With Wireless broadband driving penetration of data access in India , Machine to Machine Communication will have huge impact on society

MACHINE TO MACHINE COMMUNICATION

M2M is about enabling the flow of data between machines and machines and ultimately machines and people. Regardless of the type of machine or data, information usually flows in the same general way -- from a machine over a network, and then to a system where it can be reviewed and acted on.

There are four basic stages that are common to just about every M2M application. Those components are:

• 1) Collection of data
• 2) Transmission of selected data through a communication network
• 3) Assessment of the data
• 4) Response to the available information

1) Collection of Data

The intelligence of a monitored machine may be as simple as a temperature sensor,water level indicator, electricity meter reading , weather , under sea condition, traffic conditions etc.

The goal of the M2M hardware is to bridge the intelligence in the machine with the communication network.

2) Transmission of data through a communication network

There are several good options for transporting data from the remote equipment . The cellular network, telephone lines, and communication satellites are all common solutions.

In India with low penetration of telephone lines and remote areas to capture data wireless media will be key. This will be cost effective solution.

3) Assessment of the data

Data from machines usually shows up in one of two places: in an enterprise software application the company already uses, or in a standalone system designed specifically for M2M.

Still, the vast majority of opportunities for M2M center around taking data out of machines and integrating it with operational data. For example, remote monitoring data can be incorporated into customer-relationship management systems for logging service and maintenance history.

4) Response to the available information

Whether the application is standalone or part of a larger system, the common goal is to automate a business process by automating the flow of data to the people and systems that have a need to know. The technology should enable sending the right data to the right place in the right way depending on the circumstances. It should also present data to individual users based on their specific function in the business process.

Some uses of M2M communication are:

1. A modern farmer who has automated irrigation systems operating in different locations can now be constantly aware of their operation based on short messages that are relayed cell phone.

2. Electricity meter reading from households and offices by electricity supplier.

3. Monitoring water level to avoid floods.

4. Monitoring appliances like washing machine, microwave etc at home and operating them over mobile phones.

M2M is not only receiving data from machine but sending actions back to machine to act upon.

There are unlimited opportunities to harness raw data in machine and integrate them into system to enable analytical decisions and control