Ericsson Signs Agreement with MegaFon to Forward M2M Communication in Russia

Ericsson, a global provider of communications technology and services based in Sweden, recently entered into a strategic agreement with MegaFon (News - Alert), a major Russian telecommunications provider, at the Open Innovations Forum in Moscow. As part of the agreement, MegaFon will use Ericsson's Device Connection Platform to manage enterprise connected devices and machines.

Furthermore, Ericsson (News - Alert) will provide consulting services as well as utilities market research and systems integration services.

Ericsson has previously stated that M2M communications in any number of scenarios — utility meters, alarms, cars, buses and trucks, as well as any number of consumer devices — will be widely used by both consumers and enterprises in the near future. However, network operators need extra tools in order to tailor offerings to enterprise customers, in terms of pricing, bandwidth requirements and scalability.

The company's Device Connection Platform is a cloud-based managed connectivity platform, provided as a service, which enables operators to industrialize M2M connectivity services to a number of different industry needs. The platform also simplifies the process of managing connections as well as reducing the cost of connecting them. Most importantly, though, it facilitates smooth and efficient network provisioning, while providing access to key functionalities such as subscription and device management.

"MegaLabs and Ericsson are jointly working to develop this new solution to the benefit of MegaFon subscribers," said Oleg Butenko, CEO MegaLabs, a wholly-owned MegaFon subsidiary focused on developing innovative solutions. "We expect the solution to help our customers efficiently monitor M2M SIM cars and choose the best tariff options. We believe that this partnership and solution may help our customers leverage the full potential of their M2M connectivity, and enhance our vertical solutions portfolio."

Recently, Ericsson tested 4G connectivity in extreme situations — such as on a jet plane flying 700km/h, or on high-speed trains — in order to ensure reliable connectivity at all times. The company was also recently named a leader in the latest Magic Quadrant in Operations Support Systems report from Gartner.