M2M no longer a pipe dream

Summary: Innovations in mobile tech has opened new opportunities in the machine-to-machine industry, with providers offering SIM and fleet management services to smart meters and CCTVs.

NUS smart meter

Both Gemalto and Singapore company Power Automation also worked together to implement M2M-enabled power meters at the National University of Singapore's UTown Residence.

See Gim Kerk, director of engineering at Power Automation, explained the smart meter tracks the use of electricity in the hostel and, by doing so, is equipped to offer residents to purchase electricity credits for air conditioners in their rooms.

The meters display residents' remaining credits, send messages for them to buy more credits when it is running low, as well as display real-time loading and warnings for impending electrical trips, See said.

Lakhi Baug, M2M sales manager for Asia at Gemalto, added the smart meters are embedded with mobile connectivity so they can connect to a server which collects the usage data, enable real-time feedback to the service provider and control parameters to facilitate the efficient distribution of electricity.

Besides efficient power management, the smart meters reduce manpower cost as they eliminate the need for staff to visit the hostel to take physical meter reading.

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It's called TCP/IP.

"Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication has been in existence in some form or another for a long time"

It's called TCP/IP. And a host of other related protocols. It's not like you really need anything special for "M2M" communications. Machines have been communicating with each other since ARPNET was invented.