M2M : Machine 2 Machine

Telular Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLS), the leader in alarm and event monitoring solutions and services, today unveiled the TG-11 residential and commercial cellular alarm communicator. Leveraging Telular’s patented Telguard Digital technology, the UL Listed TG-11 transmits alarm signals over the air if the telephone line has been disrupted, compromised, or when no wireline service is available. Telguard Digital is used in over 400,000 intrusion detection systems in homes and businesses across the U.S.

Designed to be the smallest and most lightweight cellular alarm solution in the security market, the TG-11 can function as a primary, backup or dual mode cellular communicator. The TG-11 transmits full data from security and fire systems to central stations and is well-suited for light commercial, business, and residential applications.

“Today, security dealers are looking for ways to reduce costs and boost recurring revenue. The TG-11 was developed in response to the industry’s need for a wireless solution that is faster to install and less expensive,” said George Brody, senior vice president and general manager sales and service, Telular. “The TG-11 delivers on our commitment to provide quality cellular alarm products and support to security dealers so that they can meet the needs of a broad range of customers while managing their costs.”

Came across this article that pushes for the need for MVNO’s to provide global coverage for M2M app’s. There are some M2M apps that require global coverage but majority of app’s are localized..

M2M is gaining increasing operator backing

It’s been a busy time recently for M2M. Verizon Wireless revealed at the CTIA show last month that 90% of the devices being certified for its ‘open access’ network are M2M. At almost the same time KPN’s Sympac unit announced the launch of a global M2M service (provided by Jasper Wireless). This month AT&T announced the formation of its new ‘Emerging Devices’ division, which will look after M2M devices. And finally, last week Telenor announced the formation of a unit, Telenor Connexion, to lead its foray into this space.So why all this sudden interest? One thing all these players have in common is that they are large, well-established telcos from mature mobile markets. Therefore they all share a desire to seek new revenues as voice and data revenue growth becomes harder to find. In addition, at the opposite end of the P&L sheet, module costs, particularly from Asian vendors, are making the sector less costly to enter. As a result demand can now be met more efficiently for the key applications, according to Jasper Wireless, of point of sales terminals, remote service management and, increasingly, security and telemedicine.

For applications designed to operate in potentially explosive industrial environments, Wavecom has developed the WMP120 Wireless Microprocessor, said to be the world’s first ATEX-approved GSM/GPRS solution for wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communication.

ATEX (ATmosphere EXplosive) is the European Directive for certifying products for use in environments where there may be a risk of explosions from exposure to volatile chemicals, liquids or gases. The WMP120 is certified for ATEX equipment category 1 and 3, which allows its use in zone 0, 1 and 2.

The same GSM/GPRS platform can be used for both gas meters and metering gateways, with a common software architecture. On the meter, a WMP120 can simply be added to an existing sensor part and used as a GSM/GPRS datalogger. On the gateway, a 100% software and hardware compatible WMP100 can manage network technologies such as ZigBee, proprietary RF or PLC in addition to the GSM/GPRS communication.

The WMP120 can operate as a smart modem, as a shared processor with a host CPU, or as a standalone CPU natively executing the customer’s application. It supports three programming models: host AT commands, standard C executable and Lua scripting. It also supports the Open AT realtime operating system and the full range of Open AT plug-ins including Internet, security and GPS in addition to the IDS (intelligent device services) scalable platform for securely delivering upgrades and diagnostics over-the-air.

Advances in wireless technology and communications have given voice to a once-silent drone: the business machine. Known as machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless networks, these new systems are transforming everyday devices into never-blinking sentinels that provide both information and insight.

M2M wireless networks supply data about virtually anything — temperature, moisture levels, pressure, vibration — in fractions of a second, and enables businesses to track moving and stationary assets and inventory as this Time Inc. Content Solutions article points out.

The Big boys are picking up on the Internet of Things concept - I should have copy righted this phrase that has been the tag line for this blog

This week, a group of leading technology vendors that includes Cisco, Sun, Ericsson, Atmel, Freescale, and embedded open source developers, founded the Internet Protocol for Smart Objects Alliance to promote the ‘Internet of Things,’ in which everyday objects such as thermometers, radiators, and light switches are given IP addresses and are connected to the Internet. Such IP-enabled ‘smart objects’ give rise to a wide range of applications, from energy-efficient homes and offices to factory equipment maintenance and hospital patient monitoring. For Slashdot readers who are interested in the underlying technology, a white paper written by well-known embedded open source developer Adam Dunkels and IETF ROLL working group chair JP Vasseur establishes the technical basis of the alliance (PDF).”