Telenor's - Ericsson

ased applications. We want mobile and fixed
devices to seamlessly integrate into enterprise applications
side by side.
All operators running networks today, fixed as
well as mobile, work with QoS. The combination
of a scarce resource like spectrum – and the need
to cater for a large number of low-arpu devices
in mobile systems means there is a strong argument
for the differentiation of service levels and
hence service level agreements (slas).
Taking these factors into account, we can make
two key conclusions about the demands on an
m2m platform:
�The mobile network needs to be isolated
from the application to the extent that as
many as possible of the mobile specifics –
such as direct ip addressing and having devices
“always on” – are hidden and taken care
of by the platform.
�The platform needs to cater for differentiation
and enforcement of different slas to
provide cost-optimized solutions for a variety
of applications.
As a result, an operator aiming to seize a major
share of future internet traffic and revenues
needs a platform that is efficient in both provisioning
and managing devices, as well as controlling
traffic in real time in order to implement the
sla chosen.
In order to support this, the platforms of the
future will therefore need to be increasingly based
both on network and applications knowledge. ●
M2M and vertical industries
Connected devices worldwide(Billion)
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2007
platform requirements «« connecting machines «« THEME
M2M
Consumer electronics
PCs
Fixed phones/IP phones
Mobile phones
Traffic systems
Automotive
Transport and logistics
Smart meters and grid
Connected buildings
Home appliances
Medical automation
Remote healthcare
ATM, point of sale, vending
Critical infrastructures
Monitoring and control
Addressing industries
More devices per person
e-bookreaders, music and
DVD players, gaming devices,
cameras, home appliances,
in-vehicle navigation and
entertainment, etc.
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Source: Ericsson 2010
AUTHOR
▶ MATS ALENDAL is Director of
Strategic Marketing at Ericsson
and is driving the marketing
program for the 50 billion
connected devices vision.
He has worked for Ericsson for most of his professional
career and has taken part in the build-out of both the 2G
and 3G systems. He has a Master of Science in Aeronautical
Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology
in Stockholm, Sweden.
(mats.alendal@ericsson.com)
Why the platform
is important
▶ A platform is the “operating
system” for M2M systems that
provides backend translation of
sensor/device data into systems
and interfaces that make the
data meaningful.
As developers and application
providers seek to make
M2M applications more functional
and feature-rich, platform
providers need to match
them in the scope and capabilities
of their software.
Hence, platform development
is moving from simple device
management and connectivity
to also supporting
service-delivery features such
as monitoring, diagnostics, remote
control, security management,
application delivery, and
performance-optimizing analytics.
Some take it one step further
by off ering features such
as managed services, workfl ow
modeling, systems integration,
data orchestration and location-based
services.
Ten times ten
▶ Ericsson predicted the tenfold
growth in the number of
connected devices to 5 billion
worldwide in the 10 years leading
up to 2010, and now predicts
a further tenfold increase
to 50 billion worldwide in the
10 years up to 2020.
The increase in the decade
leading up to 2010 was driven
by personal mobile devices
such as smartphones. Growth
in the next decade will be driven
by devices used in traffi c systems,
remote healthcare and
medical automation, connected
buildings, smart grids and meters,
and critical infrastructure.
▶
EBR #3 2010 43