Düsseldorf, Germany – The results of a survey by the M2M Alliance among 4,800 decision makers and managers were revealed at the M2M Summit held on September 10 at the Congress Center Düsseldorf. The survey looked at the use of M2M solutions in a wide range of companies and showed that more than 95% of participating companies expect growth in their M2M sector during the coming year.
Hosted by the world’s largest machine-to-machine communications (M2M) association, the M2M Alliance, the M2M Summit attracted participants from over 30 countries, and last year’s record numbers of visitors and exhibitor were exceeded again this year. In this 7th edition the M2M event welcomed over 800 visitors and more than 50 exhibitors.
Eric Schneider (pictured below), first chairman of the M2M Alliance, the event organisers, said: “A survey conducted by the M2M Alliance in July and August shows that 95% of the participating companies expect growth in their M2M sector over the next years, whilst one in four companies expect growth rates of more than 25%. These are outstanding figures. The companies use M2M solutions to enter new markets, to reduce their costs, and to increase their growth. People often refer to M2M as a technology that might have an impact on the way companies operate in the future. The truth is, M2M is already happening right now.”
Key results of the survey showed that:
- More than 95% of the companies expect growth in their M2M sector in the coming year
- Almost three quarters (73%) expect growth rates of at least 10% or more
- Roughly one in four respondents (23%) expect growth rates of more than 25%
- 42% of the companies generate revenues of at least €1 million in M2M per year
- 17% of the companies generate revenues of at least €10 million in M2M per year
- 55% of the companies expect to enter new markets thanks to M2M; 40% anticipate a reduction of their costs through M2M; and 40% anticipate increasing growth due to M2M
- Over half (52%) already use M2M; only 2% have decided not to invest in M2M; all other companies are currently implementing M2M solutions or are planning to do so
- 94% are of the opinion that M2M can be used internationally
- Common standards for M2M would improve the acceptance of M2M, according to 82% of respondents
- Almost every other company sees the lack of common standards as an obstacle when it comes to the implementation and acceptance of M2M solutions
- More than 90% of the participants say that M2M improves their personal (private or job-related) situation
The M2M Alliance transformed some programme points from previous years. In the morning, there was be an expert panel discussion, the workshops were professionally moderated, and at the end of the event the participants received a concise summary. To enhance internationalisation, the Summit language is English. The official partner country in 2013 was Sweden. The Netherlands and Canada, partner countries in previous years, were once again represented by trade delegations.
Eric Schneider of the M2M Alliance, added: “The M2M Summit has been a huge success once again. With more than 800 participants from all over the world, we have managed to break our previous record set in 2012. Our goal is to provide companies, research institutions and other parties with an M2M platform which helps them to find the right partners and to strengthen their businesses. Judging by the figures and the feedback I got during and after the event, we have managed to exceed everyone’s expectations. The exhibitors in particular appreciated the growing number of M2M users and potential customers who attended the event to check out the latest developments. The massive interest in the M2M Summit is a clear indicator for the growth of the entire M2M sector across boundaries and industries. M2M solutions already help companies from a wide range of industries to improve their performances and services. International co-operation and common standards are the most important topics for the M2M Alliance over the coming years,” Schneider concluded.
Torsten Tönnies (pictured above), managing director of COCUS Business Solutions, who attended the M2M Summit, said: “The rapidly increasing popularity of the M2M Summit shows that M2M is no longer a technology for a few technology-driven sectors but is gaining importance in all industries. Whilst former summits mainly focused on technology, this year, functionality and use cases were in the centre of interest. In order to push the market forward, it is of utmost importance to turn use cases into profitable business cases – now.
“Mobile technology is just the basis that generates huge amount of data,” Tönnies continued. “The right use of that data is what will create real value to M2M customers. In that context, other technologies like Big Data analysis, Mobile App or NFC (near field communications) have to be taken into consideration to unfold full value of what I call ‘Business Mobility‘. That means MNOs (mobile network operators) have to change the way they do enterprise sales; they need to have a broader understanding of their customer’s industry dynamics, and add consulting and process improvement skills rather than purely sell SIM cards. I hope that these topics will find adequate room on the agenda of next year’s M2M Summit.”