ORBCOMM Inc., a global satellite data communications company focused on two-way machine-to-machine, or M2M, communications, and Sierra Wireless have entered into an agreement to integrate capabilities of Sierra Wireless’s M2M services platform within ORBCOMM’s (News - Alert) Web services portal to enable customers to control their M2M services, devices and communications.

 

ORBCOMM’s Web services portal, expected to be commercially released in the first quarter of 2010, will combine comprehensive subscriber management functions with many so-called "novel" capabilities for device management.

 

“In terms of M2M, many aspects of this portal represent significant steps forward compared to what is currently available from many other carriers and operators,” said Marc Eisenberg, CEO of ORBCOMM, in a statement.

 

Eisenberg said that comprehensive device management and diagnostic capabilities are critical for anyone deploying M2M solutions and can no longer be considered options. Sierra Wireless’s (News - Alert) M2M operating portal is a “complete, scalable and secure” M2M services platform.

 

He said that partnering with Sierra Wireless takes ORBCOMM’s capabilities in this area to the state-of-the-art, allowing the company’s customers to remotely administer firmware and software updates, troubleshoot application or connectivity issues and manage all aspects of their data communications.

 

“ORBCOMM’s unique multi-network infrastructure is the ideal companion to demonstrate our M2M services portfolio capabilities, ranging from device management to hosting and operating of M2M applications,” said Emmanuel Walckenaer, senior vice president and general manager of Sierra Wireless Solutions and Services.

 

Walckenaer said that ORBCOMM is in a position to capitalize on the growing demand for M2M enablement services – the layer of services that sits between network connectivity and the customer’s application.

 

Sierra Wireless products connect people and machines to wireless networks around the world.

 

The company offers an advanced, comprehensive product line, addressing consumer, enterprise, original equipment manufacturer, and specialized vertical industry markets. The company also offers a wide range of professional and operated services.

Recently Radiocrafts AS and Sierra Wireless had announced the launch of a GSM/GPRS/EDGE gateway for smart metering which embeds a Wireless M-Bus radio, compliant with OMS, in a very compact form factor.

 

The new compact gateway is based on Sierra Wireless’ Fastrack Supreme, a programmable application hosting platform with cellular modem capabilities and an open-standard interface for adding supplementary I/O connectivity and features in the form of expansion cards.

 

Radiocrafts has developed a unique expansion card for smart metering, which adds Wireless M-Bus or ZigBee to the GSM/GPRS/EDGE modem.