M2M
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China is the global leader in Internet of Things thanks to government support
China accounts for more than a quarter of global machine-to-machine (M2M) connections, according to a report by the GSMA association of mobile operators. With more than 50 million connections, the country's at the head of the pack when it comes to Internet of Things adoption. China's lead is thanks to strong government support - the country plans to invest more than $600 billion in IoT through the year 2020. The fact that China's top mobile operators are cooperating with the government to deploy M2M solutions across several fields doesn't hurt, either.
T-Mobile's eSIM eliminates roaming charges for connected devices in US and Canada
Don LaFontaine: In a world where everything can connect to the Internet, one thing stands in the way of always-on communications: roaming charges. When your car, watch or blood sugar monitor is constantly transferring data to and from the cloud, you have to be concerned with where you go. These sorts of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications (sometimes obnoxiously referred to as "the internet of things") bring convenience but also their own set of unique problems. T-Mobile's eSIM addresses at least one (extremely narrow) sliver of those issues by eliminating roaming costs when moving between the US and Canada. The carrier gives the example of a trucking company that could easily rack up $2,400 in roaming charges per-year, per-truck thanks to navigation, email, tracking software and vehicle diagnostics. By building eSIM into its systems, even a company with a relatively small fleet of big rigs could save hundreds of thousands a year. Obviously though, that's just the start. Future medical implants that keep doctors abreast of changes in a blood sugar or pressure could also rack up steep roaming fees if the patient is a frequent traveler. T-Mobile is making eSIM available to businesses today and it's compatible with "multiple international carriers" right out of the box. While wandering between the US and Canada certainly limits its appeal at the moment, support in other countries will be announced over the course of the year.
AT&T to open Foundries in Atlanta and Dallas that focus on home automation, device-to-device tech
AT&T launched its first Foundries primarily as mobile app incubators, but the carrier is switching focus tonight: it just unveiled plans to open more hardware-oriented Foundries in Atlanta and Dallas. Most Atlanta-based projects will expand AT&T's Digital Life home automation service, with connected cars and U-verse also receiving a boost. The Dallas Foundry complements an existing presence in the city, but will pay attention to the internet of things and other forms of machine-to-machine chatter. In either circumstance, collaboration will be key. The Atlanta location will sit right next to Georgia Tech, while hardware makers at the new Dallas office can get software help at the original Foundry one floor down. The two new locations won't open until a few months from now, but the Foundry program's healthy track record suggests that patience will be a virtue for interested developers.
BlackBerry introduces OTA service for automakers, brings push expertise to vehicle telematics
With more and more vehicles featuring telematics and built-in wireless connectivity, it's no surprise that we're seeing a new ecosystem emerge around the technology, with M2M specialists providing everything from radios to apps. BlackBerry wants a piece of this pie, and today at the Telematics Detroit conference, the company is showing a new OTA (Over The Air) service for automakers. The solution lets car manufacturers manage and deploy software updates to vehicles in the field and takes advantage of BlackBerry's push expertise and secure infrastructure. Other remote capabilities include installing apps on a car's infotainment system and getting status information on vehicle components. Let's just hope there's no service outage in the middle of that ECU update, okay? PR after the break.
Arduino GSM/GPRS Shield gets helping hand from Telefonica for data, remote control
Arduino devices have had the option of a GSM linkup for awhile, but getting that cellular link to truly strut its stuff hasn't always been easy, even for those of us who'd be inclined to program an Arduino in the first place. Enter Telefonica, which wants to be the backbone of your internet of things. It's backing a new version of the GSM/GPRS Shield add-on (shown here) by offering both the expected machine-to-machine SIMs for the cellular connection as well as freshly added remote control of the board through the carrier's BlueVia pages. The Shield itself is getting a quiet upgrade in the process -- the software both takes up a smaller footprint and can now talk to the world in the background while the Arduino keeps on keepin' on. If you happen to be in Berlin, the new Shield is making the rounds at Campus Party workshops until April 25th. Neither side has said how readily available the new part will be available after that; for now, you can familiarize yourself with the current technology at the source link.
Intel's SMARTi low-cost 3G systems show off their wireless prowess
Intel's announced a new system-on-chip that jams a 3G power amplifier directly onto radio circuits for smaller, cheaper cellular modems. SMARTi UE2p is designed for entry-level 3G phones and machine-to-machine modules that'll let your fridge talk to your oven. The Santa Clara chip foundry will be offering the gear to interested parties toward the end of the year, so if all the Microwaves released next Summer suddenly have the ability to access Twitter, you'll know Intel's to blame.
T-Mobile to debut unlimited mobile-to-mobile plan next month?
Here's a juicy little rumor that's sure to excite the T-Mobile faithful. Retail training materials, acquired by TmoNews, indicate that the nation's fourth largest wireless provider may launch an "Unlimited Any Mobile" add-on early next month. The feature can be tacked on to existing T-Mo plans (with some exceptions) for a paltry $10 a month. Once added, you're free to call any US mobile without having to think about minutes, and there's no contractual commitments to the package. Sprint patrons have enjoyed this luxury for quite some time, and AT&T users can get the same, with the adoption of an unlimited text messaging plan. If this does materialize, maybe it'll help woo some of those customers back.
Sprint opens M2M Collaboration Center, we check it out
Yesterday we attended the opening of Cyberdyne Systems Corporation's labs Sprint's M2M Collaboration Center, where we were treated to demos of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology -- in other words, machines talking to one another over Sprint's network, a precursor to self-aware doombots on a mission to reclaim CDMA and WiMAX for their own nefarious purposes. (We kid.) The center is designed for Sprint -- and partners like Ericsson, Intel, Panasonic, and Bug Labs -- to develop and test embedded wireless 3G and 4G devices such as medical equipment, digital billboards and kiosks, remote sensors, utility meters, appliances, evil-looking 3-legged surveillance cameras, and vehicle tracking / monitoring systems. Imagine a wireless future where everything communicates with everything else... yes, we suggest you sleep with one eye open, because the machines are taking over. Resistance is futile. Video and press release after the break! %Gallery-106001%
T-Mobile retools offerings, adds new family plan and more unlimited M2M
T-Mobile's always been known for aggressively pricing its plans against the other nationals, and that trend continues today with the introduction of a new $89.99 myFaves family plan with 1800 minutes, the addition of 500 anytime minutes to its $99.99 and $129.99 family plans, a $10 reduction in price on a couple other plans, and -- perhaps the most relevant new feature for many customers -- unlimited mobile-to-mobile on every individual plan $49.99 and up. Not a huge change, granted, but it's pretty rare to get something for nothing, so we're going to take what we're being offered and keep our mouths shut.[Via TmoNews]
