Talk about Machine-to-Machine
applications and people immediately think of the GSM solutions and opportunities
driven by large mobile network providers and European legislation such as that
which will require all new cars to have eCall installed by 2015.
“But” says Mark Shane of distributor ICON “these are the headline makers in a market
which also includes on-site/on-premises M2M solutions delivered using enterprise
wireless communication technologies.”
Mark explained
“These on-site solutions use the
familiar DECT or WiFi wireless communications to deliver M2M services around a
site. Fault reporting, asset protection,
and machine & plant status monitoring are a few of the services that are
delivered across enterprise wireless communications.”
“Our channel partners already have a
significant installed base of solutions in the manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality
sectors.”
Mark added.
“However, there are only a few vendors
in the UK that can deliver the infrastructure for an M2M on-site solution. A leading independent vendor is BlueSky
Wireless whose solution links with the Spectralink DECT and WiFi solutions. At ICON we distribute to and support the
channel in delivering these solutions.”
“The important point for the channel
is that these vendors rely on the channel to deliver the solutions.”
Mark is keen to stress that the
on-site M2M solutions are not the simple text and voice messaging services
offered on standard enterprise wireless solutions. Mark explained.
“The M2M solutions which we distribute
and support deliver sophisticated business critical services. The solutions can be used to monitor and
control BMS and HVAC solutions, link into plant or SCADA solutions, as well as
providing a range of other business critical services. All these services are delivered across the
WiFi or DECT wireless communications infrastructure.”
“Often the M2M solution is a critical element
of the business processes”
The advantage of the on-site M2M solutions
over the GSM solutions is that they are available today, integrate easily with most
enterprise communications solutions, have a proven record in a range of
industry sectors, and do not need a BYOD to work!
Spectralink and BlueSky Wireless are in
poll position to spearhead development of this M2M niche. Spectralink have a range of business quality WiFi
and DECT handsets that come ready loaded with alert and process display icons. Bluesky wireless provides the interfaces needed
to integrate with third party systems and a range of endpoints including the Spectralink
DECT and WiFi handsets and GSM devices. Mark
commented
“This is a new and exciting market which
the channel is intimately involved in growing.
The fact that a solution needs to be integrated with the organisations
communications platform, is provided by integrating solutions from different
providers, and is intimately tied up with an organisations workflow and
manufacturing processes, means that it is a true value added solution.”
Mark added
“It’s also a market in which we are
seeing considerable activity and one we believe is an ideal growth opportunity
for the channel.”
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