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Verizon Wireless, Vodafone and nPhase – a joint venture between Verizon and Qualcomm – have announced that they’d like to make global M2M (machine-to-machine) deployments much simpler undertakings.
In a Feb. 15 statement, the three said they’re forming a strategic alliance designed to “deliver a simple and effective international management solution for the growing number of companies looking to use M2M wireless communications to enhance their customer service and create new service offerings.”
The new offerings could benefit enterprise sectors including healthcare, energy, automotive telematics and consumer and commercial products. M2M solutions already on the market include the smart meters used by utility companies that offer two-way data transmission, offering benefit to both the energy companies and their customers.
Even the National Football League has looked to M2M solutions, testing it for security applications.
“M2M technology is playing an increasingly key role in helping firms to deliver more customized services to their customers, but the difficulties of managing devices on a global level was stopping the sector from realizing its true potential,” Erik Brenneis, Vodafone’s global head of M2M, said in a statement. “Through this alliance, we are making it even easier for firms to roll out M2M technology to their customers, where ever they may be.”
Steve Pazol, president of nPhase, added, “This business alliance removes many of the complexities by building on the tremendous capabilities and reach of Vodafone and Verizon Wireless to offer a single standard interface, and provide pre-certified global devices that can support both CDMA and GSM networks.”
The alliance members anticipate that the move will increase the global demand for M2M technologies. Likewise, research firm Berg Insight expects that industry-wide operator revenues for wireless M2M will rise from 2008’s approximately $4.3 billion to $12.9 billion in 2012.
Additionally, a Vodafone report, “Carbon Connections,” calculates that increased M2M-enabled solutions could help to lower greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 million tons per year across 25 countries in the European Union by 2010.