M2M is a rapidly evolving technology, as always. Here are some of the top stories we’ve covered this week.
One of the biggest M2M application areas is in automotive technology. Nokia launched its infotainment and connected car app “Here Auto.”
“People say they love their phones and they love their cars. But their relationship with their embedded car systems is ice cold. Nokia’s system is intended to link vehicles to the cloud,” said Floris Van-De-Klashorst, Here’s connected car VP.
The way to change that? Offering some cool new features, including real-time 3D traffic maps, points of interest and street-level imaging, as well as information on local businesses. It will be able to sync with a driver’s other devices.
M2M can also help make driving safer. Tag N Go, in cooperation with the Driving School Association of the Americas, has introduced a GPS safety system that computes a driving score based on habits like braking, acceleration and cornering. It’s similar to devices employed by insurance companies to help drivers qualify for lower car insurance premiums.
“We designed Tag N Go from the ground up to ensure our first and foremost goal of driver safety," said Frikkie Koen, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tag N Go. "Tag N Go will help develop safe driving habits that will last a lifetime, and protect a family’s most important assets – their loved ones.”
Later in the week, we learned that Telit, a major M2M manufacturer, would acquire ILS Technology.
“The ILST acquisition provides Telit with access to additional value-added services and customers, providing Telit with an even broader footprint in the M2M value chain,” said Oozi Cats, Telit CEO. “It opens up new opportunities to expand our service offerings to small & medium M2M customers worldwide, widening our market advantage. We see tremendous synergies between our hardware and connectivity offerings and the portfolio from ILST; and welcome the opportunity that this acquisition provides us to further strengthen and solidify our presence in the M2M market.”
If M2M is to keep evolving, vendors will have to take security seriously. TRENDnet, a maker of home security devices including surveillance cameras, marketed their devices as safe when they had already been compromised by a hacker last year, attracting the ire of the Federal Trade Commission.
“The Internet of Things holds great promise for innovative consumer products and services,” FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez said. “But consumer privacy and security must remain a priority as companies develop more devices that connect to the Internet.”
M2M is such an evolving field that a “week in review” article can’t do it justice. Be sure to stay tuned to M2M Evolution throughout the next week for even more updates.
