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SGS Expertise Assists Emerging Machine to Machine Technologies to be Integrated into Industry Solutions

Much of M2M to date has relied on the use of cellular networks (http://www.ee.sgs.com/gsm-gprs-edge-amr-umts.htm) designed for human communications and is now being superseded by the creation of open machine communications environments using satellite and wireless communications infrastructures (http://www.ee.sgs.com/consultancy-services.htm). M2M has grown from modest origins in wired networks to become a collected set of technological solutions involving a range of stakeholders from the software, telecom and electronics industries.

Market Growth Consistent

Several factors have recently emerged that have spurred significant growth within the market for wireless M2M solutions. Along with drops in the cost of modules used in M2M solutions, innovative new technologies have emerged. Among these are Edge Intelligence, a system enabling real time data analysis and capture. The growth potential of M2M related technologies is immense. Although viable solutions already exist in the industry, current levels of growth are estimated to reach EUR 38 billion1 in 2012, accounting for 61 million modules. This follows estimated figures showing cellular M2M shipments of 11 million units in 2007, worth around EUR 6 billion.

With support from governmental legislation and projects, particularly fast growth rates have been enjoyed in a number of sectors. These include; connected buildings, healthcare solutions, vehicle telematics and smart buildings. The involvement of some leading international Telecom and IT companies in the development of M2M initiatives have also spurred this growth.

Future Depends on Standardization

A key step for M2M will be the movement from existing industrial settings to such applications as public infrastructures, home appliance connectivity, security solutions and smart grids. The development of standardized protocols is essential to further innovative M2M solutions development and to provide a foundation for the movement M2M into the mainstream.

The development of M2M standards has become the responsibility of a number of technical groups formed as the product of several dozen international and nation alliances and committees. These groups have focused on both the development of dedicated new standards for M2M as well as the adaptation of existing standards to accommodate M2M growth needs. The possibility for easy communication among smart devices will be dependent upon these efforts. Some of the work currently underway include:

• an effort to develop a multi-part Smart Device Communications standard, the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-50 Smart Device Communications engineering committee2
• the Zigbee IP Stack
• China Communications Standards Association’s (CCSA) TC10
• the IEEE 802.15.4-2009 standard
• 3GPP SA2NIMTC (TR23.888)
• the CTIA CPWG ERP M2M sub group
• the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s (ETSI) TC M2M

While there is some risk that such efforts may lead to redundancy or conflict among standards, these projects are nonetheless regarded as part of essential groundwork for future innovation.

Need for Increased Coordination Across Standardization Efforts

Harmonization and coordination of M2M standardization work is the goal of the M2M Standardization Task Force (MTSF), a body which was established at the 15th meeting of the Global Standards Collaboration (GSC-15) in September 2010 held in Beijing. This meeting paralleled other ongoing activity from a number of standardization groups that are working to coordinate their activities to ensure the M2M technologies develop in a common direction. This effort is to urge collaboration among the groups which is vital to the emergence of the globally compatible standards (http://www.ee.sgs.com/international-certification-schemes.htm) required to develop a harmonious M2M ecosystem. Such a system, with a range of compatible interfaces, will enable M2M technologies further growth.
Players in the Telecom and IT industries integrating M2M solutions into their service offerings can be supported by the knowledge and expertise of SGS.