TMCnet Machine to Machine Solutions Week in Review

It was a busy week in the Machine to Machine Solutions sector. Here are some of the major stories from TMCnet.

Cisco Systems and NXP Semiconductors (News - Alert) both want cars which can talk to each other. Cisco had the idea of a “connected car” for about three years, and both of these companies have agreed to help fund an Australian company called Cohda Wireless – to work on this goal.

In addition, InterDigital and Sony Corporation of America have today begun a joint venture called “Convida Wireless.” It will focus on research in M2M wireless communications, as well as other connectivity areas. Both companies will contribute funding and resources for M2M research and platform development, which will be carried out by InterDigital (News - Alert) Solutions. It also includes a patent license from InterDigital for Sony's 3G and 4G products.

In another story, the Internet of Things (IoT) and M2M communication market will become a $290 billion market by 2017, according to a report from MarketsandMarkets. That shows growth from 2011, when it was estimated to be a $44 billion market. The market also was forecasted to increase at an estimated CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 30.1 percent between 2012 and 2017. The report examined the major market drivers, restraints and opportunities in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle-East & Africa (MEA). Market opportunities for IoT are high in the Middle-Eastern region, largely due to the rising adoption of new standards and technologies in smart cities and smart homes.

In addition, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas has signed a distribution agreement with Digi International (News - Alert), whose products and services are used to enable thousands of M2M applications across many industries. The distribution agreement will provide Avnet Electronics’ customers access to Digi’s range of ARM (News - Alert)-based embedded wired and wireless modules, wireless routers and gateways, and other M2M technologies.

And TMCnet’s Ashley Caputo talks about ventures which have minimal competitors. Two Singapore-based companies, Sprooki and YFind, have partnered, and now fit into this category.