M2M refers to data communications between machines. M2M is most commonly translated as Machine-to-Machine but has also been translated as Man-to-Machine, Machine-to-Man, Machine-to-Mobile and Mobile-to-Machine. Among cellular telephone service providers, M2M is defined as Mobile-to-Mobile, and is used to describe calls that do not involve land lines. Like all evolving technologies, its definition continues to change. In general, Mobile-to-Mobile refers to telemetry or telematics that is accomplished using networks, especially public wireless networks.

In the past, telemetry systems were the exclusive domain of very large well financed organizations. NASA used telemetry extensively from the very beginning of the space program. Large oil and gas companies and electric utility companies, through the use of extensive customer built dedicated data networks, were some of the first private organizations to use telemetry.

M2M can also mean the family of sensors, middleware, software and applications that help improve efficiency and quality by tying together a myriad of sensors with mission critical applications like asset management, ERP, and CRM.

In recent years, the cost of access to public wireless data networks (CDMA, GPRS, Mobitex, etc.) has dropped while the capabilities of these networks continue to increase. M2M generally refers to technology that leverages these networks to bring telemetry to a much wider audience. In addition, M2M sometimes refers to similar leveraging of the internet. In this case, M2M is more or less equivalent to the term, Pervasive Internet.

As the scope of M2M has evolved, other terms like Machine to Human (M2H) and Machine to Enterprise (M2E) are starting to emerge to segment the pervasive nature of the M2M term. The M2M device, software, network, and service market is expected to grow rapidly world-wide between now and 2010. Some estimates suggest the 2010 world market may exceed Three Billion Dollars in annual revenue. Whereas there are some 500 million computers in the world and 1.5 billion cell phones and PDAs, it is estimated there are more than 38 billion other electronic devices that have information that might be relevant to improving an enterprises operation. The M2M market strives to connect these devices to corporations, governments and institutions.

Examples

The key pieces of a typical M2M system include:

1. A device or group of devices capable of replying to requests for data contained within those devices or capable of transmitting data contained within those devices autonomously.
2. A communications link to connect the device or group of devices to a computer, server, or other device.
3. A software agent, process, or interface by which the data can be analyzed, reported, and/or acted upon.
4. Software Intelligence.

Most often, M2M systems are task-specific. Meaning, a given system is purpose-built for just one specific device or a very restricted class of devices in an industry. This is one indicator the M2M market is still in its infancy, as a unified intercommunication standard has yet to evolve. Functions are duplicated -- each purpose-built system repeats many functions already implemented in similar systems.

Enterprise Infrastructure Management

• Ability of the M2M solution to interoperate with existing management systems as well as the entire M2M value chain.

Data Center

• Increase data center reliability by connecting all the IT and building automation system assets. Integrate them into a single universal data log. Leverage data log to evaluate trouble conditions that are interrelated between disparate subsystems.
• Assure COBIT/ITIL compliance by tying data center operational process with the specific IT and non IT devices that are manage by the process. Validate that employees are meeting service level agreements by responding in a timely and effective manner.

Oil & gas

• A manufacturer of instrumentation for producing well sites may use M2M to enable its customers to remotely collect data on flow rates, pressures, temperatures, tank levels and equipment status as an alternative to manual, on-site data collection.
• A manufacturer of injection pumps for producing wells may use M2M to give its customers a means to adjust the pump operation remotely in response to well and weather conditions as an alternative to on-site adjustment.

Manufacturing

• A manufacturer of machinery for preparing shipping packages may use M2M to remotely monitor its equipment to detect problems before they result in failures, to schedule optimal preventive maintenance, and to track consumption of packaging chemicals as an alternative to manual inspection by its field service technicians or the customer's equipment operators.

Facility Management

• A building operator can use M2M to monitor equipment operation, energy use and maintenance. This data can then be used to optimize operations and reduce energy costs.
• Wirelessly monitor the status of portable fire extinguishers throughout a campus. Eliminate the need for manually verify pressure gauge, while also being alerted if the extinguisher is discharged.

Transportation

• A system integrator may use M2M as part of a system to retrofit roadside signs with a means to remotely add federally mandated emergency alerts and Amber Alerts to multiple signs at the same time as an alternative to manually programming signs on-site.  A classic example of this is the OnStar System provided by General Motors.  An onboard sensor will notify OnStar when there is a problem with the vehicle – e.g. an accident or a system failure.
• Supply chain - On board sensors in the cold chain (supply chain for frozen foods) can monitor the temperature of produce/frozen goods as it is being transported. The onboard M2M sensors send in the temperature data and notify the user when they go out of bound

Healthcare

• A system integrator may use M2M to collect data from remote diagnostic equipment in a patient's home (i.e., blood pressure, weight, glucose level) or using a mobile device as an alternative to the patient visiting a medical facility or a medical paraprofessional visiting the patient in his home.
• Increasingly used as an early warning mechanism to monitor larger medical devices such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging units and CT Scanners.

Insurance

• A manufacturer of security systems may use a network of interconnected sensors to generate alarms to notify the proper authority of a systems breach.  Such verifiable systems may help insurers provide competitive policies.
• Car rental companies are using GPS and wireless networks to determine the actual position of the car and to offer a Pay-as-you-use model.

Fleet Management

• M2M systems can be used to control embedded vehicle controllers wirelessly. For example, monitoring the vehicle fleet conducting ground operations at an airport, giving the control tower advanced monitoring and GPS capabilities, including remote shut-down of vehicles in case of emergency.

Time and Attendance

• M2M systems can be used for a large, distributed Time and Attendance System. An entire chain of stores could easily integrate data from all of its retail locations, warehouses and management Head Quarters to produce payroll reports and analyze employee efficiency.

Sensors Network

• Another possible use is to deploy a large grid of sensors. Instead of working with each sensor as a stand-alone component, an M2M system would allow the operators to perform complex batch polling operations and analyze physical conditions on a wider scale, and within a shorter time frame.

Vending

• "Smart" vending machines are gradually appearing. These are vending machines that accept credit cards.  These ‘smart’ machines can report any malfunctions and quantity of products in the machines directly back to the company’s operations centers.  Since vending machines are so widely distributed, creating an M2M network vastly increases operator efficiency.

Building/Home Automation

• A "Smart Home" is a building in which computerized HVAC, access controls and other systems have been installed.  M2M allows such a home to work as one entity’) rather than a collection of separate components.

Security Systems

• In a further take on the sensor network scenario, an M2M system could be used for a comprehensive security system. Not only could you locate activity in a specific sensor, but the system could trigger a business rule as a result, and direct a camera towards the location of that sensor.

Unified Platforms

• Due to the duplication of functions in many M2M systems, a unifying trend has recently started taking shape.  Processes are now being created aimed at reducing the duplication of functions across similar systems. This can be seen as an attempt to standardize the burgeoning M2M market by introducing open communication protocols.

[M2M definition from Wikipedia with revisions]