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Machine-to-Machine (M2M) solutions represent a sizeable and growing market opportunity for new devices, solutions and services beyond traditional voice and data. While M2M was hailed as the next big application area for many years, it was slow to take off. However, M2M is now gaining momentum and Strategy Analytics expects a total worldwide installed base of 4.3 billion M2M connections by 2020. This represents a sizeable opportunity when including new devices and services in Machine-to-Person and Person-to-Machine areas such as consumer electronics and mHealth.
From connected consumer devices, through to home and business automation, mHealth devices, integrated modules in many devices for automation and maintenance purposes, through to vehicles, M2M is an area that will continue to grow. 2012 will represent a year of major change, as consolidation among various players in the M2M value chain continues and mobile operators look to move up the value chain through creation or extension of M2M service platforms. Fragmentation issues will be more readily addressed in 2012 but there is still a long way to go.
