By Anton Le Saux, Head of Connectivity and Partner Sales at O2 Telefónica UK: M2M is increasingly being adopted by smaller companies as it becomes more established and more affordable.
While M2M technology does bring with it numerous benefits - from enhanced reporting to remote management and monitoring, as well as boosting efficiency and convenience through automated processes - it is important to ensure that your business and your market are ready for this step.
Sufficient planning is a must and should include all parts of the business so that you can map out exactly where M2M will fit in strategically and operationally. It could impact more areas than you realise, from the control and monitoring of assets through to customer experience and ultimately brand perception. This will enable you to identify exactly how you want M2M to work for you. Part of this is also identifying who, within your organisation, will be responsible for managing the process.
Your selection of M2M supplier is crucial as there is a wide choice available, from off-the-shelf packages to more bespoke and supported solutions with designated account managers and help desks. Some M2M suppliers, such as O2, are hands-on and can help you navigate the IoT to your best advantage. With the right partner on board that fills in the gaps in your own team, you can utilise their expertise and experience to take care of project road mapping to maximise results.
Stepping into the world of M2M is a big decision and it could also be one of your best decisions. The key is not to rush. Do your research and planning and make sure that when you make the decision to move to M2M, your business will reap the optimum return. (anton.lesaux@telefonica.com - partnersdigital.telefonica.com)