Machine to Machine (M2M) communications connects physical objects (e.g., machines, devices, sensors) wirelessly to the Internet, enabling them to exchange information with other objects and information systems. It is an extension of anytime-anywhere communications to anytime-anywhere-anything communications. Thanks to recent advances in microprocessors, power management and wireless technology, tiny wireless sensors can be embedded in physical devices and capture important information about their status or surroundings such as location, speed, consumption-level, temperature, air-quality, etc. Essentially, M2M enables a remote monitoring system to monitor the "vital signs" of a remote asset or object and get immediate feedback on its status, how the asset is being used, breakdowns or errors.
M2M connected objects can be mobile or fixed, e.g., cars, trains, smart (utility) meters, home appliances, medical devices, displays and cameras. The networking of intelligent devices allows gathering and exchange of information without human intervention, thus, connecting the physical world to backend information systems. The business potential is big as the collected information is useful for improving business processes, resulting in competitive advantage.
Typical M2M solution includes intelligent sensors and microprocessors embedded in the asset/device, and a wireless communications module that transmits and receives data to and from information management systems. The collected data is then processed and analyzed. Several wireless technologies (LTE, WiFi, BLE, ZigBee, RFID) can be used to capture and transport the data depending on the specific application. Many times more than one wireless technology (e.g., LTE and ZigBee, WiFi and RFID) is used in a given application or solution.
Mobius Consulting has years of experience in designing and deploying M2M solutions in various vertical markets leveraging mobile, wireless and cloud big-data technologies and services.