Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
"(1) (Machine to Machine) The automatic communications between devices without human intervention. It often refers to a system of remote sensors that is continuously transmitting data to a central system." [PC Mag]
"Acronym for Machine-to-Machine , M2M is the ability of machines, assets and devices to exchange data with people or company's management systems in need of the information. M2M is derived from telemetry technology and uses similar, but updated versions of those technologies. Today's cellular M2M technology uses field-deployed wireless device a wireless carrier network and a back-end server network. In some instances M2M is used to mean Machine-to-Man." [webopedia]
"Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications is used for automated data transmission and measurement between mechanical or electronic devices. The key components of an M2M system are: Field-deployed wireless devices with embedded sensors or RFID-Wireless communication networks with complementary wireline access includes, but is not limited to cellular communication, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, WiMAX, wireless LAN (WLAN), generic DSL (xDSL) and fiber to the x (FTTx)." [Gartner]
- M2M is an integral part of Internet of Things (IoT) but M2M communications is NOT synonymous with the Internet of Things (IoT).
- There is however no IoT without M2M.
- There can be, and are many examples of, M2M applications that are not - at least yet - viewed as IoT. Industry-specific networks that have been around for a long time (e.g. in oil and gas industry, electrical utilities, telecom management networks, element management, SCADA, Modbus)
- IoT is better supported by more modern, and also still to be determined, M2M technologies than older generation technologies. Of which there is an abundance including installed base - need to proxy-solutions, conversion services/solutions.
- M2M has a much longer history than IoT (IoT term anno 1999, MIT).
- 1st and 2nd Industrial Revolution - physical, electrical, and analog M2M technologies
- 3rd Industrial Revolution - computer-based, and digital, M2M technologies
- 1970s-80s: Many communication technologies are invented for various M2M-type applications (e.g. Telematics
(1978), Modbus (1979), Hayes modem (1981), CAN bus (1983), BACnet (developed over 8 years - 1987-1995*)
- 1995: Siemens cellular M2M communication emerges
- During this M2M generation, solutions are industry-specific with also many proprietary technologies.
- 4th Industrial Revolution - Internet of Things (IoT), some milestones:
- 1999: "The concept of the IoT comes from Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)’s Auto-ID Center in 1999" [wikibooks]
- 2008-2009: IoT is 'born' per Cisco IBSG, when more devices are connected to Internet than there are people on Earth.
- 2011: '50 Billion Devices by 2020' [Ericsson, Feb 2011; Cisco Apr 2011]
- This more modern M2M:
- Open solutions, technologies, standardized protocols
- Network of devices, not only one machine to another machine
- Direct or indirect connection to Internet
- Use of IPv6
- The two latter points starts to more define what encompasses IoT.
Important note:
There are many legacy systems in use, in various industries and applications, using older M2M technologies and protocols that one may need to interface and integrate in ones modern IoT environment.
Examples of legacy M2M protocols include BACnet, LonWorks, Modbus, KNX, ZigBee, Z-Wave, M-Bus and Wireless M-Bus, ANSI C12 suite, DLMS/COSEM.
See also