5 reasons the Maker Movement will drive the Internet of Things

By James Mack, KORE Marketing & Channel Development Manager [June 2014]
Making things is cool again! Looking into retail, big chains are out and homemade kitsch is in. In the gaming realm MineCraft and several thousand ‘build your own’ game clones are sweeping the internet. People are fleeing their safe ‘nine to five’ traditional jobs to start up their own business and in true Internet of Things style the frontier DIY spirit is pushing some great innovation in both the consumer and B2B space.
So, why do I think hobbyists and communities of everyday Joes like you and me have a chance to go head to head with the big boys in IoT?
Here are a few reasons:

1. Creativity
An essential part to the Maker Movement is the concept of play and to give people the freedom to let their wild ideas loose. This is the type of creativity that gives birth to revolutionary ideas that fundamentally redefine the way we live, work and play.
The main benefit here is that these are the products being developed out of love for the purpose of creativity and problem solving, as opposed to the “innovation” that major corporate and enterprise firms are trying to force. I’m not saying every hobbyist, amateur or maker is some altruistic techno-saint, but what I am saying is when your livelihood doesn’t depend on you being forced to come up with ideas to add wheels to a microwave and constantly think outside of the box, that’s where the real magic can happen. It’s the difference between saying, “we could make more money if…” and “wouldn’t it be cool if…”
2. Rapid Prototyping
Makers aren’t concerned with waiting around for approvals, or for the tools to come along to let them build things. They have an idea or a problem that needs solving and they just go out and get it done, it might not be elegant but it will work eventually!
Some great prototyping solutions are coming out of companies like Libelium, Arduino, u-blox and Gemalto and once you throw in some excellent resources like mbed or github it’s easier than ever for aspiring developers to test their ideas. You build your ideal M2M/IoT application on one of these concept boards, collaborate with other developers and can get something together to gauge demand and test the market in a matter of weeks.
3. Working around limitations
It’s interesting to watch the shifting mindset of Mobile Networks as IoT and M2M becomes more prevalent. As carriers realise the potential revenue that will come with the growth of connected devices they are slowly moving towards a more open and accessible network which will speed developers to market.
While we sit back and wait for that to happen, makers are busily utilising anything and everything at their disposal to overcome the barriers of using a cellular network. This can be anything as simple as utilising Bluetooth, zigbee or WiFi to more complex and innovative solutions like extended radio networks or even companies like SIGFOX.
4. Reductions in complexity
It all comes down to that much loved adage, work smarter not harder. I’ve been to so many tradeshows and events where “experts” take to the stage and throw insider jargon and complicated diagrams up to scare potential adopters into using their expertise. Take the shift in Big Data over the years as an example, where those championing the benefits of spending millions of dollars on infrastructure have been replaced by people evangelising using cloud storage and event driven analytics. We’re poised to see a similar thing in the IoT space where companies are now talking about a giant all encompassing solution to be replaced by lots of smaller nimble organisations doing one part of the eco-system extremely well.
Reducing complexity is a necessity in the maker space, it’s not just about reducing cost but about reducing time. If you’re excited about what you’re creating you want to create it that much faster so you can watch your dream become a reality.
5. Community development
This may be the most important factor in overcoming one of IoTs biggest hurdles, Security. Last month Wired had an excellent article called “Why Gadgets in the Internet of Things need to be
programmed to Die.” The biggest thing I took away from this article was not the concept of killing devices which are no longer supported by developers to prevent security holes, but the
idea of opening end of life devices/applications up to the community to continue the support.
Open source is a pillar of the Maker community with everything from software, designs and even revolutionary mass transport systems (Thanks Elon Musk!) being available online. By building IoT devices around either Open Source development from Day 1 or having an end of life plan which opens the firmware up to the community, when it’s no longer supported, is going to dramatically reduce the questions around security.

So what are you waiting for? Stop dreaming and start making! Get out there and claim your piece of the IoT pie – there’s plenty to go around…
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SRETT and Telenor Connexion collaborate on unique eHealth solution

Telenor Connexion provides French eHealth provider, SRETT, a connected solution for remote monitoring of patients affected by sleep apnea.
In Europe, approximately 2 to 5 % of the population suffer from sleep apnea. The disorder is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep and this can cause drowsiness during the day as well as a broad spectrum of serious medical conditions.
One of the most common and effective treatments for moderate to severe sleep apnea is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. This device keeps the patient’s airway open during sleep by means of a flow of pressurized air into the throat.
French telehealth provider SRETT has developed T4P, a universal remote monitoring solution for all types of CPAP devices. The T4P is unique as it is the only solution adapted to fit all CPAP devices on the market. The connected T4P collects and analyzes data from the CPAP remotely and in real-time.
Reliable real-time data
With the T4P, device health professionals are able to provide a more proactive and efficient care for patients treated at home.The T4P provides them with tools and knowledge to empower patients to manage their condition from home – reducing travel time, hospital visits, and burdens on both the patient and the system, while improving the care teams’ efficiency and ability to follow patients. Patients benefit from increased, continous and personalized monitoring and experiences as well as an increased level of safety.
The communications solutions used for the connected T4P device is provided by Telenor Connexion. Data collected, recorded and analyzed by the medical device is transmitted anonymously over the GPRS network to a central server, where it is stored and processed.
On a daily basis the T4P collects key therapy indicators such as daily duration of therapy, mask leak rate, residual apnea and therapy pressure. The patient data is uploaded automatically to healthcare professionals facilitating personalized and ongoing monitoring of patients’ condition.
SRETT seeks to grow its market
“Following the successful launch of the T4P in France, we are now looking to expand our market abroad. We have chosen Telenor Connexion as it is one of the most advanced connected solutions provider with its multi-operator solution. Thanks to its highly qualified technical support and a sophisticated web portal it is much easier to manage the solution”, said Loic Bosvieux, Marketing and Sales Director at SRETT.
Fredrik Åkerlind, VP of Sales at Telenor Connexion, said:
“Sleep apnea is considered to be a major problem, and has a major social impact on public health. With its solution, SRETT has proven that they are an innovative company. We are proud to be part of this smart eHealth solution and delighted to support SRETT on their journey to international success.”
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Remote patient monitoring revenues to reach € 19.4 billion in 2018

Berg Insight estimates that revenues for remote patient monitoring (RPM) solutions reached € 4.3 billion in 2013, including revenues from medical monitoring devices, mHealth connectivity solutions, care delivery software platforms and monitoring services.
RPM revenues are expected to grow at a CAGR of 35.0 percent between 2013 and 2018, reaching € 19.4 billion at the end of the forecast period. Savings attributable to payers and care providers will by far exceed this amount as connected care solutions can allow better health outcomes to be achieved more cost efficiently. The new care models enabled by these technologies are furthermore often consistent with patients’ preferences of living more healthy, active and independent lives.
While the healthcare industry is advancing towards an age where connected care solutions will be part of standard practices, this progress is still far from uniform.
Lars Kurkinen, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight, said:
“The growth in the remote patient monitoring market is today centred on very specific market verticals and regions. Most of the market growth in the sleep therapy segment has for instance occurred in the US and France, where frequent compliance audits are becoming more common.”
He adds that the telehealth market benefits from local and regional project financing in several European countries, whereas remotely monitored medication dispensers gain traction among home care providers in the Benelux and Nordic countries in particular. In addition to this, the first pharmaceutical companies have recently initiated rollouts of connected adherence monitoring solutions that are bundled together with specific drugs.
“Another high-level development that will have a major impact on the use of connected care solutions in several countries during the coming years is the shift from fee-for-service reimbursement systems to pay-for-performance structures that emphasize cost-effective delivery of quality care”, adds Mr Kurkinen.
In the US, one example of this development is the large number of RFPs for telehealth solutions that are being issued due to the hospital readmission reduction programs.
Download report brochure: mHealth and Home Monitoring
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M2Mi Announces Support for OASIS MQTT and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

M2M Intelligence®, M2Mi’s industry leading M2M and IoT platform, supports OASIS MQTT and the NIST Cybersecurity framework.
Machine-to-Machine Intelligence (M2Mi) Corporation, provider of M2M Intelligence®, the essential platform for the M2M & Internet of Things economy, today announced support for the recently published OASIS MQTT and the NIST Cybersecurity framework.
MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) has emerged as an important standard for connectivity and messaging in the M2M and IoT environment. The OASIS MQTT and the NIST Cybersecurity framework for MQTT defines security best practices, such as alignment with the NIST Cybersecurity framework, and guidance for organizations wishing to deploy MQTT in a way consistent with the NIST Framework for improving critical infrastructure protection.
The M2M Intelligence® platform and its M2M Cyber Security component enables an organization to address and implement these core cybersecurity functions within their MQTT deployments. M2M Cyber Security includes patented secure “Lockbox” technology, which implements privacy and security policies.
Geoff Brown, CEO, Machine-to-Machine Intelligence (M2Mi) Corporation, says:
“Cybersecurity is one of the major challenges that organizations face as they look to drive value from M2M and IoT business models. The OASIS MQTT Security Subcommittee recognizes this challenge and have included cybersecurity guidelines for MQTT implementations.”
“We are pleased to support the new OASIS MQTT cybersecurity framework within our leading M2M Intelligence® platform v5.6 and strongly believe these guidelines will give organizations increased confidence in deploying M2M and IoT solutions.”
The M2M Intelligence® platform, through the use of secure Lockbox technologies, enables organizations to rapidly build secure M2M and IoT solutions. M2M Intelligence® simplifies the process required to establish global telecom and device connectivity, embed cyber security, and automate an intelligent M2M & IoT solution. Applications can therefore focus on business logic, while the M2M Intelligence® platform provides the required secure infrastructure to rapidly build out complete offerings.

The M2M Intelligence® platform is available from the IBM Cloud Marketplace and through the M2Mi website. To learn more about the M2M Intelligence® enterprise cloud platform for M2M and IoT, please visithttp://www.m2mi.com.
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ClearComm 2.0 takes 2G to 3G and Crosses Between CDMA and GSM

ClearComm 2.0 has more capabilities and supports a wider range of devices and wireless technologies including 2G and 3G CDMA and GSM cellular networks and Mesh Networking.
ClearConnex, the innovative wireless M2M device engineering company is pleased to announce the next evolution of ClearComm, the mature, proven, hardware agnostic software platform.
Start Ahead and future proof technology with ClearComm
ClearComm 2.0 is built on top of ClearLink allowing it to move between different cellular technologies such as from 2G to 3G or CDMA to GSM. ClearComm 2.0 also supports non-cellular technologies like Mesh Networking, with WiFi, Bluetooth and satellite capabilities available later this year. ClearComm 2.0 supports over 60 different modules from Sierra Wireless, u-blox, Telit, Cinterion and Huawei.
ClearComm 2.0 is built on ClearOS which makes it operating system and micro controller independent and includes support for Linux, FreeRTOS, Blunk Microsystems TargetOS, Sierra Wireless OpenAT, and Microsoft Windows. In addition, ClearComm’s device agnostic protocol is integrated with over a dozen device management platforms including Axeda, Exosite, Gentrifi, GeoTelematic Solutions, GpsGate, MobileXus, SeeControl, SensorLogic, and Vistracks.
Ryan Rangel, President of ClearConnex, states:
“ClearComm’s value is its flexibility via its use of abstraction layers which allows for switching from 2G to 3G or CDMA to GSM without significant development. This is the definition of Starting Ahead.”  
“In addition, in the months to come we will be announcing ClearComm support for many devices from multiple modem manufacturers.”
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Would the Current Bandwidth Hold Up to the Internet of Things?

Guest post by LeadingQuest.
Smart Cities and Smart Homes are now gaining momentum. Soon the Internet of Things will connect even the simplest device in your home to the internet. According to Cisco, there will be an estimate of 50 billion connected devices in 2020 and some forecasts even reveal higher numbers. This clearly suggests that there will be considerably more internet-connected devices in the future, three times even four times more than what we have now.
But how is the internet really holding up to these changes in terms of bandwidth? According to reports, the massive growth of M2M enabled systems in the conceivably near future can possibly strain the existing network. Others, however suggested that there may be a need for a completely devoted network to these M2M devices alone. Cisco however, disagrees.
Cisco’s director of thought leadership, Thomas Barnett, Jr. wrote that Despite the volume of connections (and market buzz), M2M applications won’t have a significant impact on traffic in the near-term. Due to the low-bandwidth nature of many M2M apps, they accounted for less than 1% of global IP traffic 2013 and will represent less than 2.8% of global IP traffic by 2018
The idea however was brought by the fact that the Internet of Things utilizes wireless spectrum to send data and will send data via cellular signals. At present, some cellular networks in city areas may have already suffered from congestion. Another possible reason behind it is the fact that some frequencies that could be used for wireless communication are already allocated for TV, Radio and emergency signals and services. Another consideration would be the actual size of the Internet of Things, which no one can accurately say at this point.
Regardless of its size or whether IoT and M2M technology will use only a fraction of the bandwidth, some companies have already dealt with it head on. Qualcomm is one of the companies backing up a new long range, low power Wi-Fi standard that can be used for this. US companies are also considering a dedicated network that will be used solely for the Internet of Things. This is not to weigh down on the existing network while they are still developing ways that will help accommodate IoT’s possible bandwidth requirement.
A French company, SigFox has taken a different approach to this dilemma. SigFox is building a small cellular network in Silicon Valley that is designed exclusively for IoT devices, as part of the companies vision in building a worldwide cellular network for IoT. In fact, SigFox has already implemented part of this in France. Meanwhile, other companies may continue to find ways to either increase network capacity or decrease bandwidth requirement of these devices. The telecommunications industry has witnessed companies and providers build and expand their networks just to accommodate the massive amount of data that billions of mobile devices had consumed. The Internet of Things should be no different…

Source/more at : http://www.fool.com
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How Secure is M2M?

Guest post by LeadingQuest.
Several forecasts have been made about the boom of the Internet of Things. As of recent, these innovations in the line of IoT are made possible by M2M communication. As of today, there are 3 billion devices connected to the internet, however, forecasts show that 26 billion of such devices will be connected to the internet by 2020. The goal is to connect everything to the internet and make them all have a certain degree of automation. But the question is, how secure are these connections especially when these devices will begin to handle data for our household appliances, cars, even our health information. And how susceptible are we of the threats? Hijacked robo-toilets have been all over the news. What other possible threats could we be facing with as this new technology is slowly being adopted across almost all sectors?
Some say that M2M connections can go unchecked and this may give way to a possible security breach. As the M2M automates sharing and gathering of data, it eliminates the burden of regular tedious methods of gathering data. It also eliminates inaccuracy. However, this autonomy can also bring disadvantages. Because most of these devices are left to function on their own, the lack of human intervention can give hackers more opportunity to penetrate the system. It can make the device a primary target for malicious intent. Most of these devices are made accessible through tablets and Smartphones. However, it is important to note that not everything is created equally. There are less sophisticated devices that may need more protection than the others. In IoT, processing is often dedicated entirely to performing operational tasks designed specifically for the application and without the use of hard drives. This limits the nature of M2M devices, which also means that the opportunity to embed security software is limited as well.
Although it is yet too early to say that M2M connections are unreliable, as we are still in the early days of adoption. However, several means of data safe-keeping and maintaining the integrity of these systems must be considered by providers, integrators and developers alike. And while they are still finding better means of securing M2M communication, some means may also be considered.
One is Antivirus Controls. Antivirus has always been the first line of defense. Although admittedly, this may not be enough, it should not be totally eradicated but enhanced. Messages sent via IP communications and M2M devices should be screened for potential viruses. There should also be identity controls present on these devices. Having identifiable devices helps reduce the threat. Having a clear cut standard security policy for M2M devices would also help. As we used to govern human to human network, M2M-enabled devices should have the same to govern them. And at a network level, protection and policies must be enabled as well, making sure that M2M devices have a single authorization port.
It is indeed an exciting time for everyone as M2M technology can change and reshape the way we live, work and interact, thus it is important to everyone to be every bit as vigilant in ensuring that every transaction or transmission done with these devices remain secure.

Source/more at: http://security-today.com

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Berg Insight says 3.0 million patients worldwide are remotely monitored

According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, around 3.0 million patients worldwide were using connected home medical monitoring devices at the end of 2013.
This figure comprises all patients that were remotely monitored by a professional caregiver. Patients that use connected medical devices for personal health tracking are not included in this figure. Until 2018, Berg Insight estimates that the number of patients using connected home medical monitoring devices will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44.4 percent to 19.1 million.
The main application is monitoring of patients with implantable cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices, which with 2.0 million connections accounted for nearly two thirds of all connected home medical monitoring devices in 2013. Sleep therapy and telehealth are the second and third largest segments with 0.54 million and 0.34 million connections respectively at the end of the year.  All other device categories – including ECG, glucose level, medication adherence, blood pressure, air flow, home sleep tests, blood oxygen and coagulation monitoring – stood for less than 0.1 million connections each. Berg Insight expects that CRM will remain the single largest device segment throughout the forecast period, growing at a CAGR of 15.1 percent to 4.0 million connections by 2018. However, the CRM segment will account for just 21 percent of all connections in 2018, down from 65 percent in 2013, as the use of connectivity is growing faster in other device segments.
Today, more than 70 percent of all connected medical devices rely on PSTN or LAN connectivity for transmitting measurement data to caregivers. However, cellular connectivity has become the most common technology in new medical devices and is forecasted to account for 74 percent of all connections by 2018. A third alternative is that patients use their own mobile devices as health hubs. The bring your own device (BYOD) model can in theory be very cost-efficient as no dedicated hardware or subscriptions are needed, but accounted for less than one percent of all connections in 2013.
Lars Kurkinen, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight, says:
“It is currently more common that caregivers provide a dedicated tablet or smartphone to a patient for remote monitoring than that a patient uses her own device. The main limitation is in the lack of interoperability between medical monitoring devices, smartphones and tablets.”
He adds that mHealth connectivity platforms such as 2net Mobile from Qualcomm Life and HealthKit from Apple are emerging as promising solutions and can allow BYOD health hubs to become the favoured alternative for several groups of patients such as diabetics and asthmatics.
Download report brochure: mHealth and Home Monitoring
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OT and V3D partner to help mobile operators enhance customer and M2M experience

Oberthur Technologies (OT) a world leader in digital security solutions for the mobility space and V3D, the independent QoS and QoE software editor for mobile networks, announced today their strategic partnership to provide mobile operators with an embedded solution for analyzing and improving the Quality of Experience (QoE) directly perceptible and felt by the mobile user.
With the extensive use of new connected devices and the arrival of new technologies such as LTE, mobile operators are facing higher expectation of end-users in terms of network quality and quality of experience.
In this context, V3D and OT partnership was initiated to combine both companies’ best of breed Customer Experience monitoring technologies. OT’s Smart Monitoring associated to the V3D’s EQual One solution provides mobile operators with an accurate picture of the coverage, call data status, data, browsing, applications and streaming experience of consumers in real time. This joint solution is not restricted only to consumers’ devices but also covers the Machine-to-Machine experience capabilities.
Marek Juda, Managing Director of the Solutions Business Unit at OT, said:
“Along with the quality and continuity of service monitoring capabilities already provided by our Smart Monitoring solution, this partnership with V3D allows us to supply our customers with exclusive and meaningful source of QoE data directly from any customers’ devices and SIM Cards on the market.”
“Thanks to this solution mobile operators can easily gain a better understanding of their customers’ problems and expectations in order to improve the quality of end-user experience.”
“We are very enthusiastic about this partnership with OT, using our solution to strengthen their existing embedded solutions to better serve and satisfy customers. Indeed, it is why V3D chose to place EQual One in the heart of the CEM and Customer Care solutions of the Telecom industry leaders, enriching these solutions – introducing an outside-in approach – with customer experience data gathered directly from end-users devices”, comments Philippe Vial-Grelier, Chief Executive Officer of V3D.
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Brazilian Industry Trends To Possibly Drive M2M Market

Guest post by LeadingQuest.
Brazil has the fifth largest population in the world and with new tax cuts on M2M terminals recently enforced, Brazil is arguably the next biggest M2M market.
With new industry trends taking off in Brazil, there is no doubt the market can grow dramatically in the next couple of years.
One of the major trends in Brazil is Telehealth services. According to reports from BMI, major investors have been eying Brazil as as a potential for Telecare services. One of the country’s biggest mobile operators acquired Axismed, a Brazilian chronic care management company. This aims to provide digital healthcare services such as health monitoring, outpatient care and self care applications. Axismed reported that their services has reduced cost of care for chronic patients by 30 percent both for health care providers and private companies. Another project launched in line with Telecare services is GE Healthcare’s Urban eHealth Project. This project provides medical practitioners access to various tools that will help them measure patient welfare. Clinicians are also given access to a portable that they can carry around that they can work with necessary devices. This project was undertaken primarily in Santa Marta favela in Rio de Janeiro.
Other developments such as Axismed’s biometric data transmission via connected devices at the patient’s homes is supported by Telefonica Digital. This initiative is aimed at greatly reducing the cost of clinicians and physicians trying to gather data from patients. It also saves time for them as patients may no longer need to go to clinics in order to provide information. PwC, an international professional services provider, reported that telehealth application development market in Brazil could reach $46.6 million in 2015. Meantime, GSMA also highlighted that these projects can aid over 45 million Brazilians and save about $14.1 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs.
Other trends in the region include mobile commerce, Telecom infrastructure investments and more MVNO developments in 2014. E-commerce has been increasingly flourishing market. However, mobile carriers are now venturing into bringing m-commerce introducing new mobile commerce platforms that will allow customers to pay their bills, make purchases, transfer funds and make cash withdrawals. In 2013, a joint initiative of Banco Bradesco and Claro introduced a pilot mobile payment system called My Money Claro. This will initially be available in select cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Bellford Roxo, Sao Joano de Meriti, Duque de Caxias and Goiania. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs and Pátria Investimentos, along with six other investors will help in the construction of telecommunication towers. The two towers will cost about $320 to $820 million. The completion of this project will attract more investors in and outside of Brazil and the region will largely benefit from it. Currently, Brazil has approximately 61,000 telecommunication towers and still requires 6,680 new ones to improve network coverage and services. And a new MVNO business model is also set to be transplanted into the market. Brazilian mobile operators are still holding discussions over the new platform and expects to close the deal hopefully in the near future.
Clovis Lacerda, CEO of LeadingQuest and Parlacom, one of the major M2M solution providers in Brazil, believes that these major trends in the region only marks the beginning of the much anticipated growth of the M2M market in Brazil. He said that as the telehealth services expand in Brazil, more medical service providers and companies will recognize its benefits, especially on how this can bring down the cost. Installing devices and health monitoring equipment in a patient’s home which physicians can remotely monitor, will surely save not only millions of money but also millions of lives. This is something that M2M players like Parlacom, are very eager to see grow rapidly in the next few years.
Lacerda eagerly said:
“There is no doubt that eHealth will surely drive revenue for the M2M market in Brazil.”
He further noted that as Brazil strengthens its telecommunications network by adding more towers, it will likely boost the M2M market as well.
“Mobility and connectivity are two very important aspects of M2M communication. The towers will not only provide better connections and better coverage for mobile devices but will also add more flexibility to our solutions”, Lacerda said.
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