Connected Devices

The spread of Mobile Broadband networks, the emergence of new mobile device categories and the expansion of mobile service propositions is establishing an "Internet of things" (IOT). Within the next decade, billions of new devices will be connected to mobile networks, providing consumers and businesses with an array of applications, services and experiences. This, we believe, will really usher in the "Connected Future" in which we are always connected, anywhere, and at any time.
 
Yankee Group predicted that a new segment of Connected Devices, including enterprise machine to machine (M2M) connections, tablets and eReaders, will grow to more than 800 million units by 2015.
 
 
Source: Yankee Group, 2011
 
 
There is even greater potential beyond just these existing connected device segments. Some industry players, such as Ericsson and Intel, predict that the connected device segment will reach between 20-50 billion connections by 2020. Machina Research expects cellular technologies to play a critical role; wide area mobile connected devices will account for at least 12 billion of the overall 24 billion connected devices in 2020 (although many of these connections will utilize short-range technologies, such as WiFi and Zigbee).
 
Yankee Group defines Connected Devices as solutions that bundle together devices, network services, and applications to create, extract, act upon, or consume information. Machina similarly defines “Connected devices” as all devices used for transmitting and receiving packet data telecommunications via any wide-area or local area network, such as PCs,,mobile handsets, tablets and numerous M2M applications. The world of connected devices is broad and thus spans handsets, eReaders, connected digital signs, smart meters, and fleet tracking devices. To help simplify things, Yankee Group sorts connected devices into three groups: Enterprise M2M devices, Consumer M2M devices, and Connected Computing Devices. 
  • Connected Computing Devices are built around multimedia. This category includes computing devices like tablets, laptops, and smartphones that help consumers browse the web, listen to music, and watch video. These devices have large processing requirements and demand broadband network access.
  • Consumer M2M Devices are purpose-built and depend on the cloud. This category includes consumer tracking and navigation devices, eReaders, and mHealth devices that run only a single application for consumers. These devices have considerably lower processing requirements than computing devices, and often settle for narrowband network access.
  • Enterprise M2M Devices service specific business needs. Enterprise M2M devices include fleet telematics devices, digital signs, and smart grid terminals. Like Consumer M2M devices, these devices have minimal processing requirements, and often depend only on narrowband connectivity. Unlike Consumer M2M devices, these devices are designed with minimal human interaction in mind, and address a single business process to save enterprises money, labor, or both.
Connected devices across all three categories will continue to proliferate, driven by accelerating evolution of next generation wireless networks, advances in wireless modules, and a rapidly expanding ecosystem of solution providers.  The underlying foundation for these advances is network technology evolution, such as the 3GPP family of technologies which includes GSM, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), HSPA+ and LTE.
 
Connected device deployments have enjoyed clear benefits from the use of 3GPP technologies.  From the individual device level through to the network infrastructure, 3GPP family networks provide a robust backbone to any device.
  • The 3GPP family enables global connected device deployments.  4G Americas estimates that 6 billion people, 90 percent of the global cellular market, and more than 800 operators around the globe have chosen to use 3GPP networks.
  • 3GPP modules are cost-effective. The pervasiveness of GSM networks allows 3GPP module manufacturers to scale their production across large volumes.
  • The 3GPP family of technologies offers M2M solution providers the most flexible range of high and low bandwidth network options that range from GSM-General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to LTE:
    • HSPA and HSPA+ provide mobile broadband service. The 3GPP family of technologies provides M2M solution providers with global mobile broadband coverage.
    • LTE provides the next frontier for M2M services.  Higher bandwidth applications in the fleet management, security, and digital signage verticals will benefit from the low latency offered by LTE. 
Resources:
 
Mobile Broadband Connected Future: From Billions of People to Billions of Things
By Yankee Group, commissioned by 4G Americas, October 2011
This independent analyst report explores the opportunity for connected devices and why the 3GPP family of technologies provides a solid foundation for connected device growth.
Presentation slides for this white paper
By Machina Research for GSMA, February 2012
The GSMA’s vision of a future "Connected Life" describes a world where consumers and businesses enjoy rich new services across many different devices securely connected to the internet via ubiquitous Mobile Broadband networks.
 
By Machina Research for GSMA, February 2012
This report examines the global impact of emerging Connected Life on businesses, government and people, in terms of opening up new revenue streams, facilitating new business models, gaining efficiency savings and improving the way existing services are delivered.