The wonderful world of M2M and the IOT

I used the same headline in 2013, so where are we now, two years on, and where are we heading? It should be clear that we are entering a new era, one that will give us some amazing, innovative applications and services. Should, because media hype about B2C IoT is obscuring the importance of M2M and B2B IoT. The terms have become entangled. Therefore let’s start with a clear, unambiguous definition of the difference.

Caption: The M2M scenario, shown on the left, employs a vertical silo architecture in which three household services are provided by three standalone solutions. This structure is intrinsically rigid. The IoT scenario, shown on the right, enables cross-silo aggregation. Therefore the same services are provided by a single solution. This structure is intrinsically flexible. Adding more services does not impact on the structure. Schematic courtesy Ken Figueredo

The IoT should be seen as an evolutionary development, one that employs M2M communications technology. Although the IoT architecture is different, it is built on a common foundation. A key IoT requirement is the need to decouple data generation from data usage. In an M2M solution they are physically linked: they monitor one issue, a physical parameter or the movement of a machine part, and transfer the data into a single application. This model cannot deliver the IoT vision.

So what is that vision? It’s vast. Example: Consider the installation of a people-counting sensor on a train; the operating company uses the data to monitor passenger patterns. At a later date the maintenance organisation adds an application that employs the same data in order to move to a usage based scheduling system. This is followed by the catering company that delivers products to the train, by the stations to warn of approaching passenger loads and then by city or town authorities establishing transport strategies.

It started out as a single, simple app, counting passengers, but ends up as a mix of applications that includes those of third parties: that would not be possible in a solution based on the M2M model. The IoT model is based on an open, flexible architecture that allows multiple device types, monitoring a variety of assets, to interact with each other as well as a diverse range of applications and stakeholders. These are mandatory parameters.

A services centric economy

IoT advances the many benefits provided by M2M, but leverages its intrinsic functionality by adopting the decoupled ICT architecture that has been in place for decades in enterprise environments and which is also employed in social networks.

Twitter is a service. Hash tags define topics and users don’t need to know anything about device addresses or the communications architecture. They simply register their interest in receiving messages when hash tag matches their criteria. Data on new topics can be added at any time, new hash tags are generated, but the underlying architecture doesn’t change. We take the functionality of this service for granted and that’s the way it should be, and will be, in the upcoming service-centric IoT era.

The use of a topic-based IoT architecture would allow new data flows (topics) to be added at any time. Applications would register an interest in a topic that contains

the data elements it needs, and then they would receive the relevant information. New data flows coming from new apps would be automatically delivered to the relevant subscribing service.

Is it doable? Yes. In fact Eurotech has done it. To make this concept work an Enterprise Service Bus for Machines is used to decouple data acquisition and data processing and enable virtual connectivity between different device data systems and different enterprise applications. This architecture is employed not only on enterprise ICT networks, but also the World Wide Web.

It’s a proven concept, a communications bus that allows different applications to communicate with each other over the bus. In addition, it allows the system to adapt whenever new topics appear. If a company wants to monitor a new type of asset, for example, then the infrastructure needs to be flexible in order to simply store data from new topics without the need for user intervention or reconfiguration.

Enabling technologies

Delivery of the IoT vision comes through the convergence and intersection of recent developments in five key areas: (1) sensors and gateways; (2) intelligent devices; (3) wireless networks; (4) virtualisation; and (5) big data analytics. Leveraging the technologies in those areas – together with the right architecture – releases the full potential of M2M. It results in a new form of intelligence having powerful, new capabilities that optimise process productivity and the efficiency of corporate decision-making. Equally, and possibly more important, is the ability to future-proof solutions that employ this powerful combination.

The first three are established technologies that have been considerably enhanced in recent years. At first sight the fourth, virtualisation, might seem to be an improbable development. If so, it comes from an entrenched, hardware-centric way of thinking about how communications devices, systems and networks work. Most tasks can be performed in software and because of developments such as multi-core processors they can now run blindingly fast on commodity servers deployed in private and public clouds. It is a key computing technology and now it is being applied to B2B IoT.

At times it seems that we are drowning in data. One estimate indicates that around 90 per cent of the data in today’s world was created in the last two years and the rate at which it is being generated is rising.

Big data analytics represents the ability to transition from raw device data into decisionmaking processes that pinpoint operational and financial trends in real time. Moreover, it’s a logical development that addresses a generic issue: organizations lack real-time insight into the critical aspects of their business —aspects that are getting increasingly complex in today’s highly competitive marketplace. The findings can lead to more effective marketing, new revenue opportunities, better customer service, improved operational efficiency, competitive advantages over rival organizations and other business benefits.

Rethink your thinking

The benefits of data analytics are not restricted to IoT solutions, but the ability to exchange information between applications gives IoT the edge when it comes to the creation of brandnew business models. They are being created right now and many more will follow. Quite a few may appear to be improbable, so step back and consider the implications of adopting the following smartphone scenario and note that there are no technical barriers when it comes to implementing similar functionality in an IoT solution.

You hear a song somewhere when you’re out and about. The smartphone app recognises the performer and the song; asks if you want to download it; you buy it; then the app tells you about an upcoming concert in your area; asks you if you want to buy a ticket and you do. It’s a seamless, transparent process conducted on a handheld device: something

that is taken for granted by the target audience. More significant is the fact that it is not seen as a solution: it didn’t address an issue. The deliverable is a service and services are also the future of B2B IoT.

Employing similar functionality in an IoT environment would be amazing – initially – and later on it too would be taken for granted.

We have technology platforms that will enable organisations to optimise their complete asset portfolio, taking in predictive maintenance, production monitoring, asset tracking, asset management, supply chain management, cost management and more. Optimisation can start in one area, e.g. predictive maintenance: others can be added as and when required. In addition, these platforms can handle data from multiple systems and devices, apply rules and business logic, and integrate it into the business processes.

These developments will allow companies to become connected manufacturers. From the supplier, to the plant, to the distributor, to the products – everything in and around the manufacturing operation will be connected, thereby enabling true integration of business processes and technology. This allows organisations to go deeper in the demand chain, to not only monitor the plant, but also the asset created within the plant as it goes through the distributor/dealer network to the end customer.

With this level of visibility into product data, manufacturers can glean valuable information around service delivery, how the equipment is being used and maintained, as well as other important data to improve the customer experience and boost revenue and the design of their products.

Rethink parking

Parking meters are going online and payment enabled with a credit card. Integrated Technology Solutions, an Australasian company, has developed an integrated parking solution that relies on fast data communications between meters and enforcement devices such as ground sensors, vehicle plate recognition cameras, enforcement handhelds and mobile camera systems for license plate recognition. Features include immediate reporting on revenue, meter faults and service alerts and occupancy data. In addition guidance systems displayed on a phone app or electronic street signage can be added.

Over 10,000 are operating in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and the USA. They manage over 35 million transactions per annum and control 72,000 spaces.

There are three models: Pay & Display, where the customer displays a printed ticket on the vehicle’s dashboard; Pay by Plate or Pay by Space, which are ticketless systems. In this case the customer enters on the meter’s keypad their vehicle’s license plate number or the marked bay number where they parked.

Conclusions

The breadth and depth of the IoT vision is staggering. Unfortunately it’s surrounded by a lot of hype and that can disguise the fact that the manufacturing world is on the cusp of a major industrial revolution. The following text comes from Bosch Software Innovations.

“Manufacturers are beginning to realise the benefits of not only connecting their plants, but everything around the plant including the supply chain, distributor/dealer networks and the manufactured equipment itself. As a result, organisations are gaining tremendous insights into how their equipment is being used by customers to enhance customer service, drive research and development, reduce labour and warranty costs, create new revenue streams, improve efficiency and much, much more.” n