IoT platform market drivers

M2M platform suppliers are increasingly looking to the cloud to extend their products’ reach and improve the operations of their customers as they move to the Internet of Things. The cloud, along with evolving standards and trends covered here, is set to dominate the market, reports freelance technology writer, Antony Savvas.

The Cloud

As the efficiency and speed of wireless networks improve, the ability of the cloud to control large-scale device deployments will also be enhanced.

The cloud offers enterprises and network operators the scalability and flexibility they need to update and manage M2M (machine to- machine) devices, as well as providing the online capacity to store, process and analyse the data collected from those devices.

This is extremely important as the number of M2M devices spirals – as the Internet of Things (IoT) starts to become a reality – in the enterprise and in the home. A cloud-based management platform, that can be located at a single point, can control multiple M2M applications and provide the necessary  analytics to get the most out of this data for the benefit of enterprises.

This contributes to efficient business processes and cuts M2M operational costs. Further, as the efficiency and speed of wireless networks improve, the ability of the cloud to control large-scale device deployments will also be enhanced. M2M change-configuration settings, software updates, troubleshooting through device log files, and device performance analysis can all be done quicker through an automated cloud-based front end.

Alliances

The delivery of such cloud-based solutions will often be enabled through industry alliances across communications hardware and software specialists, analytics software leaders, and mobile operators.

For instance, a significant alliance is the one between Ericsson and SAP, who have invited mobile operators to join them in jointly selling one-stop shop cloud-based M2M solutions to enterprises. This offering combines Ericsson’s device connection and service enablement platforms and SAP’s cloud-based HANA data analytics system.

To further demonstrate the importance of alliances when it come to pushing forward the Internet of Things, leading server and data centre virtualisation software firm VMware and M2M leader Jasper Technologies are collaborating to make it easier for enterprises to deploy, monitor, manage and secure connected devices across the IoT using enterprise mobility management (EMM). The partnership encompasses VMware’s EMM platform, AirWatch, and Jasper Control Centre, a leading IoT service platform.

The combination of mobile services management from Jasper and device management from AirWatch addresses a need across enterprises for an integrated IoT/EMM solution. Providing businesses worldwide with automated, real-time control over device and service costs, availability and security will enable them to “make smarter, real-time operational decisions”, the partners say.

“As a customer of both Jasper and AirWatch, this bridging of technologies will provide realtime, practical management capabilities for investments in the Internet of Things,” said Arindam Sen, senior vice president at Schneider Electric. “This partnership will help further drive our initiatives with connected devices.”

Standards

On the standards front there has also been major progress from mobile industry association GSMA, with an embedded SIM specification for M2M and the Internet of Things that will “accelerate” the market, according to analysts.

The GSMA eUICC Embedded SIM Specification has been welcomed by analysts Beecham Research in a report. The report was launched in association with the GSMA, to coincide with an announcement that leading mobile operators, along with SIM and

module manufacturers, have all launched solutions compliant with the new specification.

Those backing the “over the air” provisioning standard include mobile operators AT&T, Etisalat, NTT DOCOMO, Telefónica and Vodafone, alongside SIM and module manufacturers Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, Morpho, Oberthur Technologies, Sierra Wireless, and Telit. Ericsson, Jasper Technologies, and Telenor Connexion are also expected to climb on board.

The use of traditional handset SIM cards presents challenges for insertion and replacement in M2M products for transport, consumer electronics, utilities and other applications, which can add cost and create barriers to sales.

Embedded SIMs

To overcome this, a non-removable SIM, embedded at the point of manufacture, enables remote provisioning of a user subscription profile by the operator providing the connectivity. This eliminates the need to replace SIM cards over the lifetime of each M2M product, reducing ongoing operational and logistical costs and helping to streamline the retail process.

“Gemalto sees tremendous benefit from the implementation of the GSMA Embedded SIM specification. Our M2M solutions are compliant with the GSMA specification, and we are excited about the easier roadmap this will bring to commercial projects leveraging this standard to meet growing M2M demand,” said Benoit Jouffrey, VP for on-demand connectivity solutions at Gemalto.

The Beecham Research report examines particular opportunities in the auto, consumer electronics and smart metering sectors, among others. “The availability of the GSMA Embedded SIM Specification is a big deal for the connected devices market,” said Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO of Beecham Research. “This is targeted primarily at the OEM community to make it easier and more streamlined both to build cellular connectivity into their products and to sell them through many more channels to market.”

He added: “The solution also considerably opens up the second-hand market in cars and other products for continued use of support services by second and subsequent owners.”

The estimated uplift in the installed base of connected devices by 2020, as a result of using the GSMA Embedded SIM Specification – as opposed to proprietary embedded SIM solutions, is calculated at 34% according to the report.

Olivier Beaujard, VP of market development at Sierra Wireless, said: “A number of our 3G and 4G LTE M2M and automotive products are compliant and ready to be released to the market based on the GSMA Embedded SIM Specification. We have worked closely with the GSMA and industry partners to create products that adhere to a globally recognised solution that will avoid unnecessary fragmentation, and ensure the M2M and automotive market grows rapidly.”

Felix Marchal, chief product officer at Telit Wireless Solutions, added: “The unique environmental requirements of M2M and automotive applications have long pointed to the need for an industrial quality SIM solution. We are grateful to the GSMA for their work in creating a standardised embedded SIM specification, pleased to have been a part of its definition, and delighted to be among the first to offer a commercial solution based on this standard.”