Professional Documents
Culture Documents
JANUARY 2013
VOLUME 3
TALKING HEADS
ILS readies for the challenge as CEO Yentz predicts a battle for M2M in 2013
ALSO INSIDE!
Most M2M forecasts are wrong: So say researchers! Taiwan wakes up to M2M Stand by, Oracles coming Nothing Smart about my Metering! The Contract Hot List Company, Market, People & Product News Latest News & Videos at www.m2mnow.biz
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CONTENTS
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CONTENTS COMMENT by the Editor, Jeremy Cowan
The $$ cost of M2M hype and false hopes
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TALKING HEADS
PRODUCT NEWS
Newtec wins satellite award; Digi launches compact module
MARKET NEWS
Global satellite SCADA and M2M forecast; and Contract Hot List
PEOPLE NEWS
Senior appointments at Netgem, Concirrus and INSIDE Secure
COMPANY NEWS
Landis&Gyr creates 200 new jobs; Etherios acquired by Digi International
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OPINION
TALKING HEADS
SMART HOMES
ILS is up for the challenge as CEO, Fred Yentz predicts a battle for M2M in 2013
SMART METERS
Smart choices in Amsterdam, but we find intelligent data too
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SMART HOMES
What do customers want in a smart home? Jeremy Cowan reports
OPINION
A new strategy for efficient, low cost M2M
ASSET TRACKING
Bob Emmerson learns how to follow your assets, no matter where or when
EXPERT OPINION
Telenor Connexion expands its services to support customer product lifecycles
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ASIA FOCUS
EVENT DIARY
Our listing of key events worldwide; Plus MWC 2013 Barcelona Preview
ASIA FOCUS
Steve Rogerson finds Taiwan is hurrying to catch up in M2M expertise
RESEARCH
Oracle flexes its research muscles and prepares to launch in M2M
BACK PAGE
Jeremy Cowan admits it: Theres nothing smart about his metering!
Cover Sponsor: ILS Technology reports that it provides a sophisticated, yet easyto-use power tool that helps customers connect the dots without any added infrastructure or programming; it is offered at a reasonable cost and with a short implementation time frame. Platforms such as these are what enterprises are looking for to translate their visions into business innovations. Products like the deviceWISE M2M Application Deployment Kit, take the M2M market from the best possible, easily managed connection development space to the best possible, easiest to consume deployment space. www.ilstechnology.com
CONTENTS
COMMENT
Jeremy Cowan
Amid falling profits from voice traffic and zero margins on mobile data, operators cast around for Hope. Then the CFO meets someone at a conference whos making steady money by connecting Things, not People. So he has a long, hard look at the research. Except that some analysts seem to see this sector as one in which to bash out a quick report to boost cashflow then ignore again. I talked along these lines recently with one eminent researcher in this space, and a member of M2M Nows Editorial Board, Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO of Beecham Research. He pointed out the kind of errors that are being made. Growth rate projections are often far too high for what is essentially a solutions business, not a consumer products business. New projects and technology changes are also often assumed to happen much too rapidly. Those 10-year forecasts then typically multiply all the assumptions in shorter range forecasts, claiming preposterous accuracy with big headline numbers. The forecast errors for these are potentially huge. Hes not alone. James Brehm, senior strategist at global consulting and market analytics firm, Compass Intelligence wrote a sensible report this month headlined Why most M2M forecasts are wrong. (Read it at www.M2MNow.biz, Search: Compass). He said, While there are many companies providing annual data on the M2M market, most analyst firms make assumptions that are not grounded in reality. The majority do not take availability of
He uses statistics as a drunken man uses a lamp-post, for support rather than illumination.
Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
components, migration paths from 2G to 3G to 4G LTE, end-user behaviour, socio-economic factors, and so on into consideration when building forecasts. Now, Im not privy to the various methodologies of rival analysts, and Im not so green that I cant spot a sales pitch, but we will be taking a closer look at the claims of M2M researchers in an attempt to de-bunk some of the hype, to point out the successes and failures of some forecasts, and establish what separates accurate claims from self-serving exaggeration. Meanwhile, my old man had a quote for every occasion and one from Scottish novelist, Andrew Lang (1844-1912) seems appropriate. He uses statistics as a drunken man uses a lamp-post, for support rather than illumination. Perhaps we should study future forecasts with a more sober eye.
EDITORIAL ADVISORS
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Jeremy Cowan Tel: +44 (0) 1420 588638 j.cowan@m2mnow.biz DIGITAL EDITOR Nathalie Bisnar Tel: +44 (0) 1732 808690 n.bisnar@m2mnow.biz BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Cherisse Jameson Tel: +44 (0) 1732 897646 c.jameson@m2mnow.biz OPERATIONS & EVENTS DIRECTOR Charlie Bisnar Tel: +44 (0) 1732 897641 charlie@vanillaplus.com DESIGN Jason Appleby Ark Design Consultancy Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1787 881623 CIRCULATION Circdata Tel: +44 (0) 1635 869868 PUBLISHED BY WeKnow Media Ltd. Suite 138, 70 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4YU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1732 897646 DISTRIBUTION UK Postings Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 8456 444137
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COMMENT
PRODUCT NEWS
Digi launches compact wireless module for developing connected portable devices
Digi International has launched a compact wireless system-on-module for developing connected devices based on Freescale technology. The ConnectCard for i.MX28 modules small form factor and integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking options are designed for developing portable medical devices and other products in energy, transportation, industrial or building automation. Through the iDigi Device Cloud, developers will have immediate access to an applications development platform and device management functionality. The ConnectCard i.MX28 provides the performance and flexibility of a system-onmodule, but in an ultra-small form factor, said Larry Kraft, senior vice president of global sales and marketing, Digi International. Customers can develop and maintain their connected devices easily using the iDigi Device Cloud. The ConnectCard for i.MX28 is small enough for the most compact designs. The module is said to offer easy design integration, low-power operation and unique interface flexibility. It features an integrated 32-bit ARM core running at up to 454 MHz, on-chip power management, Bluetooth 4.0, and dual Ethernet and 802.11 a/b/g/n networking options.
NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF
between energy consumers, energy generators and energy storage in the home can now be realised in defined expansion steps, making it a new option for energy providers, telcos and OEMs.
applications through a single infrastructure that uses an open IPbased architecture. Ambients CTO, Ram Rao, said, It has always been our philosophy to offer a network platform with choice in the communications technologies since no single technology will be suitable for all grid scenarios. With the launch of the Ambient MiniNode and MicroNode, we also (offer) greater choice to match price performance in the hardware to facilitate those communications and The Ambient applications. MicroNode
Full reports on these and other News stories can be found at www.m2mnow.biz
M2M Now January 2013 5
MARKET NEWS
It's free to be included in The Contract Hot List (below), which shows the companies announcing recent contract wins or product deployments. If your contract is not listed here just email the details to us now marked "Hot List" <j.cowan@m2mnow.biz>
Vendor/Partners Aeris Communications Bosch Healthcare Ericsson Ericsson Ericsson FTS Gemalto Gemalto Globecomm Systems Inc. Landis+Gyr Locamation MoreMagic Solutions Numerex OKI Data Americas Orga Systems Redline Communications Smart421 SK C&C USA Telefnica Key: EMV = Europay, Mastercard & Visa IoT = Internet of Things M2M = Machine-to-machine TSM = Trusted Service Management Numerex breakthrough Client, Country Acura, USA Doro, Megafon, Russia TeliaSonera, Sweden 3, UK Unnamed M2M enabler, Germany Standard Bank, South Africa Vodafone Group, International NATO Comms & Information Agency Helen Electricity Network, Finland SSE, UK DStv, Access Ban & Ecobank Alcohol Monitoring Systems, USA Lantronix, USA Meralco, Philippines Unnamed oil & gas company, USA Rail Settlement Plan Ltd, UK Vodafone Group, International Generali Seguros, Spain Product/Service (Duration & Value) Selected as Communications Provider for upcoming luxury sedan Provider of TeleCare systems in Europe chooses mobile partner To provide cloud-based M2M services for enterprises To provide cloud-based M2M services for enterprises To provide cloud-based M2M services for enterprises Leap Billing to enhance content & M2M billing and customer experience Supplying multifunction EMV contactless payment card for fares & goods To provide and operate global TSM platform and deploy NFC services US$4.5m to upgrade GPS-based Force Tracking System Smart metering provider enables HEN to complete deployment project Starts smart grid automation pilot project with UK power distributor Expand Splash mobile money ecosystem in Sierra Leone Expand breakthrough wireless alcohol monitoring for criminal justice Smart M2M connectivity solutions provider to resell xPrintServer Bring first smart grid solution to the Philippines in pilot for 40,000 customers Broadband wireless M2M contract for communications between wells & rigs 5-year contract to design, build & run a live sales management system M-commerce business, CorFire, to provide mobile wallet capabilities Agree the development of a new M2M car insurance scheme Awarded 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 10.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 10.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012 10.2012 11.2012 11.2012 11.2012
PEOPLE NEWS
Kaoru Hiraoka
Francesco Vadal
COMPANY NEWS
To mark the three millionth meter milestone, Landis+Gyrs Oliver Jud, presented a golden meter to the customer, Jim Macdonald, chief executive of Calvin Asset Management.
NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF I NEWS IN BRIEF
Vodafone hits H1 2012 losses but there is strong growth in M2M revenues, says CEO
Vodafone has announced a loss of 1.88 billion (2,35 billion) for the six months ended 30 September, 2012, as total revenues fell 7.4% on H1, 2011. But Vittorio Colao, group chief executive of the Newbury, UK-based mobile network operator reported that M2M revenues continued to show strong growth. There was continued strong growth in Vodafone Global Enterprise, M2M and Vodafone One Net but these areas were offset by macro-economic challenges in country-level enterprise units.
gap in the growing machine-tomachine (M2M) market for satellite messaging. The new AST iX platform enables organisations to monitor and control remote equipment anywhere on the planet and at the touch of a button, without human interaction. AST iX is said by the companies to be at the forefront of this modern market sector, offering new capabilities to established and developing areas, emerging countries and remote sites, where there may be limited or unreliable communication infrastructure available.
www.maingatesolutions.com
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N
info@maingatesolutions.com
TALKING HEADS
ILS is up for the challenge as Yentz predicts 2013 will see a battle for M2M
Theres a lot thats exciting about the year ahead in M2M. In fact Fred Yentz of ILS Technology tells Jeremy Cowan that he believes M2M solution providers will be tested in 2013. He also expects a battle between big systems integrators and network operators for control of M2M services and top line revenues. I think a battle is brewing between the big systems integrators and the network operators. Fred Yentz, ILS Technology
M2M Now: What is the most pressing challenge or opportunity you see today that is impeding the progress of M2M customer adoption? Fred Yentz: The core challenge in M2M today is the same one it has always been; that of connecting to remote assets, globally providing enough intelligence at the device side of the network to evaluate and determine events, trends, and alerts as needed, then transferring the information through the network (wired, wireless, and satellite) to a point where value can be created. It sounds so simple, but there is a history of complexity surrounding M2M solutions which is doing none of us any favours. For years M2M solutions have been built in silos using a complex collection of technology and skills. I often refer to these early initiatives as science projects. They have been executed with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, while these early stories provide interested parties with a set of lessons learned, they also give the wrong impression regarding what is possible today setting expectations of difficulty, extended time to market and even the need for good-enough work-arounds that, frankly, are no longer necessary. Making M2M easy is the key to our collective industry success and thats exactly what we have achieved with our deviceWISE M2M Application Platform. It incorporates a portfolio of intellectual property plus 30 years of lessons learned into a tool that allows our customers to quickly configure the assets they want to monitor, and connect them seamlessly and securely into their existing back office IT applications so they can achieve real value quickly and simply and start building their RoI. Speaking of which, there has recently been a lot of attention given to enterprise integration. How does that really work? If you peel back the marketing hype from many platform solutions that talk about enterprise integration, youll find that the customer is faced with methods which are as archaic as CSV file exchanges. At ILS Technology, we look at the world completely differently in a way that has been validated by our enterprise and Fortune 500 customers countless times.
10 M2M Now January 2013
Our clients enjoy a simple point and click integration into SAP, Oracle, IBM applications, databases, and enterprise service busses. Imagine: seamless connections from your remote machine under a predictive maintenance contract into your existing analytic and trouble ticket applications, without the need for custom programming. As a larger M2M community, I would like to see us all talking about enterprise integration the way our enterprise customers expect it to be done: Robust tools that allow point-and-click for native application integration and value delivery, without the need to extract your data from a third-party service repository. M2M Now: As M2M users and their applications roam ever further, what impact is globalisation having on services? What challenges does this bring for M2M service providers, network operators and device or module vendors, and how well are they coping? Fred Yentz: Many of our customers are faced with the task of making their solutions as global as possible. Its a big task even for companies who have been working in the telecommunications domain for years. Making a smart phone which is compatible and certified on a carrier network with some participants roaming is a very different problem than making a connected capital asset that will be distributed and used around the world. In telecom speak, a smart phone is a device or a modem is a device. But in M2M, cars, generators, elevators and vending machines would be considered the devices. The complexity that smart phone vendors must achieve in order to ship product which is certified on global networks is formidable and theyre the experts. For M2M, device makers will be looking to their module vendors and network operators for help. Those players will need to establish and share some level of standards or best practices that allow the new device makers to succeed. The need to support multiple technologies and multiple carriers around the globe also highlights the importance of integrating the network provisioning and communications management into application
platforms in order to allow the user community a higher degree of automatic provisioning and management of the network using the powerful applications and workflow that they have invested in over time. For example, if an OEM processes a customer order using their SAP ERP system for a connected product (asset or thing) you would suspect that the order needs to be provisioned with an M2M connection for enhanced services. It seems reasonable to expect that the SAP system would drive the customer information, asset information and service levels into the M2M Application Platform layer and subsequently allow the provisioning and service levels to flow natively to the Connected Device Provisioning (CDP) layer to setup the connection and rate plan. Our experience indicates that integration will always happen as close to the application as possible, for the simple reason that the value is the highest at the application layer. I think a battle is brewing between the big systems integrators and the network operators. Both want to have as much control and top line revenue as possible for ongoing M2M solution delivery. At ILS Technology we think we need both and, of course, we support both. A quality platform solution has to play nice with both ends of the network the device side and the enterprise application side as well as provide seamless integration to the network provisioning tools. 2013 is looking like the year that M2M solution providers will be put to the test. At ILS Technology we are excited about the challenge. M2M Now: Global services mean global solutions. Will we soon see widespread implementation of agreed standards? Or are solution providers just paying lipservice to the joint efforts of standardisation bodies? Fred Yentz: The goal for any standardisation effort is to reduce complexity and cost through commonality. At this point, I think the entire industry can agree on the topics, need and desired benefit. Today and going forward, any disagreements and confusion will centre around the details of how to achieve our shared objectives. From my perspective, it helps to consider the M2M space using the phrase Internet of Things (IoT). The internet and telecom world approaches standards in a unique manner. (Telecom specs for telecom OEMs).
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TALKING HEADS
It is critical that the M2M service-layer specification be simple enough to not overwhelm the thing makers. Fred Yentz, ILS Technology
The key to success for M2M standardisation lies with developing a standards approach that is easy to understand and implement for the vast proliferation of things producers. Traditionally, the telecom marketplace has had a large supplier base of handsets, tablets, and modems. As vast as that ecosystem may seem, it pales in comparison to the makers of things across every vertical. For this reason, and this reason alone, it is critical that the M2M service-layer specification be simple enough to not overwhelm the thing makers. Providing a specification and protocol that can be easily implemented to give broad adoption and commonality is paramount. Thats why ILS Technology participated in the original request by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) to begin standards work in the space. We promoted the concept of creating a specification that would be easy to implement by nontelecom OEMs, as well as a specification that would not be tied to any particular transport technology (wired, 2G, 3G, 4G, satellite, etc.). To that end, TIA has balloted and will publish a specification which is vertical- and modality-agnostic, while being simple enough for everyone to implement. The spec, called TR-50 M2M Smart Device Communications, was created with input from a variety of OEMs as well as the OPC Foundation, and is targeted to be less than 30 pages. When published, it will be submitted to the oneM2M partnership programme by TIA for review.
M2M Now: How are enterprises who want to be the consumers of these connected solutions dealing with the globalisation challenges? Fred Yentz: From an enterprise customer perspective, we are seeing the need to integrate connected assets which may be local or international into the systems that enterprises use to manage and optimise their business. That being said, we see the integration layer of most importance residing high in the stack or at the application layer. The ILS Technology deviceWISE solution is often used in this exact way: providing a mechanism to connect to assets and sending critical right-time information through a network and ultimately terminating the connection at the IT application and data centre side of the enterprise. Integrating the value at the application side of the stack allows our platform to terminate different networks and different network types into our service, which simplifies the integration implementation for the enterprise customer. M2M Now: What excites you about the future of M2M and ILS Technologys role in that future? Fred Yentz: The more M2M solutions I encounter, the more excited I become about the possibilities of new connected applications that will change our world. It is great to watch business leaders begin to understand that M2M-enabled solutions can support new revenue streams, save costs and bring a new level of compliance to their business. At ILS Technology we are seeing the dramatic upward trend in qualified customers that know they must have more than a story around M2M, and are ready to commission real projects now. We look forward to working with enterprise customers in an effort to help them address why they should consider M2M and IoT projects to improve their business results. In addition to enterprise customer engagements, we will continue to build partnerships around critical routes to market and customer relationships. Supporting our system integrator, MNO and MVNO partners with M2M services and tools which are built to solve tomorrows business objectives. We want to put their fear of the unknown and tales of failed M2M and IoT science projects of the past to rest, and teach them to leverage robust tools built for the IT industry.
M2M Now For those who may not be aware, the OPC Foundation Jargon Buster is the world's leading community of over 500
ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning IoT = Internet of Things M(V)NO = Mobile (Virtual) Network Operator OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer RoI = Return on Investment
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companies for interoperability solutions based on OPC (Open Platform Connectivity) communication specifications for secure, reliable and platformindependent information exchange. OPC technology is widely used for information integration in industrial automation and related domains. This powerful combination brings the telecom standard writers together with the OEM community which will be charged with implementation of the standard. At the end of the day, the success of standards will be measured by industry adoption. In the case of M2M, the adopters will the thousands of thing makers that are building the connected planet.
EVENT REVIEW
Consumers who have the ability to monitor their energy use in real-time can reduce their electricity consumption by as much as 20%. Electric Power Research Institute, reported by Tendril
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EVENT REVIEW
"Our experience with Thames Water in Reading was we have a first time connect rate to meters in underground pits of 99% with an ongoing read interval success rate of 98%. All of these trial results are before any network optimisation work which would further improve performance," he adds. Sensus FlexNet LRR system communicates via primary use licensed spectrum. It is a dedicated and secure two-way communications highway that enables widearea coverage reaching all points in a utilitys service area without the need for additional or hybrid networks. The FlexNet LRR system supports true end-to-end IPv6 communication across all platforms electric, gas, water and lighting control. IPv6 compatibility transforms the system from a single-application advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network to an interoperable smart grid infrastructure, enabling industry standard addressing to be used between all endpoints and applications.. (metering) under one authority. There will be advantages if they look for a WAN solution that can do both at the same time. PLC (power line communication) doesnt do either. Cellular doesnt work here because of the requirement for a 15-year battery life and because the water meter is generally at the property boundary so out of HAN range. Mesh claims to do both (water and gas) but there are cost and technical challenges in getting a low power signal to underground points without a high density of street mounted equipment. Long-range radio (LRR) has become a popular choice for smart metering and grid applications where connection is required to devices outside the home or those not able to connect to a power supply like, gas meters, Slater reports. He maintains that the discussion has to evolve from a focus by some on the communications systems available today, to how we can make use intelligently of the data they provide. For a smart grid, the communications network must have low and defined latency to ensure traffic can flow securely and with ease. It is also important to have a dedicated, purpose-built utility-grade network to give guaranteed network performance (service level agreements), all of which is difficult for mobile networks to provide. Long Range Radio can support electricity, gas and water utilities, particularly in urban areas, he says, adding, LRR is possibly unique in that it can do all three efficiently, without workarounds. The proof of this is where weve deployed multi-utility networks in the USA and Canada. At Scottish Power the SmartReach trials are proving LRRs suitability in hard to reach geographies and locations. (Sensus, Arqiva, BT and Detica are partners in the UKs SmartReach smart metering consortium.) It works in high density Glasgow apartments, says Slater, in rural Lochwinnoch and to water meters in pits in Reading. The pilot scheme in Scotland began in July 2012 in both areas and we have now installed nearly 5,000 meters and we are achieving a 99% first time connection rate and 99% read interval success in the coverage areas. The FlexNet LRR system supports true end-to-end IPv6 communication across all platforms electric, gas, water and lighting control. IPv6 compatibility transforms the system from a single-application advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network to an interoperable smart grid infrastructure, enabling industry standard addressing to be used between all endpoints and applications. The next generation of the FlexNet system supports true end-to-end IPv6 communication across all platforms electric, gas, water and lighting control. IPv6 compatibility transforms the system from a singleapplication advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network to an interoperable smart grid infrastructure enabling industry standard addressing to be used between all endpoints and applications. Recent projects and smart grid deployments around the globe teach us that energy suppliers have to use a balanced mix of communication technologies to achieve customer loyalty and satisfaction. So says Atreya Chaganty, VP Business Strategy & Development at Orga Systems. Essential for a combined use of PLC, GSM, and radio networks is a fault-tolerant system with adequate redundancy, ensuring proper fail-over support in case one type of communication channel goes down. Thus, strong communications network monitoring is critical. As most business cases continue to rely on pre-paid models, he believes that centralised back-end systems have to be able to support credit overflow to prevent auto shut-off of electricity or gas meters. Real-time information on consumed energy is key for the provider, but it also helps consumers to better understand their consumption and allows them to take the right decision, for example, on energy sources. Those opportunities, embedded in a complex environment and driven by smart apps, change the game for energy suppliers significantly. They successfully bridge the gap towards a connected home with in-home displays and webbased monitoring. Finally, says Chaganty, they enable the launch of a real win-win in regards to responsible usage of resources, monetisation of
We specified the outcome. We didnt care if they bicycled around getting the readings. Kenneth Toenning , Vestforsyning
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expensive smart grid infrastructure, customer-centric business models and the freedom of choice in a connected world.
done. Its going to create a swamp of data, much of it useless. And itll just raise their communications costs. Are we having that conversation? Yes. The response? Some say they know best. Others like British Gas are first movers and know that they can offer a better customer experience and win more business as a result. Utilities, as Young points out, are at the bottom of the trust league. Smart metering is a good way to engage with the customer base. Today, he says, you have no relationship with your energy provider but smart meters can give you that.
Data intelligence
The theme of intelligent use of data came up again in M2M Nows discussions with Adrian Tuck, CEO of Colorados Tendril, a provider of cloud platforms for the Energy Internet. Tendril has partnered with Essent NV, the largest energy company in the Netherlands serving more than two million households, to collaborate on a novel smart energy application crowdsourcing project. The project uses the Tendril Connect cloud platform to link some of Essents smart meter-enabled residential customers with web and mobile application developers from around the world. These developers use Tendril Connect APIs (application program interfaces) to access rich interval usage data from energy meters and create innovative consumer apps for the participants. Tuck has three observations deriving from the various start-ups he has successfully grown: first, you need open standards; second, the software needs to be simple; and third, the utilities are about to boom in the Internet of Things. Everyone else is taking the Apple-esque approach of beautiful displays and an app for every device. We have 400 companies writing apps (for Tendril Connect). Were the Android of the play, says Tuck. Arjan van der Eijk, director of smart energy at Essent, points out, For consumers, the real value of smart meters comes not from the meter itself, but from innovative, compelling applications that use analytics and other information to turn meter data into a relevant message and action for the consumer. So, M2M Now asked, do utilities understand the opportunity and threat of Big Data? No, says Neill Young, Trilliants EMEA marketing director, unequivocally. Theyre a long way from that. Theres no thought over whether they need a meter reading every 30 minutes, because thats what theyve always
Energy management
One utility that has taken a proactive approach to smart metering is Denmarks multi-utility, Vestforsyning. The companys Kenneth Toenning told M2M Now, We have 27,000 customers, but only 14,000 are having the smart meter installed. The temptation is to focus on technology, but its data that gives us value. So the EU tender was based on data, he continues. How many meters, where, how old, how they would be used, and the quality of reading performance. Were glad we did it that way, because then theres no excuse for the three bidders not to know the specification. We specified the outcome. We didnt care if they bicycled around getting the readings. Kamstrup was the successful bidder. Lars Bo Christensen, Kamstrups divisional director, Metering Systems, takes up the story. We switched from PLC because of the knowledge we gained over several years delivering RF (radio frequency communications) and PLC solutions. The lifetime costs for RF are much smaller and PLC systems will always be unstable. Were giving utilities more information from the grid, insists Christensen, from the substation down to a single household. Were doing this because theres a big change in grid usage coming through more renewable energy, from solar panels and windmills.
Jesper Mailind, president and CEO of RTX, said, (IPv6) can and should be applied to even the smallest devices and low power devices with limited processing capabilities should be able to enter into the Internet of Things.
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EVENT REVIEW
gigawatts (GW) by 2020. Currently, the UK has more than 5 GW of installed onshore wind capacity in operation. One area of focus that has emerged is the requirement for DNOs to explore innovative technical and commercial solutions to enable an accelerated and cost-efficient connection of renewable generation, such as onshore wind, onto the distribution electricity network. UK Power Networks has been awarded 6.7 million (8.3 million) in Ofgems (GBs energy regulator) Low Carbon Networks Fund competition, for the project Flexible Plug and Play. The project started in January 2012 and trials are planned in a 700km2 area in the East of England, UK. This area has experienced increased activity in renewable generation development; existing generation totals 100MW, with 250MW of renewable generation capacity at various stages of the planning process looking to connect. The project aims to connect anticipated growth in renewable generation without the need for traditional network reinforcement by, instead, managing network constraints and maximising the network utilisation. The project will achieve this through the integration of smart devices, smart applications and smart commercial arrangements.
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Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CW&W) and Silver Spring Networks are also reported to be conducting trials with limited capacity for periods of high output. They want to boost interoperability and commonality, so their communication systems are set up with two fibre backhaul networks. An IP-enabled RF Mesh network (with open standard protocol 61850) gives the network a self-healing capability. This project is also sponsored by the LCN Fund. It will be installed, tested and commissioned by March 2013, using IP communications and open standards to enhance grid communications skills, learn best practice, and improve usage analysis telemetry. ESB Networks is the licensed operator of the Republic of Irelands electricity distribution system. Its spokesman, Anthony Walsh, began trenchantly by saying, We have no interest in smart grids or telecoms. except insofar that they help meet our goals of reduced CO2, reduced dependence on fossil fuels and increased competitiveness. Smart Grids are not an end in themselves they are a means to an end! We built up a telecom network with a good fibre backbone of over 2,500km on the transmission system, thats available to other communications companies, and over 600, microwave radio network and polling radio sites. The upshot is that ESB is now considering the feasibility of establishing a joint venture company to deploy fibre to the building (FTTB) whose core activity will be the deployment of FTTB to individual homes or premises in urban Ireland, using the ESB electricity overhead and underground infrastructure, said Walsh. ESB prefers not to be dependent on complex communications systems when local control would be sufficient and cheaper, and set up its first self-healing network circuit in Kerry, in a 470km loop that is very exposed to the elements. This has operated successfully, and a further 120 such circuits are planned by 2015. While each recloser has SCADA Control, in the event of a fault supply is restored by pre-programmed actions without the need for local communications. This makes the system very resilient and cheap. Weve also built a trial WiMAX system in Galway its not a symmetric Ethernet solution, but this is coming. Its also highly dependent on GPS synchronisation, so we will use our own existing communications system to ensure it is always synchronised," said Walsh. "Line of sight is not a WiMAX requirement, but we nevertheless found coverage to be good. Moreover, as part of ESBs internal communications system it has a level of resilience and utility control that would not be available from a commercial operator. "In contrast, GPRS cant be relied on for mission critical operations; its outside utility control. We need our own system as a GPRS crash would be most likely to happen when there is a power outage, he added. ESB also expects that Ireland could be an offshore Wind platform for Europe. Wind generation supply in Ireland has already reached almost 50% of night peak demand in April 2010, which poses stability risks. Demand management will most likely be operated
through consumer broadband. By 2020 nearly 50% of all electricity in Ireland will be from renewables, the ESB man said. Matthias Grandel, head of Technology & Solutions at E.ON Metering GmbH reported, By the beginning of 2013 Germany will, belatedly, meet the requirement to provide a CBA (cost benefit analysis of smart grid roll-out). The legal framework in Germany has been delayed by over one and a half years. The roll-out is still scheduled to be completed by 2020. The technology is available now, but experts expect that 800 German utilities will start the roll-out in 2015. Forty million meters need to be replaced, he said. Technical and legal requirements are still unclear, and E.ON is not sure if next years CBA will lead to a national roll-out. Were talking to European utilities to exchange knowledge, so that we can make a quick decision on vendor technologies when the framework is set. Next year is election year so whos to say if the revised target of early 2013 will be met? But we can look at countries like France to see if their technologies will fit in Germany, Grandel added.
ESB expects Irish wind power to be an offshore platform for Europe. - Tony Walsh, ESB Networks
US comms infrastructure
One of the largest active smart meter deployments in the USA, for Central Maine Power, is the installation by Tilson of more than 600,000 meters for CMPs residential, commercial, and industrial customers, with smart meters as much as 30 miles apart across hills and valleys. In fact, there are many challenges; indoor meters, trees, big buildings, RF Interference, and LTE rolling out. Said Chuck Gerry, director of Utilities, at Tilson (Maine), Iberdrola Energys territory in Maine is confronted by the challenge of trees. You cant just lay in repeaters because youd get high latency. But were reading with over 98.5% success rate in (smart) meters now. If we can save truck rolls from the head end, which can be 30-40 miles away theres a large cost saving. You have to pick the right solution for the geographical area. Theres no one solution; it could be GPRS, mesh, point to multipoint licensed or inlicensed, microwave, DSL, fibre, or cellular. Jim Meadows is director of the Smart Meter Project at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). He said, Were the DNO and retail supplier for half the land mass of California, 181,000 square kilometres. PG&E has six million accounts, serving 15 million people. We have two networks: one for electricity and one for gas. It was more cost-effective to build two networks because of different requirements, with topologies and so on. What did we learn from our SmartMeter Programme? Ensure that all customer-centric features are enabled when the meter is installed or it becomes about the new meter! said Meadows. With PG&Es smart metering, text messages are sent to customers if their usage increases and is about to cross into a new billing level. They can download up to 13 months of data. If customers agree to pay a Peak rate for their aircon from 2-7pm in the hottest part of the day, they get a cheaper rate at other times. PG&E now offers a no-questions opt-out from the SmartMeter Programme. There was uproar in
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EVENT REVIEW
Google Pitch fork wielding mob and youll find its about PG&Es California smart meter roll-out. - Nandini Basuthakur, Opower
California about it being an opt-in system at the start, said Meadows. We were at the heart of it because we were the first to roll out smart meters. Theres a clearly an art to winning the engagement of customers and not boring them with too much data or the wrong kind. As Opowers managing director, EMEA, Nandini Basuthakur, told the conference her company has built a customer engagement platform for 75 utility partners, with 15 million customers between them. Opower now has 300 employees and was named CleanTech Company of the Year 2012, having helped to save 2 TeraWatts of power to date. If youre tempted to think thats easy, think again. Google and Microsoft have both built their own inhouse energy data portals, and says Basuthakur, both have retired, as she puts it. Customers find energy data boring. We use behavioural science and proactive information to move the conversation away from kilowatt hours, and turn it into cost savings and productivity gains. Give customers simple, meaningful, actionable information. We give advice on the portal. Customers must see the savings, such as In the last four months you used 19% less energy, she said. Lisa Magnuson, Silver Spring Networks, continued the theme. Best practice in smart metering means delivering benefits to customers immediately; its essential to their satisfaction. You need to create messaging from the customers viewpoint, and use multiple communication channels, such as SMS, YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, mail, and web portals. Start early and educate them often. Engage third party advocates as trusted messengers; teachers, community leaders, preachers, especially in one-to-one conversations. When Silver Spring worked with Oklahoma Gas & Electricity (OGE), said Magnuson, they achieved 98% customer satisfaction, as a result of great customer engagement. We used community events to communicate. We used real people in all advertising, and gained national TV coverage of a small business owner saving $700 a month through cost-saving measures. There are many potential pitfalls in smart meter rollouts, as Cindy Vershoor, Smart Metering Communications Lead at Canadas BC Hydro reported. Their smart metering programme faced challenging geography British Columbia covers an area as big as France, Belgium and the UK put together. Its 50% rock and ice in the province, and our grid has enough wire to wrap the world twice. Having started in July 2011, the metering programme was 90% completed by mid October, 2012. BC Hydro upgraded old meters to smart meters, installed a meter communications network, and deployed an automated data collection system. We needed to tell our customers why we had to do this. So we engaged first with customers, and also with police, fire services, and other agencies. BC Hydro found that there is a lot of misinformation out there about RF communications, privacy and security, fire safety and high bills. Many customers expect to be able to select the type of metering technology installed in their homes. The companys
communications plan was relatively easy to roll out, she said, but some opponents still sawsmart meters as an alien machine invading homes. Sometimes customers insisted their bill was high even though rates hadnt changed.
Were bringing out a new system, the Home Energy Efficiency Solution 1.0 - Roland Meyer, Telefonica
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SMART METERING
Deutsche Telekom and Maingate partner to promote CapEx-free smart metering by utilities
Energy generation and supply are transforming rapidly. The growth and complexities of renewable energy, a range of regulated and deregulating markets, and the technological possibilities of smart metering mean that M2M is at the eye of an energy storm. Into this scene Deutsche Telekom and Maingate of Sweden are now launching a CapEx-free smart meter infrastructure roll-out.
Maingate of Sweden and Germanys incumbent telecom network operator, Deutsche Telekom (DT) have announced the launch of a CapEx-free roll-out of smart metering infrastructure. M2M Now was invited recently to hear the challenging background to current smart metering projects being described to an invited audience of 50 senior executives from utilities, regulators, and others involved in the delivery of energy and water services. The partners insist that this initiative is unlike other announcements of leasing deals offered to energy and water utilities, which they describe as purely financial agreements that fail to address the concern among utilities that smart meter roll-outs will simply add to their Capital Expenditure (CapEx) challenges. Maingates CEO, Baard Eilertsen, said: Obviously smart meter roll-out is something the utilities could get on the market, there are financial institutions prepared to lease out the meters, but Maingate and Deutsche Telekom are talking about the smart infrastructure roll-out. We take upon ourselves to make sure that the meter is installed, that we do it CapEx-free, that the communication is up and running, that the in-home device and technology is in place, and we also make sure that this is future-proof. Nothing in life is free, but you move the investment from upfront CapEx to long-term OpEx. That makes the business case more valid for the utility. We actually share the risk of obsolete technology. Take any utility with, say, 1 million meter points connected at 50.00 (61.00) per meter, plus a communication module of around 35.00 (43.00), plus installation at another 30.00 (37.00) and thats around the 120.00 (148.00) point, and thats the low range of capital they have to spend to get the technology out. If you have a million meter points thats 120 million (148 million). Utilities have an internal interest rate on capital of around 8%, so its a big financial obligation when they start rolling out these meters, Eilertsen told M2M Now. What wed like to do is lighten that
M2M Now Jargon Buster CapEx = Capital Expenditure OpEx = Operational Expenditure
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Visualising energy consumption is going to trigger the wish in some people for more control, or even automation. So you can see applications coming up. For example, you dont buy electricity any more, you buy temperature. You can offer consumers services that are very advanced but make their lives easier, he added. At the joint DT-Maingate presentation in London one senior utility representative said baldly, I wouldnt know what to do with all that data. I dont want any more data centres. M2M Now put this point of view to Eilertsen.
You dont buy electricity any more, you buy temperature. - Baard Eilertsen, Maingate (pictured left)
burden and help them fully support the regulations. Deutsche Telekom (DT) approached Maingate because of their strong reputation in European smart metering. Eilertsen said, We dont have 230,000 employees like Deutsche Telekom but we now manage 7.7 million energy users. We are a leader in the Nordic smart meter market, with more than 50% of smart meters in Sweden and now 2030% of smart meters in Finland. The company works with integration partners such as Cinterion, DT, embriq, E.ON, Kamstrup, Landis & Gyr, logica, Telvent (a Schneider Electric company), and Ziggy. All of these have a vision of purpose beyond the product. This is about more than just bringing the technology or the brand to market, said Eilertsen. Everyone blamed banks in the current economic crisis yet surveys show that banks still have a higher approval rating than utilities.
Jrgen Hase, head of DTs M2M Competence Centre (left) and Maingate CEO, Baard Eilertsen at the launch.
M2M IN AGRICULTURE
CASE STUDIES:
Fitting GPS tracking devices to the back of the neck shows fruit bats foraging patterns for harmful insects.
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transportation and labour costs, there is the cost of the ranchers time. What could the rancher have accomplished had he not been on the road that day? This example shows the financial benefit of measuring the water level in a tank using a McCrometer CONNECT field station, solar panel and submersible level sensor. Whether the need is to monitor flow, soil moisture, weather, water quality, ET (evapotranspiration) or other critical inputs, there is a McCrometer CONNECT system to meet the need. The companys agricultural irrigation experts listen to specific application needs in order to offer the best solution for customers and stay within their budget. (www.mcrometer.com/ag)
Net Irrigates products have been installed at nearly 2,000 sites and its technology is designed to work with all brands of centre pivot and across all irrigation methods. Depending on the costly event incurred by a system operator (i.e. wire theft, centre pivot immobilisation, equipment malfunction), farmers indicate payback typically occurs within the first season. (www.netirrigate.com)
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OPINION
Fat-free hyper-optimisation:
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ASSET TRACKING
Asset tracking sets some tough challenges for today's M2M communication systems. It is a 'given' that communicators have to be dependable, ruggedised and cost-effective. Bob Emmerson talks to a number of hardware manufacturers to find out what OEMs, value-added resellers (VARs), and final solution providers are looking for.
What are the challenges in asset tracking today over satellite and terrestrial networks? Is network agnosticism critical? Does it compromise ease of customisation? And what types of environment are M2M asset control systems now working in? These are some of the issues that have been raised with M2M Now and which we wanted to put to those at the sharp end of asset tracking. George Arnott, vice president, Telit Location Services: Despite the economy and the fact that the M2M market is fragmented, weve experienced positive growth in the GNSS sector and the forecasts for 2013 are very exciting. Hardware costs continue to decline and this is accelerating the deployment of numerous consumer devices. In addition there is a very innovative development thats enabling the development of very small modules for use in ultra-compact devices. This development is known as 3D-SIP. SIP stands for System In a Package and 3D refers to the architecture, i.e. the use of three interconnected substrates. This is a brand new technology and a key feature is the ability to embed discrete active and passive components in the package; components that would normally be mounted on the PCB. The result is a dramatic size reduction, e.g. 4.7 x 4.7 mm in the case of Telits SE880, and a significant boost in performance. 3D-SIP is genuine groundbreaking technology. Instead of selecting a chipset and manufacturing a device, developers get a fully featured module having a similar footprint as a chipset. This enables a much faster time to market. Dr. Jeff Smith, chief technology officer, Numerex With terrestrial, specifically cellular networks, monitoring and tracking high-value assets in regions or areas where cellular coverage is not consistently available is a major challenge. As an asset may cross many borders, cellular tracking is often costly due to incurred roaming charges. Supported technologies may be inconsistent or unavailable in specific regions, making it hard or impossible to detect and report critical anomalies. The challenge with integrating satellite and cellular into the same application is the ability to have a single registration of a hybrid device. Network agnosticism is critical. It is needed to support end-to-end M2M solutions for enterprises on a global scale. As assets cross many borders, visibility must be maintained. The most available or best network option may and often does change from region to region. Is customisation compromised? For M2M providers such as Numerex who provide support for GSM, CDMA and satellite networks its not. However, it does require a high degree of flexibility, scalability and expertise to design, develop and deliver the right solution for the appropriate region or enterprise application.
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Jenn Markey, director, Corporate Marketing, SkyWave In todays business world, having the right data at the right time is crucial. While cellular and WiFi connectivity work well in urban situations, our customers are demanding ubiquitous connectivity for a wide range of applications. Satellite-based M2M services are becoming more and more important to organisations operating in key sectors such as oil and gas, mining, shipping, environmental monitoring, transport, and so on. And driven by competition and increased service availability, airtime costs have become very competitive. SkyWave satellite terminals use L-Band frequency as it is the most cost-effective choice for many applications. L-Band is easier to process, equipment is less expensive, yet meets the increasing demand for richer M2M information. SkyWave enables businesses to drive more data across diverse operations by delivering up to 10,000 bytes to the device and sending up to 6,400 bytes from the device by way of emails, electronic forms and workflow information. The very low latency of messages transmitted allows asset owners and managers to exchange information in near real-time without the cost of expensive positioning accuracy equipment and dedicated connectivity. Herbert Blaser, VP Business Marketing, u-blox At u-blox we see an increasing adoption of asset tracking systems worldwide and this trend extends to the tracking of people. The main driving forces are: lower logistics costs; better service to customers; increased security; and the falling cost of hardware. The scope of this opportunity is enormous due to the ongoing trend of global sourcing of components used in manufacturing of automotive, consumer and industrial goods. Personal tracking applications are driven by our ageing population and the corresponding increase in cases of dementia and Alzheimers, as well as the desire of people to monitor the location of their children and pets. Key issues are: compatibility with multiple GNSS systems; operation in areas with poor satellite reception; integrated dead reckoning; and compatibility with multiple mobile telecommunication standards. To address all these issues, the company recently upgraded its GNSS chips and modules to u-blox 7, which complies with all available GNSS standards as well as satellite augmentation systems. Sergio Ramos, CTO, Quake Global The education and adjustment of expectations between the two technologies is a challenge. Satellite has historically been a bandwidth limited non real-time service used for short burst M2M applications. Terrestrial on the other hand is thought of as a high bandwidth instant messaging service.
Bridging that gap between the two is a challenge. As M2M applications evolve and data needs grow, new satellite offerings that provide larger data capacity through circuit switched services are closing that gap. Quake is able to provide a number of network options and has the ability to combine these options in a variety of ways, solutions which have made Quake Global the leading provider of modems for M2M satellite communications over the past decade. Quake recognises the opportunities and the real world benefits of providing value-added products and technologies to its customers. The company has demonstrated this over time by making in-roads to commit resources in order to align its business and operations with the M2M industrys market trends. As a global provider of cutting edge M2M communication devices, Quake Global has addressed these issues, by rapidly positioning itself in a leadership role in developing first-to-market hardware solutions for most major M2M satellite and terrestrial networks in the industry. By providing creative and economically efficient M2M telecommunication solutions for all types of users, Quake allows its clients, from small start-ups to large OEMs, the ability to address complex global communication needs. Additionally, Quake product offerings ensure that its clients are in full control of their telecommunication solutions, data collection and asset optimisation which enables its clients to realise product standardisation stability, data optimisation, business growth and robust solutions in an ever changing M2M world.
Alex Rothwell, chief technology officer, Masternaut As technology evolves, developers are faced with an increasing volume of assets to be tracked; the need to actively manage assets when full visibility and access is not available; and the challenge of ensuring that exterior-mounted hardware is durable enough to remain intact. When operating in very remote locations there is no scope for network exclusivity the ability to make use of any available signal is essential. Were seeing a rollout of the technology across all sectors where mobile assets need to be tracked. There are very few exceptions. When it comes to trends were seeing that companies are increasingly looking for a single-stop shop: a supplier that can cover multiple countries, across multiple continents, i.e. operate at an international level. In addition were moving away from basic location services; far more information is available, including vehicle utilisation, security and the condition of goods in transit. The scope is huge. However, there are two prevailing issues: the first being the development of robust hardware; and the second is the challenge of maximising the amount of data that can be transmitted, while using as little power as possible.
Alex Rothwell, chief technology officer, Masternaut
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M2M
M2M Jargon Buster eCAF = embedded Connectivity Application Framework eUICC = embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card
M2M Now: Can you give some examples of how customers are evolving? RB: The car example is quite clear within a few years it has moved from basic safety and breakdown assistance services to multiple services both within and outside the car. These include navigation with realtime traffic information and weather reports, streaming internet radio and other infotainment
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constantly evolve and tune their go-to-market proposition, which in turn requires new innovative flexible billing and charging services on our end. Taking an end-to-end and holistic approach helps both us and our customer to identify the critical requirements that the solution should fulfill from the start and throughout the entire product lifecycle. M2M Now: There is increasingly strong competition in the M2M service sector. What challenges and opportunities do you see for a company like Telenor Connexion? RB: Since the late 90s we have built a strong and global customer base. Many of our customers have been onboard with us for several years, and we have seen how connected services are changing the way our customers are doing business, launching new products and entering new markets.
"We are in the business of making our customers more competitive through connected services." Robert Brunbck, Telenor Connexion
An increasing focus on service sales on top of pure product sales is being spurred on by the products that are getting connected. However, this development takes time within large, global organisations. The more we get into, and understand, our customers business, production challenges, international ambitions, sales approach and so on, the more we evolve and can develop new services to support them in the future. And yes, the market is growing and with it comes competition. Overall this is just positive, as more and more connected services are being deployed it spreads to other sectors and companies across the world. Our mission is to make it easy to get connected; making sure more companies can get smarter and more competitive, while also contributing to a smarter and more sustainable society. We will continue to leverage our long experience in the M2M field; in the end it is all about brain power, constantly evolving our dedicated M2M expertise to build and operate the smartest solutions, not only now but for many years ahead.
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DIARY
Event Diary
Don't forget to add the following events to your organiser. As M2M Now is Official Media Partner for many of these events we look forward to seeing you there.
CommunicAsia
June 18-21, 2013 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore www.communicasia.com
www.m2mnow.biz
BARCELONA PREVIEW
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The agenda includes a Cable Summit and ve Forums covering the hottest topics:
Digital and M2M Service Enablement Big Data Analytics Customer Experience Management Agile IT and Cloud Cyber Security
Featuring speakers from these companies and more: Alltel Wireless AT&T BT Global Services CellularOne Citi Group Comcast Deutsche Telekom MetroPCS NET Servios Rogers Communications SAS Sprint Nextel
Platinum Sponsor:
TAITRONICS REVIEW
Shih-Chao Cho: We fully believe in the potential of the cloud and internet of things.
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This was reflected in October when the annual Taitronics electronics exhibition, now in its 38th year, was joined by a new show called Cloud & Internet of Things to sit alongside Broadband Taiwan, which has been a sister show to Taitronics for five years.
Chia Chi Lee: This will then give you a physical check without having to go to hospital.
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TAITRONICS REVIEW
Joyce Yeh: Environmental protection agencies can use our data acquisition systems.
and Europe, so most of our customers here make products for export to Europe and the USA.
Institute for Information Industry. This will then give you a physical check without having to go to hospital. The doctors will have set limits on vital signs and this will send an alert if there is something wrong. These are to be put into small communities. A more ambitious M2M application comes from Anasystem, which has devices for monitoring both earthquakes and reservoir levels. Environmental protection agencies can use our data acquisition systems for measuring water levels, said Joyce Yeh, assistant vice president. Reservoir people use it to monitor water levels, flow and rain. They can set up alert values and when the water level reaches that, the user will receive a message or email. The earthquake monitoring system is useful in Taiwan as it will record the full event from the start of the earthquake and provide data. You can evaluate from the data to see if there has likely been any structural damage, said Yeh. Despite these early applications, the M2M industry in Taiwan is still in its infancy, but the hope is that projects such as Cloud Valley and integrating the early pioneers into one of the countrys largest electronics shows will pave the way for greater achievements. The internet of things industry is developing, said Brian Lee, deputy executive director of Taitras exhibition department. It is still an emerging industry. But a lot of money is being invested in this direction.
Where the operator has already moved is in linking with construction companies to provide digital home services for new houses.
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RESEARCH
The author is Philip Croxford, senior director, Global ISV/OEM Go-to-Market, Oracle Worldwide Alliances & Channels
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BACK PAGE
M2M Nows Editor, Jeremy Cowan is struggling with his own smart meter rollout.
Three children (mine, not random) have been lined up in front of the energy meter for a bit of Future Expected Expenditure Reassignment (FEER).
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Its not that smart, declares my 14 year-old arbiter of all good taste. Shes got a point; its made from thin white plastic, sits on a moulded cradle, with a trailing black 2-core cable and appears to have been roundly smacked with the Ugly Stick. An iMeter it is not. Whats a kW? seems a fair question. Im relieved it doesnt come from No.1 Son (16) who has just wrestled a B-grade from his Physics exams. Even better is to come with the question, How much is a kilowatt? This is from the perceptive youngest, aged 11. Thats like why is the sky blue?, and as Im an Arts graduate I treat it with my customary aplomb by changing the subject and switching the meter to a digital read-out of cost in pounds and pence. With interest in the meter now at a 3-day high, I
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