40 pc M2M Share Grabbed By Vodafone

Vodafone’s machine-to-machine (M2M) business has taken 40 per cent of the market since it launched the M2M division last year, it said last week.Vodafone enterprise director Peter Kelly said the network is prepared for large scale deals with businesses seeking an M2M solution and that its stronghold is driven by its network.The M2M division was launched in July last year and consists of 100 staff which is headed by Eric Brenneis.

One of its most recent achievements was a partnership with British Gas to install Vodafone SIM cards in smart meters for reading gas and electricity in homes. The deal is part of the government scheme to roll out smart meters to 26 million UK homes.

To integrate SIM cards in cars for GPRS signal and mobile voice, it is also working with automotive clients.

The Vodafone M2M platform is patent-pending, providing businesses with managed connectivity. , Businesses can manage and control the roll out of M2M devices in several countries, increasing speed of deployment through this platform. It also collates customer data and can activate or deactivate devices from Vodafone’s head office.

Kelly said: "The M2M division continues to grow and do well. We have significant market share in the UK with around one million M2M devices installed in the UK. The platform is a global platform, enabling businesses with an international footprint to roll out M2M devices abroad."Vodafone SIM cards are also being embedded in smart meters for gas and electricity in Holland and New Zealand. But, the UK is a bigger market and the Centrica (British Gas) partnership is the biggest M2M contract Vodafone has secured."

According to analyst Berg Insigh, globally the operator revenues for wireless M2M were €3 billion in 2008 and forecast to rise to €8.9 billion in 2012.