July 2012 STUDY: M2M and Cloud as the Foundation for the Internet of Things BY: Bill Lesieur 4 1 0 r u e d e s R e c o l l e t s, S u i t e 3 0 1, M o n t r e a l, Q C H 2 Y 1 W 2 C A N A D A
Table of Contents Questions Addressed in the Study... 5 Introduction & Executive Summary... 6 Key Study Findings and Survey Results... 11 Top Challenges for Mass-Adoption of M2M Solutions... 12 Challenge: Standards, Architecture, and Interoperability... 12 Challenge: Profitable Business Model... 13 Challenge: Cost to implement, operate, and maintain... 14 Challenge: Fragmented Supply Chain... 14 Challenge: Maturity of Applications/Solutions... 15 Challenge: Marketing, Awareness, and Education... 15 Challenge: Security and Data Privacy... 16 Challenge: Integration with IT Systems... 16 Challenge: Ability to Scale... 17 Challenge: Regulatory and Wireless Spectrum... 18 Cloud as Enabler to M2M Mass-Adoption... 20 Vertical Sectors and M2M Cloud... 25 Vertical #1: Utilities/Smart Energy... 25 Vertical #2: Automotive/Telematics... 26 Vertical #3: Transport/Logistics... 26 Vertical #4: Medical/Healthcare... 26 Other Verticals... 27 M2M Market Transformation to the Internet of Things... 28 Vendor Profiles: M2M Solutions and Capabilities... 30 Profile: Alcatel-Lucent... 30 M2M Strategy... 30 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 30 Products/Services/Solutions... 31 Profile: Ericsson... 32 M2M Strategy... 32 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 32 Products/Services/Solutions... 33 Profile: Nokia Siemens Networks... 34 2
M2M Strategy... 34 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 34 Products/Services/Solutions... 34 Profile: Huawei... 36 M2M Strategy... 36 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 36 Products/Services/Solutions... 37 Profile: ILS Technology... 38 M2M Strategy... 38 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 38 Products/Services/Solutions... 39 Profile: Axeda... 40 M2M Strategy... 40 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 40 Products/Services/Solutions... 41 Profile: Sierra Wireless... 42 M2M Strategy... 42 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 42 Products/Services/Solutions... 42 Profile: Qualcomm... 43 M2M Strategy... 43 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 43 Products/Services/Solutions... 43 Profile: nphase (Verizon Wireless)... 45 M2M Strategy... 45 Market Outlook/Opportunity... 45 Products/Services/Solutions... 45 4G market intelligence and advisory services... 47 Exposing the reality behind the 4G hype.... 47 More than just numbers!... 47 Our Services... 47 Contact Information... 47 3
Table of Figures Figure 1: M2M to Internet of Things... 7 Figure 2: M2M Transition to Internet of Things... 9 Figure 3: Top M2M Mass-Market Adoption Challenges... 11 Figure 4: M2M Market Orientation... 13 Figure 5: M2M Supply Chain Readiness to Scale and Support Mass-Adoption... 17 Figure 6: M2M Supply Chain Readiness Progress... 18 Figure 7: M2M Adoption Challenges That Cloud Will Address... 21 Figure 8: M2M Data Challenges... 23 Figure 9: M2M Analytics in the Cloud... 24 Figure 10: Vertical Sectors and M2M Cloud... 25 Figure 11: M2M to Internet of Everything... 28 Figure 12: M2M Supply Chain Readiness and Investment Opportunities... 29 4
Questions Addressed in the Study What are the top industry and customer challenges today for mass-market adoption of M2M solutions? Which M2M mass-adoption challenges will cloud most likely have the biggest positive impact? How is the M2M supply chain providing the foundation for the Internet of Things? What are the 2G-3G-4G network lifecycle and spectrum challenges in supporting M2M today versus the future? What is the market impact of non-sim connected devices and sensors? How important is cloud-based technology and solutions in enabling massadoption of M2M? Based on the supply chain component, what is the readiness to support massadoption of M2M solutions? What M2M data challenges in enabling mass-adoption of M2M solutions? Which vertical sectors will likely benefit the most from cloud-enabled M2M solutions? What are the vendor strategies for offering M2M solutions to telecom operators? What are the vendor market outlooks for M2M market? What is the opportunity for white space spectrum for M2M? 5
Introduction & Executive Summary The study is a result of phone and in-person interviews and online surveys with M2M buyers, suppliers, vendors, integrators, and investors worldwide. The vendor profile component of the study looked at infrastructure, professional services and enabling technology that vendors and providers are offering to operators and enterprise customers for M2M solutions and services. The machine-to-machine (M2M) market has been around for well over 10 years, and for decades in the industrial sector, depending on how you define M2M. Based on the study and numerous discussions, the general consensus is that the M2M market is at a key inflection point for supporting mass market adoption, while providing the foundation for the broader concept of the Internet of Things (or Internet of Everything, as some call it). Traditional M2M: Point solutions connecting devices and machine data to a central database for use in monitoring, diagnostic, and support services Internet of Things: Connected devices and sensors everywhere, massive stores of data in the cloud, tidal wave of new applications, and consumerization of M2M 6
M2M (Old World) Internet of Things (New World) Last 10+ years 2012 to 2020 M2M Supply Chain Machine (chips, sensors) Modules (modem, gateways) Network/Transport Platform/Middleware Services (Operations/Support) Integration/Applications Mobile Cloud Social Internet of Things Innovation Ecosystem Figure 1: M2M to Internet of Things Over the past 10 to 20 years, Spectrum Dilemma: many vendors and industry A key M2M-related dilemma thought leaders have around wireless spectrum is about provided visions and how long to maintain 3G, and in developed labs to demonstrate the future of many cases 2G, networks for M2M what we are now calling use. Based on its architecture, 4G M2M, Connected Devices and LTE is far more efficient for M2M, the Internet of Things. These not just in terms of speed, but also visions are now becoming in latency, scalability (via IPv6) and reality, particularly in terms operational costs. Further, LTE of vendors, suppliers and standards bodies are working on providers positioning for specific approaches to optimize the current and future value use of LTE for M2M, including in chain positions and the areas of bandwidth allocation, differentiation. receiver standards, transmission, and power usage. 7
While vendors and suppliers are taking different approaches to enabling M2M solutions, the common theme is that cloud computing is essential in enabling mass adoption of M2M solutions, which will also support the next wave of innovation, laying the foundations for the broader Internet of Things, and the consumerization of M2M. The consumerization of M2M is not well defined, but will become a massive and wide-open opportunity for established players and newcomers up and down the value chain, including for developers migrating away from the saturated mobile application market. What might be lost in some of the discussions and debates is that a large percentage of future connected devices and sensors will be communicating through 4G LTE gateways and hubs anyway, including through WiFi Direct, ZigBee, Bluetooth, etc. Homes, offices, cars, retail, and public areas can be equipped with 4G LTE M2M gateways and hubs to support a wide variety of M2M connectivity. Further, 4G LTE smartphones and tablets, including iphones and ipads, can serve as M2M hubs and gateways to a broad range of Internet of Things elements yet to be invented There have M2M platform vendors and suppliers focused on the market during the past 10 years with a mix of success in implementing customer solutions in a variety of industry vertical sectors. There are many interesting customer solution stories, but mass adoption worldwide has not taken off to the frustration of many of the vendors and operators. Established M2M platform vendors also point out that there have been some expensive failures in the implementation of customer solutions that have contributed to the cautious approach to M2M initiatives by enterprise buyers. 8
M2M (Old World) Internet of Things (New World) Last 10+ years 2012 to 2020 Telecom, Semiconductor, and IT industries addressing and resolving M2M supply chain barriers to mass adoption Enabling the Internet of Things Innovation Ecosystem to takeoff applications, services, big data analytics, Figure 2: M2M Transition to Internet of Things However, starting in 2011, the market received renewed attention by all players in the supply chain, including mobile operators aggressively targeting M2M subscription growth. Based on the study, most the top vendors agreed that M2M and the Internet of Things are going through a peak hype cycle now, for better or for worse. The attention is helping drive awareness and interest among business customers while forcing the M2M supply chain players to address the numerous adoption challenges. The M2M market is different from other hi-tech markets, which typically progress through emerging, growth, and consolidation phases. The hype cycle for hi-tech markets typically hit a peak and then dips with diminished expectations, and then finally levels out as the market continues to mature. However, the M2M market is highly vertically-integrated and while common (horizontal) standards and platforms are emerging, the market will always have a significant amount of fragmentation based on significant differences between the vertical sectors and the related machines and connected devices. As a result, consolidation to a just a few 9
end-to-end players is not likely to occur as is often the case in other market segments. Further, Tier-1 mobile operators are also positioning as platform and end-to-end players, which injects another unique component into the maturation of the market as well as the ongoing consolidation of the M2M industry by way of M&A and partnerships. 10