M2M : Machine 2 Machine

Yesterdays spectacular 400+ point drop in Dow drop brought into sharp focus the role played by Computers in making decisions for us. As the index nose dived - Computers trades kicked in selling of security adding even more sell orders pushing the DOW down. In the M2M world as people jump ahead to make the transition to intelligent networks and decision making systems - Incidents like this serve as a reminder about teh complexity of this task. M2M products that bring on incremental integration with lower risk would be the ones most likely to succeed.

Computer Glitch

The Dow’s decline accelerated throughout Tuesday, and stocks saw a huge dip in late afternoon trading as computer-driven sell programs kicked in, and also as a computer glitch caused a delay in the recording of a large number of trades.

The Dow fell 546.20, or 4.3 percent, to 12,086.06 before recovering some ground in the last hour of trading to close down 416.02, or 3.29 percent, at 12,216.24, leaving it in negative territory for the year. Because the worst of the plunge took place after 2:30 p.m., the New York Stock Exchange’s trading limits, designed to halt such precipitous moves, were not activated.

Far Flung / Remote Communities are taking advantage of technology to solve their Health Care needs. Communities in Montana are at the fore front of using technology to bring health care to the people who in the past would have to trek/drive long distances to see a specialist. They are getting better health care than the rest of us …

In Montana, the medical community has managed to stay ahead of the curve and become a national leader in telemedicine.

That’s given patients in the far-flung reaches of the state, Northern Wyoming and even western North Dakota better access to care than ever before.

Mental health professionals in Billings can evaluate people in Eastern Montana without either party having to travel.

Local emergency department physicians can consult with specialists in Salt Lake City before deciding how to treat a severely burned patient.

Montana’s handful of infectious disease specialists can diagnose patients just about anywhere in the state and consult with one another about trends and potential outbreaks.

Oncology, cardiology, neurology, radiology, orthopedic surgery, high-risk pregnancy care, stroke care, hospice care, dispensing prescriptions - it all can be done remotely.

“What I love is, I really have seen the health-care system in Montana integrate this technology into the way it does business,” said Thelma McClosky Armstrong, director of the Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network at Billings Clinic and past president of the American Telemedicine Association.

“It’s part of the fabric now. It’s not surprising. People think about using it now.”

Here is a true M2M Application that is being rolled out commercially that will impact you. The application allows users to pay for car insurance based on usage. You pay for as much as you consume - you drive 100 miles you pay insurance for 100 miles - you drive 100,000 miles you pay insurance for 100,000 miles. This is could change the face of the car insurance industry and if widely adopted / deployed on a standardized platform will allow other ancillary products and services to be offered to car drivers - Internet, Yellow Pages, Drive By/Localized Ad’s (won’t we love that), Streaming Music (everyone one wants a radio on the car) and more.

The application (PAYD) as you go is being used by insures in UK/Europe to offer drivers a means to pay for insurance based on actual miles driven. The cars have a built in GPS system that track the movement of the vehicle in real time - where you drive, when you drive and how often you drive (AKA Big Brother). Cool technology concept - but to make it a commercial success it needs to assuage consumer fears about Big Brother is watching.

Quote from the insurance Company
“Pay As You Drive”â„¢ insurance couldn’t be simpler. You pay a fixed monthly fee, plus a variable charge that’s based on your personal driving habits such as when you drive and how far.

• An in-car device (that uses GPS technology) records and transmits your cars journey information to our central computer.
• You receive a monthly bill (itemised billing is an optional service).
• Your premium is based on where, when and how far you drive.

Company Snap: Moviquity is a custom Wireless Software Solutions Shop that has a focused practice for M2M Applications. They are based out of Spain and have a decent customer Roster.

Company Goals: To provide advanced and highly innovative solutions and services within the areas of mobile and wireless technologies, IP/internet applications and systems integration, communications and networks, helping our customers to improve their business processes and their competitive position

Sample Solutions: None Provided on the Site.

Ratings - 1 Star. Custom engineering shop. 1 Star rating as they do not have any products listed for M2M on the site. The company seems to be in the midst of trying to find the market that it can attack.

Wireless Automation ( I call it a flavor of M2M) has a standards committee to define standards for Industrial Wireless Automation.

Goals for the Standards Committee
“The User Working Group (UWG) was formed to ensure that the ISA-100 standard will be consistent and provide maximum benefit to the market. The UWG will review, comment on, and provide recommendations for the work of all SP-100 technical working groups. The group will focus on both current and future industrial applications for wireless technology, and provide input that will help drive the development of ISA-100 compliant devices from multiple suppliers. The UWG will act as a single, global voice of the end user community.”