International Competition Launched to Encourage Innovation in the M2M Space

Swisscom and Ericsson (News - Alert) have launched an international Machine to Machine (M2M) innovation competition that gives M2M application developers a wonderful opportunity to get recognized in the booming market.

With the increasing use of connected devices in diverse industries, such as car-to-car communication, telematics, infotainment and logistics, the M2M industry presents huge growth opportunities. However, in order to realize its potentials to the fullest, service providers and operators must resolve the issues relating to global network coverage and reduce the roaming costs. To this end, the key industry players are committed to encouraging the development of M2M applications with more innovative functionalities. The “M2M Challenge” is expected to bring to the industry a range of innovative products based on Machine to Machine communication.

M2M technology has a huge presence in the automotive industry. According to some industry estimates, more than7.5 million telematics units are in use in commercial vehicles worldwide. Already a $300 million industry, it is expected to further grow in the future, with its increased application in the areas of in-car communication and traffic control.

Under this backdrop, the large telecommunication players are encouraging the development of applications that would not only support the long-time business strategies of their M2M customers, but also encourage sustainability. The “M2M Challenge” is precisely the brainwave of these telecommunication and telematics players. According to industry analysts, the challenge will give birth to a slew of innovative mobility solutions for automotive, telematics, logistics, transportation and traffic sectors.

 The “M2M Challenge” is being co-sponsored by Telit Wireless (News - Alert) Solutions and VARTA Microbattery, a news statement revealed.

It will be worthwhile to mention here that governments around the globe are also playing their parts in M2M development. A good case in point is Europe’s government-backed eCall project, which aims at equipping every vehicle with an automatic emergency call system by 2015.

The Italian government is soon to introduce the use-based automobile insurance (UBI) law. The U.S. insurance industry already ahs “UBI” programs in place, under which   premiums for vehicle insurance are based on diver’s driving behavior.

Senior sales director of Global Telematics Segment at Telit Wireless Solutions, Cyril Zeller, was right in his saying that M2M is a key technology for future.

“Making machines talk to each other is a key technology for the future, and as possibilities go, we are still far from the peak that can be achieved,” Zeller commented in a statement.


Edited by Rachel Ramsey