Machine-to-machine (M2M) technology has an impact on a variety of industries, organizations and use cases. From the Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer applications to the Industrial Internet and manufacturing services, M2M is becoming more embedded in our day-to-day lives every week. Here are the top stories in M2M this week.
An ARM-commissioned study found that ARM-designed circuits are going to be a huge winner as the IoT continues to expand. The study involved the participation of some 500+ executives from large companies, some of which are already identifiable in the M2M space and some of which have no stated perspective. The survey reflects the expectations of some leading experts that adoption of IoT will move much quicker than that of Voice over IP solutions as the carriers are much more involved in the definition of the standards.
UPS is using M2M for a route optimization solution, ORION (On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigatino), which is expected to reduce the number of miles driven and save as much as 1.5 gallons of fuel by the end of the year.
An IHS report, “Low-Power Wireless Market Tracker – World – 2013,” revealed that shipments of Bluetooth smart chips will total close to 300 million units worldwide in 2018, compared to more than 30 million by the end of 2013. The biggest markets are fitness and sports applications, with highlighted suppliers including BodyMedia, Polar and Under Armour. Consumer electronics will become the dominant sector of the Bluetooth smart market, such as remote controls and PC peripherals. Consumer electronics apps will be more than 60 percent of Bluetooth smart shipments by 2018, the study adds.
Two prominent problems that come with the Internet are security and privacy. The FTC is working towards having a plan in place. As a first step, the FTC has called for a public workshop on Nov 19 to discuss these issues. Major companies who are involved in the creation and execution of the Internet of things such as Cisco systems, General Electric, IBM and Oracle are expected to take part in this workshop. FTC plans to address issues related to security and privacy, such as the possible technologies that will be involved and the security aspect of these technologies, privacy concerns that come with smart technology devices, balance between privacy and convenience and the possible usage of data generated from these devices.
General Electric’s Intelligent Platforms division announced a new consolidation strategy, which starts with the standardization of open systems across platforms to provide customers the type of interoperability necessary to maintain M2M’s growth, along with secure communications and an optimal user experience.
OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) is the first open standards system GE has deployed across its control platforms. The next generation of open productivity and connectivity, the OPC-UA standard offers a cross platform framework that is cohesive, secure and reliable, ensuring consistent access to real-time and historical data. Currently, GE’s Connected Controls platforms — including the PACSystems and Mark*Vie controllers and Proficy CIMPLICITY HMI/SCADA software — are rolling out with the OPC-UA standard.
Connected cars were a big topic this week, as the market for driver monitoring systems (DMS) is set to reach 64.8 million units by the end of 2020. Carinsurance.com revealed findings from a recent survey of 2,000 drivers that nine of 10 licensed drivers would consider buying a self-driving car if it meant paying a lot less for insurance – up to an 80-percent discount.
There’s a lot more where this came from, including smart gardens, an Android SDK for Bluetooth low energy, growth of the IoT in the Asia-Pacific region and a new Viper home security kit. Visit M2M Evolution each week for the latest industry trends, news and resources. Have a great weekend.
