Standardising M2M

Seven of the world’s information and communications technology Standards Development Organisations have launched a global organisation to ensure the most efficient deployment of machine-to-machine communications systems.

The organisation, called oneM2M, will develop specifications to ensure the global functionality of M2M - allowing a range of industries to effectively take advantage of the benefits of this emerging technology.

At a meeting in the US, the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses and the Telecommunication Technology Committee of Japan; the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions and the Telecommunications Industry Association of the US; the China Communications Standards Association; the European Telecommunications Standards Institute; and the Telecommunications Technology Association of Korea launched oneM2M.

The members will develop technical specifications and reports to ensure M2M devices can successfully communicate globally.

The number of M2M connections is growing, with some forecasts as high as 50 billion by 2020. These connections will reside within virtually every major market category and oneM2M will play a vital role to ensure that these industries - from healthcare to transport and energy to agriculture - can benefit fully from the opportunities that M2M communications present.

The initial goal of oneM2M will be to confront the need for a common M2M service layer, which can be readily embedded within various hardware and software and relied on to connect the devices in the field with M2M application servers worldwide.

With an access independent view of end-to-end services, oneM2M will also develop globally agreed-on M2M end-to-end specifications using common use cases and architecture principles across multiple M2M applications.

oneM2M is open to participation from other interested organisations and parties, as well as cooperative efforts with other organisations. For further information, please consult www.onem2m.org.