As it says on their website, what wireless technology has done for human communications nPhase is now doing for machines, products and devices. nPhase has a long track record of helping companies understand and realize business benefits from M2M, or machine-to-machine technology, the communication between devices or machines.
Since its acquisition by Qualcomm in 2006, nPhase has been instrumental in bringing M2M to the business mainstream, delivering reliable service and removing the risk associated with technological change.
As part of its On the Road Series, IoTevolutionworld’s Erik Linask had a chance to sit down with Steve Pazol, President of nPhase to discuss M2M and the future of nPhase.
As far as the technology goes, Pazol says that nPhase is seeing a lot in the kiosk space. When it comes to digital signage, like those from Red Box or Best Buy kiosks and inventory control, wireless technology is essential to run smoothly. While the market isn’t huge, there is certainly a lot of activity notes Pazol.
What’s driving M2M, according to Pazol, depends on which side you’re looking at. From the adopter’s side, there’s a lot of product companies that have been “commoditized.” Many of them, to differentiate, are moving towards a service model.
“By connecting to the product, they’re able to deliver a differentiated service, hopefully a recurring transaction with the customer,” said Pazol.
On the mobile operator side, the handset market is pretty saturated. Because of this, carriers are looking for newer markets to be able to sell subscriptions into.
“By putting connectivity in things, it’s a broader market that doesn’t change cell phone plans on a regular basis,” said Pazol. “The market goes on and on.”
Security has not been a major issue for the M2M industry so far, but it is a moving target. Eventually, solution providers will need to demonstrate their total commitment to hardened security.
“One of the nice things about M2M is it rests on existing standards, like IP, encryption and SSL,” said Pazol.
There are millions - if not billions- of devices and endpoints that could be potentially connected via wireless to enterprises' IT backend via M2M. Secure communication can mean different things to different people in M2M.
“You need security from multiple aspects,” said Pazol.
Overall, security is going to be an extremely important consideration in M2M. Standards are evolving, the stakes are getting bigger, and there is a clear drive towards commerce-driven initiatives across different M2M ecosystems.
For more information, visit www.nphase.com
Michelle Amodio is a IoTevolutionworld contributor. She has helped promote companies and groups in all industries, from technology to banking to professional roller derby. She holds a bachelor's degree in Writing from Endicott College and currently works in marketing, journalism, and public relations as a freelancer.Edited by
Rich Steeves