It’s time to set the record straight. Here are the key differences between IoT and M2M:
| M2M | IoT |
| Point-to-point communication usually embedded within hardware at the customer site | Devices communicate using IP networks, working with various communication protocols |
| Many devices use cellular or wired networks | Data delivery is relayed through a middle layer hosted in the cloud |
| Devices do not necessarily rely on an internet connection | In the majority of cases, devices require an active internet connection |
| Limited integration options, as devices must have corresponding communication standards | Unlimited integration options, but requires a solution that can manage all of the communications |
What’s most important for operators to understand is that while M2M and IoT both refer to devices communicating with each other, M2M refers to isolated instances of device-to-device communication, and IoT refers to a grander scale, synergizing vertical software stacks to automate and manage communications between multiple devices.
Operators that want to support IoT must now position themselves to be as vendor-agnostic as possible, managing multiple connections from varying communication protocols so that their subscribers can enjoy all the newest gadgets that fit into their smart-home society. There are some complications when managing varying standards, but as long as there’s an IP connection, and the right software to support wired or wireless communication, devices within IoT can communicate with each other.
The IEEE has recently released its draft for the wireless network protocol 802.11ah. This amendment to the 2007-released 802.11 standard is set to be the mechanism that unifies IoT using lower bandwidth, lower power, but with larger reach frequency band. With change coming, it’s crucial now more than ever to understand the difference between IoT and M2M.
IoT is set to have a significant impact on vertical industries through its ability to improve operations with automation and data-driven insights. To learn more about the opportunities, challenges, and future of enterprise IoT please click the link: seizing the Enterprise IoT opportunity
Incognito offers a productized IoT solution that provides remote device management of any IoT devices, streamlined device on-boarding, big data platform for analytics, and storage of device telemetry data for business applications. Explore how Incognito can help you accelerate the development of new IoT offerings. Learn more about Incognito's Enterprise IoT Solution.