What Role Do Wireless Carriers Play In M2M?

By Sarah Howland, Integrated Solutions magazine

In late 2009, ABI Research reported that the number of cellular M2M connections would approximately triple from 75 million by 2014. With this type of anticipated growth, it's no wonder that the wireless carriers are increasing their activity in the M2M space. There have been a number of partnership agreements over the past year or so that illustrate the growing interest of the carriers in M2M, including partnerships between Sprint and M2M DataSmart, Verizon and Qualcomm, AT&T and Jasper Wireless, and T-Mobile and Sierra Wireless. While M2M solutions have traditionally been sold through M2M solutions providers, often referred to as MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators), many of the carriers are now directly selling M2M solutions as well. Recently, I spoke with representatives from the four major carriers to discuss their roles in the M2M space and to provide insight on what their play in the M2M industry means to someone looking to deploy a M2M solution.