Gemalto is a company that has long played in the digital security space. It has a number of business lines, all of which tie back to Gemalto’s digital security capabilities in some form or fashion. But it has also moved aggressively to grow its machine to machine (M2M) business. Gemalto has been involved with M2M for over a decade (long before the Internet of Things or The Internet of Everything became buzz terms) and it was with M2M in mind that we spent some time with Gemalto at CTIA 2013. To do so, we caught up with Benoit Jouffrey, Gemalto’s VP for M2M value added services.
Gemalto is not an M2M startup or a fly-by-night operation. Gemalto is, in fact, a €2.2 billion ($2.88 billion) public company with over 10,000 employees. In 2012, the company reported profits of €306 million ($400.28 million) – definitely anything but a small fly-by-night operation. It delivers both software and hardware across a number of vertical businesses, with financial services, government, transportation and telecomas some of its key industries. In all cases, digital security sits at the center of everything Gemalto does.
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During CTIA 2013, the company announced a new M2M product and a new partnership. First, the hardware – Jouffrey notes that Gemalto will be adding a new module to its arsenal based on Qualcomm’s QSC 6270-Turbo chipset to the company’s Cinterion portfolio of cellular-based modules and devices. The new module delivers support for Java and for the company’s SensorLogic cloud-based SaaS platform.
With the new device in hand, Gemalto believes it will be able to launch a next generation of embedded solutions and services that will both simplify M2M deployments and speed up customized application development. The Cinterion M2M end-to-end solution portfolio will also provide, as Jouffrey points out, secure wireless connectivity for many types of applications in a variety of verticals, among them automotive telematics, tracking and tracing, alarm systems and mobile health.
What’s the secret Gemalto sauce? Jouffrey suggests that it can be found in the fact that, “The Cinterion modules utilize application processor power to host customer application software directly on board the module itself, which eliminates the expense of additional processing and memory chips. This in turn reduces overall cost, complexity and space. Multiple applications can run in parallel and the rich application environment allows the vast Java global developer community to reuse existing resources and to speed up complete system integration.”
Also important – especially for M2M applications -- is that the architecture simplifies over-the-air provisioning and remote updating. This allows for managing M2M applications that often remain in the field for more than 10 years, a scenario that would definitely prove annoying for anything other than OTA updating and provisioning. Further, because the Cinterion modules and solutions are seamlessly integrated with the SensorLogic application enablement platform it becomes possible to transform all sorts of devices into manageable assets that optimize business performance.
Partners with Encore Networks
The partnership Gemalto announced is with Encore Networks, which will utilize Gemalto’s Cinterion technology to provide wireless connectivity for Encore routers deployed in mission critical applications. The routers are used in applications that range across diverse set of markets that include government, electrical, oil and gas, waste and water, transportation and various enterprises.
The Encore routers , in combination with the Cinterion multimode M2M solution, enable the creation of applications that wirelessly gather mission-critical data from legacy customer premise equipment and rapidly transmit it to centers around the country. In other words, gathering critical data at the edges of networks and bringing that data back for analysis, alerts generation and numerous other applications. The Encore routers are also ruggedized, and provide cellular IP connectivity using the Cinterion modules in applications that require withstanding high temperatures, humidity, vibration and shock with the harshest and most severe weather conditions are also part of the game that Encore tackles.
The solution enables secure 3G connectivity on both CDMA and GSM mobile networks, and allows integrators to develop one product design for any mobile network, and reduces development costs and time to market. With a footprint that matches Gemalto’s other 3G and future-oriented M2M modules, the Encore Networks router can also be easily customized or upgraded without major design changes as technology requirements and networks change and evolve.
Gemalto, Jouffrey concludes, “Is committed to helping global enterprises and industries protect their technology investments with intelligent M2M solutions that support forward evolution and stand the test of time.” Gemalto does this exceedingly well, and qualifies in our book as a CTIA 2013 Gem (no, the “Gem” in Gemalto has nothing to do with it).
Editor in Chief Rich Tehrani also conducted an interview at CTIA 2013 with Gemalto SVP for M2M Norbert Muhrer. Check out the video below.
Other CTIA 2013 Gem articles include the following:
Edited by
Rich Steeves
