Vodafone Boosts Machine to Machine Services Team

Vodafone is boosting its Machine to Machine (M2M) services with a new global platform, supported by a team with world-wide responsibility for growing Vodafone's M2M business. Globally, operator revenues for wireless M2M were €3 billion in 2008, forecast to rise to EUR8.9 billion in 2012, according to the analyst firm Berg Insight.

Vodafone will provide a single point of contact for customers to manage the complex area of M2M connectivity from early concept development to support for national and multinational deployments.

The Vodafone M2M global service platform, with patent-pending functionality, will provide corporate customers with managed connectivity for M2M smart service deployments. Companies will be able to centrally manage and control the process of rolling out M2M devices across many countries.

As well as enabling companies to gather useful customer data from a wide range of wireless intelligent devices, the platform will offer a suite of management functionality including the ability to centrally activate, suspend and deactivate devices at the click of a button.

Vodafone has also put in place a global M2M team to develop services designed to match specific industry needs alongside flexible commercial models. The team will analyse and provide solutions for emerging M2M market requirements, such as smart metering for utilities and e-call in the automotive industry, an alert system for cars involved in accidents for the automotive industry.

"The market for M2M smart services using intelligent devices is taking off, but in order for it to deliver its true potential, service providers like Vodafone need to provide customers with managed connectivity that is reliable, cost effective and universal," said Nick Jeffery, Chief Executive, Vodafone Global Enterprise. "With our dedicated global M2M service platform and experienced M2M team in place, Vodafone is able to give customers the support they need at a price they can afford so that they can bring to market innovative propositions."

Posted to the site on 21st July 2009