Beecham Research predicts almost one billion cellular M2M connections worldwide by 2020, according to its new report.
The ‘Global M2M Connectivity and Services Forecast' looks at the rapid rise of M2M since 2013 when there were just 172 million cellular M2M connections worldwide but also projects a note of caution in the face of increasing hype around the future of M2M and the Internet of Things (IoT).
"Our worldwide forecast has been constantly updated over a long period with direct, multiple contacts in all relevant countries worldwide," said Saverio Romeo, Principal Analyst at Beecham Research, where they have been studying the M2M market since 2001.
"As a result, we have a substantial up-to-date database to work with, built up from usage data on application sectors and connectivity technologies."
However, Romeo warned about the excessive hype surrounding some current M2M forecasts. "While the M2M market is growing strongly, we have seen some excessive predictions that simply create unrealistic expectations," he said.
"An average growth rate of nearly 30% per annum over the next few years represents both a very strong and exciting opportunity in a services market that is substantially business-to-business," said Robin Duke-Woolley, Founder and CEO of Beecham Research.
"Unfortunately there are some ludicrous, multi-billion connected device forecasts around at present for M2M and IoT that betray a complete lack of understanding about how the market really works.
"Much faster growth rates are just not realistic in this market because enterprises do not assimilate new technologies into their business processes that quickly."