Short-range wireless finding complementary role in key cellular M2M applications

Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

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4 October 2006 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

Far from representing completely separate markets, short-range wireless sensor networking (WSN) technologies, such as ZigBee, and cellular machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies, are increasingly being bundled in complementary fashion to deploy M2M services.

This is according to a new study from ABI Research. Says senior analyst Sam Lucero: "The addition of short-range wireless to cellular M2M extends its reach into the local deployment area. Some applications need that or can benefit from it; others do not and cannot."

Short-range wireless technologies are expected to have a significant impact on market growth for certain types of cellular machine-to-machine modules. This will mean that by 2011, shipments of cellular M2M modules in sectors affected by short-range wireless will be, at over 45 million, more than double those in segments (such as telemedicine, information display, vending machines and ATMs) where that impact is not felt.

There are basically four venues where M2M technology (broadly defined) is deployed: in the home, in commercial buildings, in industrial facilities, and the 'wide area', where services may reach into one of the above locations, but do so via a cellular M2M module. Wide area venues also include mobile assets such as long-haul trucking, fleet management, and passenger vehicle telematics.

Where building owners deploy short-range wireless applications, they generally have access to a LAN or a wired Internet connection; they do not need backhaul by means of a cellular connection. But telematics, automation control, metering and security applications all benefit from having an extension of the cellular connection out through short-range wireless.

What are the implications of short-range wireless's impact for industry stakeholders? "There is certainly an opportunity for collaboration on the part of short-range wireless vendors and cellular M2M technology vendors," says Lucero. "Except at the IC level - think of TI, which makes both ZigBee and cellular chips - you do not see many vendors working in both arenas. At the module and equipment levels, we see more specialisation. We think that vendors on both sides should be looking for areas where they can form partnerships. There is also the continuing importance of system integrators who can help a customer navigate between vendors that specialise in one or the other, and integrate those technologies in the applications where both can profitably be used."

www.abiresearch.com

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Short-range wireless finding complementary role in key cellular M2M applications

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