Field Service Predicted To See M2M And IoT Growth

By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer

With an expected 26 billion connected devices to be in use around the world by 2020, field automation is the next big area of growth for M2M (machine to machine) and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, especially in the coming six months to a year.

The Field Technology article “M2M And IoT Usage & Trends” looks at the status of M2M and IoT for field service and what VARs can expect in this area in the not-too-distant future.

The Breakdown

Up to 37 percent of survey respondents use an M2M or IoT solution at their company, while another 40 percents plan to implement an M2M or IoT solution in the near future. When asked what M2M or IoT applications they use, 42 percent say they use remote monitoring of their equipment, while 37 percent monitor equipment remotely that they service at a customer’s site. Only 2 percent used telematics and 9 percent use smart meters.

What Encourages Adoption

When selecting an M2M or IoT solution, companies were more apt to adopt one that was simple to put in place and that could easily integrate with any of their other applications. Another primary factor in which solution a company chooses lies in the way data is collected, organized, and presented.

“We recently deployed an IoT-based solution that we call the ATEK Service Platform,” says Sherri McDaniel, president of ATEK Access Technologies, in the Field Mobility Special Report. “The solution enables us to provide asset intelligence to our customers that we weren’t able to before. When selecting our solution, we wanted a solution that would deliver the information in an easy-to-use portal so we could assist our customers with minimal extra resources on our end. We also sought a solution with minimal up-front investment and with a partner that could help us through the creation and deployment process.”