IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

A new report suggests that if elected officials want to fully harness the power of the Internet of Things, they must draft policy that maximizes the impact that machine-to-machine communication can have on economic growth and social well-being.

M2M is a technology revolution creating new business opportunities for the industry and enhancing consumer experience, added Abdulla Hashim, senior vice president, ICT, Etisalat.

He was speaking at the end of the M2M Middle East Forum 2013, which saw participation from over 200 attendees from the private and public sectors and regional and global experts. Topics discussed at the event focused on smart cities, smart enterprises, smart governance, smart grids, smart metering, remote monitoring, smart healthcare, security and smart retailing.

New developments driven by IoT and M2M - cities leading the chargeSmart Societies based on Big Data.

M2M (machine-to-machine) and IoT (Internet of Things) linked to data analytics (big data) developments are accelerating, and as more companies enter this sector and spend money on developing it, we will see further astonishing innovations emerge over the next few years. Applications are already being used in infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare, education as well as in government; we will address this in detail in this report.

Noting that mHealth services could be distributed easily across the country due to the high mobile penetration rate, Bapela listed four key ways in which South Africa would benefit from such services. These included raising the average life expectancy, reducing infant mortality rates, fighting disease including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and augmenting the country’s health ecosystem.

If you look back in time at the progression of both concepts though, you’ll discover that these were in fact two starkly unrelated ideas at one point that have since evolved from a loose correlation to a tightly interwoven dependency. In fact, in order to understand from today’s standpoint the current and future relationship between the two, you must first understand their nuances, as well as the transformations they have undergone as one technology has begun to flow into the other.

Information technology and electronics are becoming entwined with our everyday lives in industry, the service sector, transport, logistics, health care, housing, education, and our leisure time, almost without our noticing it.

The changes are already apparent to consumers in the energy sector, for example: remotely readable meters are rapidly becoming more common, enabling developments such as new pricing models that encourage the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The remote control of machines and devices is experiencing substantial growth and spreading to smaller and smaller appliances. Smart buildings use building automation to control their own functions to an ever greater extent, and remote health care applications are increasing apace with the ageing of the population.

The Internet of Things connected fridge is a myth and such a device wouldn't have any social benefit even if it did exist.

That's according to Dr Alison Powell, Assistant Professor of Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and technology futurist, who was speaking at a recent discussion on internet privacy at the Royal Society.

Cities will be major beneficiaries from growth in the IoT market, according to a report released by Verizon.

Organizations are seeing measurable benefits from Internet of Things (IoT) projects, and the number of overall IoT connections will more than quadruple between 2014 and 2020, according to a Verizon Enterprise Solutions report released Feb. 23.

The number and range of connected devices is steadily increasing — from household appliances and wearables, to utility meters and car telematics — to create the Internet of Things (IoT). And as these numbers continue to grow, the technologies conceived in the mobile industry are driving a convergence of several other industries — from machine-to-machine (M2M) to automotive and government. Although mobile is a relatively young industry, the lessons it provides will ultimately be the guiding factor to how software is managed in these devices.

Machine to machine (M2M)communications, a solution that allows automated communication between connected devices over a wireless network, has aided enterprises in their progress to ascertain constant connectivity and real time monitoring of assets.

With experts predicting a $1.2 trillion revenue opportunity from the machine-to-machine (M2M) market by 2020, with an estimated 50 billion connections, the United Arab Emirates is shifting the focus from being an oil-based economy to becoming an advanced technological one, as M2M gains traction in the region. Gemalto, a leader in digital security, will discuss the M2M landscape in the region and the ways that the technology can be utilised in the UAE and the Middle East at today's M2M Middle East Forum.

While M2M is indeed useful for business operations, particularly in an age when organizations are inundated with data, we must consider what machine automation is lacking. What is the point of collecting data across devices and networks if information is not easily accessible by the right people?

The current scenario

The current rules applicable to wearable technologies, smart cities, smart home devices, eHealth technologies have not been drafted having in mind Internet of Things platforms. The consequence of that is that lawyers and regulators need to adapt rules issued to regulate a completely different environment reaching sometimes the conclusion that such regulations would make Internet of Things projects either financially or operationally unworkable.

M2M is the technology behind the Internet of Things that could enable smart cities of the future. It allows electronic devices to communicate with one another via SIM cards that can connect to wireless sensors and the mobile internet for management and monitoring, and to provide services.

Called Street Bump, the mobile application uses sensors embedded in mobile devices to identify vibrations that could indicate potholes or other road hazards. But unlike other 311 apps that require user interaction to log a complaint, all a person needs to do is turn it on. Technology takes care of the rest.

IoT systems around the world have resulted in pockets of connected communities operating successfully, but in isolation. The challenge is how to connect them.

This is the year the Internet of Things (IoT) will go from a science fiction concept to a tangible reality. In 2015, everything from your washing machine, car or toothbrush will communicate and work together to make your life easier.

While the private sector has been an enthusiastic adopter of M2M technologies for several years, the public sector, specifically state and local governments, have much to gain by utilizing the next generation of highly accurate, location-enabled M2M solutions in a wide range of their activities.