The Prospects of M2M final

It is appropriate to start this discussion on the prospects of M2M (machine-to-machine) communications with a discussion of what M2M is. This is because, even a decade after the M2M industry came into existence, it is common to find varying definitions of M2M. In consequence, many consultants' reports on M2M still need to specify what is meant by M2M. For instance, a Forrester report 1 of December 2011 notes that " M2M is a broadly applied, and therefore malleable, term; it is also referred to as the " Internet of Things, " the " Extended Internet, " or " connected devices. " Forrester defines M2M as " technologies that collect and transfer information on the condition of physical assets or people. " Ovum, in a mid-2010 report 2 , spends a whole section asking " What is M2M? " and defines it as " communication where a remote machine is monitored or controlled by a central server. " The Yankee Group defines M2M as " enterprise M2M devices, consumer M2M devices and connected computing devices " 3. Providers' definitions range even more widely– ranging from a narrow telematics-based definition covering interaction between devices without a user interface (such as automated vehicle tracking) to a somewhat broader definition covering interaction between devices with a user interface but in which the user 03