The Internet of Things (IoT) and M2M Predict Sustainable Growth Potentials for 2014

The potentials of Remote Device Access with Machine to Machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have created a lot of discussion in the industry this year. But where do the benefits lie for IoT versus M2M solutions in 2014 and beyond?

New Remote Device Access Solutions Indicate Substantial Marketplace Growth

While M2M solutions traditionally use embedded hardware and wireline or cellular networks for point-to-point communications, IoT solutions interface device data to a middleware platform or cloud by relying on IP-based networks. M2M solutions provide remote access to machine data, however, M2M data is typically targeted at point solutions within service management applications, rarely integrating with enterprise applications that help improve business performance overall.

In contrast, the emerging Internet of Things may provide the forecast growth potential missing from the M2M market. With IoT integration of device and sensor data with enterprise applications and analytics, Internet of Things is achieving new levels of data integration, staying one step ahead in the Remote Device Access market and predicting sustainable industry growth.

The Right Remote Device Access Solution Reduces Service Management Costs

The appropriate Remote Device Access solutions could optimize future growth and trim service management costs in the years to come. M2M applications employ hardware modules that transmit cellularly from their embedded position within a machine at a customer site, communicating to a software application at the supplier’s service operation. With this M2M feature, the supplier is able to reduce its service management costs through remote diagnostics, troubleshooting and other capabilities that employ less field service personnel.

Industrial IoT solutions use the same remote devices as M2M applications, but also accommodate passive and low-power sensors and inexpensive devices that communicate via standards-based IP networks, providing improved service and operations, reducing the need for M2M costs, with the IoT product-as-a-service.

Iot Could Be the Revolutionary Sustainable Solution for Your Business

By using IoT, moving involved Remote Access Device data to a cloud, the need for point-to-point M2M communication is bypassed, eliminating the need and cost of SIM-card installations and hardwired connections. As M2M’s hardware is forecasted to phase out, IoT’s marketplace growth is predicted based on its ability for improved performance and universal flexibility in device data access.

What is Silicon Engines Doing with IOT?

Our IOT Architecture Group(TM) is working on a variety of projects including a high-value product that runs advertising flash video and images on big-screen digital signage. The system, running Windows, uses an Intel-based single board computer and operates over a high-bandwidth cellular modem to regularly update advertising content.

At the other end of the spectrum, we are connecting low-cost consumer appliances to the cloud by adding 915 MHz radios to the product. Wirelessly connecting the product to the cloud via an Ethernet gateway, the device uploads data to the web to monitor the operation of the appliance.

Big device or small, what makes sense for a specific IOT application will vary widely and it’s imperative that your design incorporates the right architectural model. Consider the following: