creates a win-win situation for developers as technology experts now have the chance to observe M2M deployments on a much larger scale.
Global presence taking shape
The United States, Japan and a handful of European countries are leading the charge for M2M development in both the enterprise and consumer spaces. Given the many challenges associated with moving assets from one part of the world to another, the need for global companies to adopt M2M solutions becomes that much greater. As we head into 2014, we can expect to see M2M become more important in the Asian and Latin American markets as well.
Mobeen Khan
More data to analyze in more places
M2M applications help managers collect, analyze and react to data sent from intelligent machines and assets. As these applications continue to mature, data analysts will become more engaged with the solution at numerous points along the way and will collect increasing amounts of data. For example, an M2M device in heavy equipment that detects an alarm can decide whether or not to directly dispatch for parts or repairs. However, if the alarm is short-lived, the equipment may have the intelligence to override the request and update a log locally. More and more data will start to get collected and analyzed as well. Continuing with the same example, the managers of the heavy equipment may now start to collect usage data, run near real-time diagnostics and download equipment software using their M2M devices.
The need for speed
As high-speed devices become more prevalent among M2M customers and application needs are growing, we’re seeing an increasing number of LTE devices used for M2M applications. This demand for high-speed connectivity indicates that machines are using more data and are using media-rich applications to communicate data to users. With more enterprises relying on devices to report telemetry and conduct diagnostics, faster connection speeds will be essential to supporting the transfer of data quickly.
Security is imperative
Effective M2M deployment includes a careful balance of access and security to ensure corporate data is protected. Integrating security processes is critical for end-to-end security that includes device-level protection, secure network connections and advanced controls in the cloud. Classifying M2M functions by their level of sensitivity and risk will help businesses prioritize investments for securing their M2M ecosystem.
There has never been a more exciting time to engage in a forward-looking discussion on M2M technology. While it is astounding how much M2M solutions have expanded over the last several years, at the same time it is exciting to realize how many more innovations are yet to come. 2014 will be a memorable year for M2M.
As executive director for mobility marketing at AT&T, Mobeen Khan is responsible for overseeing mobility solution marketing to AT&T’s business customers. During his first year at AT&T, Khan has contributed significantly to the market launch of an industry-first product – known as Toggle – designed for mobility management using a business container. Toggle allows employees to bring their own mobile devices to work, while the IT managers monitor security, applications and network access in the business container through a cloud-based-administration portal. Prior to joining AT&T, Khan was with an SaaS CRM company as well as a mobile applications tool business heading sales and marketing functions. Khan holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, in addition to an MS in Communications Engineering and a BS in Computer Engineering, both from Rutgers University.
