M2Mnews.ru / 19.04.2015

What are M2M technologies?

М2М is an abbreviation for "machine-to-machine", i.e. "Machine to machine". M2M technology allows you to combine remote objects and systems to automate business processes. It is with the help of М2М-technology our life becomes easier. The scope of application of M2M technologies is very wide. This technology has become so firmly established in our lives that we can no longer imagine a comfortable civilized existence without it. Payment terminals, ATMs, security and control systems, vehicle monitoring and much more. All this works thanks to M2M technologies.

Let's take a closer look at the use of M2M using an example. Let's take an ATM. He can automatically transmit information via GSM networks if he has run out of cash or check paper, or vice versa, too much cash has accumulated and the arrival of collectors is required. Or take transportation as an example. With the help of M2M technologies, you can control a wide variety of information about the car: coordinates, fuel consumption, speed, temperature characteristics, diagnose engine operation, and more.

Wireless and wired M2M technologies

Speaking of M2M technologies, we mean, first of all, the wireless method of data transmission. But M2M is also widely used for wired communications. However, in order.

Usage wireless M2M technologies cheap and technologically advanced. They allow you not to spend money on laying cable infrastructure, save time and minimize human resources. Wireless technology-M2M also helps to increase the mobility of working personnel. M2M with the use of wireless communications is widespread at the most high level: this is border security, state rescue services and law enforcement agencies. Wireless M2M technologies allow for quick response from the communication center. M2M also allows you to monitor mobile objects - for example, the movement of vehicles, the presence of goods in the warehouse, and learn about the state of the vending machine. In addition, wireless M2M technologies with the help of sensors allow monitoring the mechanical stress of high-rise buildings and bridges.

Signal coverage of mobile operators in developed countries is close to 100%, however, given the widespread development of wireless M2M technologies, they will not remain without work. M2M technologies are a very promising market for mobile operators, and its potential capacity is large.

However, one should not think that wired М2М-technologies- this is the last century. They not only play an important role, but one cannot do without them, for example, in production, when wireless M2M technologies simply do not work in conditions of steel structures and reinforced concrete around, due to non-penetration of the signal.

Application areas of M2M technologies

Let's take a closer look at the areas of application of M2M technologies.

М2М-technologies for the Internet. This is the most demanded area of ​​application of M2M today. Almost everyone in the house has a wi-fi modem.

М2М-technologies for cars. Taxi services and transportation companies are buying GPS trackers en masse and installing them in their fleet. This device helps the robot controller to know the exact location and speed of the vehicle. This significantly increases the efficiency of transport.

М2М-technologies for home. With the help of M2M, you can remotely monitor the temperature in the house and ensure its safety. Also, with the help of M2M technologies, you can control electrical equipment in the house. It is enough to send an SMS.

М2М-technologies for housing and communal services. Today we record the readings of water and electricity meters and submit these readings to the appropriate organizations. In the future, these readings will be read automatically and remotely. Perhaps the bank will also connect to this process - cash will be charged automatically.

М2М-technologies for health. M2M sensors can monitor a person's temperature, blood pressure and pulse. You can also find out the location of the patient. All this allows you to take action on time and send help if necessary.

М2М-technologies for automated accounting. Any product in stock has an electronically readable sticker. Having scanned the goods, you can track the movement of the goods and the balance. Warehouse management using M2M technologies can be fully automated.

М2М-technologies for safety. After leaving the cottage or your own apartment, you can remotely monitor the security of the premises using the camera. When motion is detected, the sensors will immediately send you an SMS or MMS with a picture of what is happening.

М2М-technologies for vending machines. M2M equipment allows you to remotely control coffee machines, payment terminals, ATMs, guard this vending equipment, and monitor its performance.

The future of M2M technologies in Russia

Experts talk about the rapid growth of M2M technologies in our country. First of all, because the number of industries where M2M is used is growing. And this is largely due to the crisis phenomena in the economy, since М2М-technologies allow to reduce costs.

A pilot project has already been created in Moscow, within the framework of which about 150 thousand apartments in one quarter are equipped with M2M modules for taking readings of various meters. New medical equipment has emerged that requires remote wireless access. Also, “smart” traffic lights and stops appear on the streets of Russian cities. They also talk about the creation of entire "smart" cities, the infrastructure of which will be managed by an automated system using M2M technologies, and not by people. And finally, the "cloud technologies", which are in the global trend today, will also use M2M through web interfaces.

If you are one of those who are sure that humanity will die out at the moment when refrigerators with cars learn to easily enter into a criminal conspiracy against their owners, then we have two news for you. Bad and good. The bad thing is that, purely from the technical point of view, there are practically no opportunities for this. Any device can be equipped with Internet access and trained to transfer data to the network without human intervention. The good news is that thanks to this very interaction of the device with the device (M2M, that is, Machine-to-Machine, "machine-to-machine"), we will be able to live more comfortable, better and safer, and the machines still have to do a lot of good and useful things before they have the time and opportunity to rebel, as the classics of science fiction prophesy to us.

If you are one of those who are sure that humanity will die out at the moment when refrigerators with cars learn to easily enter into a criminal conspiracy against their owners, then we have two news for you. Bad and good. The bad thing is that, purely from the technical point of view, there are practically no opportunities for this. Any device can be equipped with Internet access and trained to transfer data to the network without human intervention. The good news is that thanks to this very interaction of the device with the device (M2M, that is, Machine-to-Machine, "machine-to-machine"), we will be able to live more comfortable, better and safer, and the machines still have to do a lot of good and useful things before they have the time and opportunity to rebel, as the classics of science fiction prophesy to us.

Some M2M capabilities are already available today, even in Ukraine. Some interesting cases are used in other countries, but they can be easily implemented in our country. Something, of course, is still at the stage of ideas and pans, but the future is approaching so rapidly that even ideas are just around the corner. In the editorial office, we asked ourselves what is already happening in the world, where the machine has learned to communicate with the machine, and this is what we found out.

1. What is M2M and why should I know about it?

M2M, it is also machine-to-machine communication, it is also M2M telemetry, the ubiquitous Wikipedia defines as "the general name for technologies that allow machines to exchange information with each other, or transfer it unilaterally." At the household level, these can be meters that transmit data about the electricity or water used directly to the organization offering the service, bypassing your running to the staircase or under the bathroom for up-to-date data and specially trained "grandmothers" who check so that you do not cheat ZhEK. At the level of society, this is the ability to track the movement of buses, an additional whip for the taxi driver so that he does not drive at a speed of 120 km / h around the city, scaring away schoolchildren and dogs, this is up-to-date information about the state of elevators in residential buildings. At the business level, this is control over the operation of all objects of the corporation. At the industry level, it is monitoring and timely correction of production problems. And much more, which we will dwell on in more detail later.

2. So this is the "Internet of Things"? Or is the Internet of Things M2M? Or is it all different?

Today, there are so many terms on the topic of "smart" machines that are cherished by various vendors and service providers that sometimes the devil himself will break his leg in who is who Internet and what is generally for what.

Let's start with the fact that there are two parallel synonymous terms - "Internet of Things" (promoted by Intel) and "all-embracing Internet" (the brainchild of Cisco, which is less accustomed to our mass information space). This is such a global concept that encompasses both the world of devices capable of interacting without a person, and the world of equipment (various chips, for example) required to implement the possibility of this communication), and technologies, protocols, standards, and communication channels. The "Internet of Things" is Big Data, to which the best minds and businesses of our time are only looking for an approach to isolate useful information.

M2M (for ease of understanding and to reduce the amount of text, we will stop at this term) is part of the "Internet of things" or "Internet of all things". As for the connected devices and associated applications, ready-made software and hardware solutions, architectures, specific structured data that has a specific owner who analyzes this data.

An association with a literary work that has a theme and an idea comes to mind. The idea is what the author wanted to say, the topic is how he conveyed his idea. By analogy with the Internet of Things, it is about what is connected to the network, M2M is how it is connected, that is, specific tools.

Something like that

If we ground ourselves in concrete figures, then the "Internet of Things" today unites about 9 billion devices connected to each other. in different ways... 6% of these devices use the operator's infrastructure, the rest - other types of connection, for example, microwave communications, cable, etc.

It is assumed that by 2020 the number of devices on the "Internet of Things" will reach 23 billion. Of these, about 8% will be connected using conventional cellular communication and about 11% using the new LPWA standard, the development of which in this moment conducted by 27 leading world operators, as well as vendors and manufacturers of microcircuits and equipment for mobile networks... This standard assumes the ability to transfer data over long distances and at the same time low power consumption. There is an opinion that its implementation will lead to the explosive growth of M2M in particular and the "Internet of things" in general.

3. Smart bracelets, watches, refrigerators, smart meters - are they all M2M too? Or is it the Internet of Things?

In the consumer segment, in the mass market, M2M is just wearable electronics, medical equipment, large household appliances such as refrigerators, small household appliances and not even appliances at all. In connection with the latter, I recall an interesting case with "smart" home filters for water, which can notify the manufacturer when it is time to change the cassette. In general, many electronics manufacturers and household appliances work in the direction of "smart" technology. But the very notion "smart" does not immediately indicate M2M. There are devices (and this is most of the bracelets, for example) that connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth and are controlled via an application. This is not M2M. M2M is when a device has its own chip or is connected to the Internet in another way to transfer data, and this transfer occurs automatically, without a magic kick from the user.

4. What does mobile operators have to do with it?

M2M appeared long before the mass spread of data transmission and even before GPRS. But the introduction and distribution of affordable tariffs for mobile Internet via GPRS made it possible to reduce the cost of M2M and expand the scope of application. Today it is a very promising technology.

Previously, for example, a call from a stuck elevator to a control room was also carried out using an analog connection.

Many data were monitored by humans at all.

The banks had the opportunity to connect their terminals only by cable. Optical, copper, radio relay. It was all extremely expensive - to build the "last mile" physical, to extend the cable to each ATM. So they started looking away alternative solutions... At first, GSM was viewed with caution as a replacement for the cable due to security issues. But GSM itself is a fairly secure connection, and banks additionally encrypt the connection at all levels. For example, when you pay at a POS terminal with a card and thus send data about your passwords, encryption is carried out at all levels. That is, there is no risk for banks, the same is with GSM communication, and banks have now come to the conclusion that about 60% of ATM connections (in Ukraine) are made through the operator's card. It's cheaper, faster, it's safe.

5. Does this mean that ATMs are already so smart that they can order money for themselves over the phone? What's more interesting?

Yes, indeed, Ukrainian (and even Western banks - all the more so) are not so rich as to hire grandmothers with notebooks who will check the number of banknotes in ATMs and bring their data to branches, from where collectors will then be sent. But banks are not the only M2M users.

There is also a trend in cars to be connected to the network. In Ukraine, this does not work yet, even if you bring a car with a SIM card with you from abroad. But the AT&T operator, for example, allows you to equip your car with a card, distribute Wi-Fi through it in the cabin, upload data on road conditions, plot a route, and upload some kind of entertainment content. If an accident occurs, the car immediately sends a signal to the appropriate service without human intervention. The technical nodes of a modern "advanced" car are also monitored for problems using the network. The sensors indicate that it is time, for example, to change the oil or measure the pressure in the tires. The condition of roads and many other things is taken into account. All this is and will continue to develop.

The car of the future: the Swiss, the reaper, and the Wi-Fi hotspot

In Europe, in general, it is legally obliged to equip all cars with the eCall system. ECall is a digital call, a signal that is transmitted by the car to the right place in the event of an accident.

This allows all services that need to be involved in such a case to quickly respond to the call and save lives. In Russia, the same is done with GLONASS. There is nothing of the kind in Ukraine yet. But such solutions allow the country to have its own huge data set (Big Data), which can be used to understand which cars, where and when are involved in an accident. In addition, it is important for saving lives and ensuring safety on the road, because in emergency situations, minutes are counted.

Another interesting point related to M2M in cars. Major operators such as AT&T, Telefonica have international alliances. Within the framework of these alliances, there is an agreement that there is a kind of one global SIM. And this global SIM works in the networks of partner operators as in a native network, without additional roaming costs. This is very important for the automotive segment, when, for example, a car can be produced in Japan, and eventually it arrives in Germany. Or vice versa. Everywhere this alliance operator card should work so that the user does not have to delve into how to replace it when traveling to another country. There are portals, there are platforms that allow the manufacturer to manage this card and the device. And activate it only when it (in the car) has reached, for example, its destination. And change the operator if, for some reason, the operator is not suitable. For example, due to communication problems. In this case, this card can switch to the network of another operator just on the fly.

The next segment is finance. M2M is actively used in payment terminals.

If we talk about Ukraine, then specifically in our market, a surge in the segment of payment terminals occurred in 2013, when the obligation to transfer data on cash transactions to the tax office was legally spelled out (by the way, we have an interesting material on how government regulation affects the telecom industry as a whole) online. The owners of those terminals that cannot physically be connected to a wire or to Wi-Fi have only one way out - to connect them using a GSM card. The business has a need to buy modems for their point-of-sale terminals in order to transfer data. Therefore, this segment increased instantly. Influence at the legislative level was one of the key here.

M2M is also used in such an important area for Ukraine as agriculture. If we talk about specific cases, then, for example, one of the Ukrainian agricultural companies purchased a large batch of modern, very expensive tractors. Now it is important for her to ensure that the tractors are properly operated. Since this company is a certified partner, it is allowed to crash into the tractor system without loss of warranty. M2M in this case collects data on the condition of different parts of the tractor. Ukrainian specificity is such that, in addition to this, it is necessary to control so that fuel does not drain or there are no "left" flights.

M2M allows you to monitor meter readings in real time. Let's move a little away from Ukraine again for real cases. The operator Turkcell has a Smart Energy service, which is provided jointly with partners. It allows you to monitor the consumption of electricity at different points.

For example, you have a network of pharmacies. A special digital meter with a multi-tariff metering system is installed there. He knows how to count expenses on different tariff depending on at what time certain devices are used. It has a GSM modem with a card. In Turkey, such a meter is installed behind the main meter, since the main one is traditionally owned by a company providing energy services.

Nothing fancy, just a smart meter

This device monitors consumption. It can compare the performance of different objects on the map and detect if there are strange results in a certain place. For example, consumption at the same point is off scale, which means we need to figure it out. In fact, for the owner, this does not mean that he installed such a meter and started saving. No. He set up such a counter and began to analyze, collect the history of his consumption.

Further, the owner, for example, understands that it is advisable to replace conventional lighting with LED lamps. Or obliges the workers of points, leaving, to turn off the light. Or he runs some kind of campaign, and he has a tool that allows you to measure the results before and after. And he sees that such and such an initiative helped to save so much in money, so much in kilowatts. This service has a special web interface on which the weather forecast is indicated, where there is a binding of counters to the map, reports and analytics, remote configuration of data collection, alerts and notifications.

In Turkey, where electricity tariffs are high, which seriously increase when the reactive energy threshold is exceeded, many small businesses are very careful about their costs, so the service is popular there.

6. Can I negotiate with the supplier, install the meter, and transfer data to it online, and pay online, so that I don't have to run to the meter for readings?

Newly built houses are usually already equipped with systems that collect data on the energy consumption of each apartment and centrally transfer it to the supplier's accounting system. There are separate pilot projects in old buildings in Kiev, but they are not massive, alas.

7. And what is there in Ukraine that is not only for business?

There is an initiative for dispatching elevator facilities. This means that every elevator must be automated and equipped with network access.

Most elevator service companies have long been using a SIM card to communicate with a dispatcher. In addition, communication is needed to transmit data about emergency situations. Before the use of operator M2M channels, communication with the dispatching office was carried out via cable.

Almost all regulated traffic lights in Kiev are wired. This is all very expensive and difficult. Something happens regularly with cables. They disappear and fail. Therefore, GSM looks like a good alternative. However, everything rests in the future on the banal lack of money for the re-equipment of existing systems.

8. In some cities of Ukraine, public transport is equipped with trackers that allow you to monitor its movement. Is it M2M too?

Yes, KievPasTrans transport is equipped with an M2M-module for monitoring, so through, for example, the EWAY application, you can track its movement. It contains GPS sensors and a GSM card. GPS transmits coordinates, and GSM transmits data about these coordinates to the server. Many minibus owners also equip their fleet of vehicles, because they get real benefits from being able to control the movement of their own fleet.

9. That is, ATMs and trolleybuses "eat" my mobile Internet? How much traffic is generated by the ATM? Or vehicles that are monitored?

As a rule, it depends on where the ATM is installed, how often transactions take place in it. But on average it is 20-50 MB per month. That is, less than a megabyte per day. One packet per session for monitoring transport weighs 2 KB on average, the banking sector has more, because the ATM generates requests and receives responses, and so on several times in one transaction.

Often, in M2M, 2G is enough to transfer data of a small volume. If the amount of data is significant, for example, video surveillance, then such volumes are transmitted in essence 3G (which, like us, is actively being built).

10. Is there something for health?

Specifically in Ukraine, healthcare is an area where technology is sparse. But in the world, M2M is already being used in medicine. In particular, to monitor any indicators of the body and transfer data to the attending physicians. Although for complete harmony and penetration of M2M into every home, a large number of available devices, which could take readings exactly at home, while being available to patients.

It's no secret that diabetes is one of the global health problems. The number of cases is estimated at hundreds of millions of people, this can already be safely called an epidemic. In numbers in Ukraine, there were about one and a half million people suffering from type 1 and 2 diabetes in 2013 alone.

Realizing the scale of the problem, Turkish operator Turkcell launched a pilot project in a medical school in Istanbul in 2012, which is located at the intersection of M2M and medicine. A control group was selected for those patients who were monitored by doctors using M2M solutions. Diabetic patients were offered a blood glucose meter with Bluetooth, patients who have blood pressure problems were offered a blood glucose meter with Bluetooth.

Smart set for your grandparents

WITH big buttons in case one of them sees poorly

These devices are connected to a special gateway device in which a SIM card is installed. The gateway supports two accounts, between which you can easily switch, which is convenient for a family of two seniors.

Patients used Bluetooth-enabled glucometers for regular measurements at home. After clicking on the Upload button on the gateway, the data was sent via the SIM card to the doctor. Access to the data via the web interface was available to the doctor, patients' relatives, and could also be available to the patient. For advanced users, an Android application has been launched. But for a person who does not understand technology, it was enough to measure pressure or sugar and press one button to transfer data.

The doctor, in turn, knows his patients what values ​​are normal or excessive for them. Moreover, in the datasheet, abnormal values ​​are highlighted in red. The doctor collects a history of indications, he sees when there is an increase in sugar, if we are talking about patients with diabetes, or pressure, if we are talking about those users who have problems with blood pressure. So it is easier for the doctor to determine the cause, and the patient does not need to go to the clinic again. And in critical cases, in the presence of alarming data from the patient, an ambulance can even go to him.

There is also a special call center that will remind the patient if he did not take measurements on time.

The monitoring system reduces the risk of complications. Prevention is always cheaper than cure.

The product is offered in Turkey both at the state level and in private clinics. Many children are willing to pay for such monitoring for their elderly parents. They buy an annual subscription that includes equipment, call center support, and doctors. This is such a comprehensive solution.

Turkcell's subsidiary lifecell plans to adopt the Turkish experience in the future.

11. Well, well, what can a business in Ukraine get from M2M in our country?

The segment of payment, point-of-sale terminals and security and safety are the two most developing areas of M2M in our country. Then there is the monitoring of the transport. Also with the help of M2M it is possible to provide monitoring of mobile "objects" of the company, i.e. field staff, couriers.

12. How is the monitoring of the company's facilities carried out?

The employee of the company has a phone with Android OS and GPS. A special application is installed on it. When a sales representative, merchandiser, supervisor, promoter, courier enters the route, he turns on this application. Such an application can be included only on work time this employee. The office phone, accordingly, the employee must work during working hours, and not deal with personal affairs.

The employee went out into the street - the satellites were identified. Any deviations from the route are visible in the interface. Was a person in this outlet or not, how long he spent there. The advanced package of such an application allows you to assign routes for every day. The user simply turns on the program and sees the finished task for that day. Also, the software allows you to transfer photos from a specific location. This is useful, for example, for a promoter who records the results of his work for a report, or for a merchandiser who bypasses outlets. He can immediately take a picture of the layout of the goods through the program and transfer this picture via GPRS to the office. And on the spot, in the office, his manager immediately has all the information from different points. This service has been working with lifecell for a long time and is called "Mobile GPS".

13. Transport monitoring - what is it, how, why?

Transport monitoring is a service that is aimed both at the owners of logistics companies and at taxi or other transport services. The exact capabilities depend not so much on the operator as on the partner who provides the hardware and software. Yanina Possokhova, lifecell's corporate product management expert, tells about one of the examples of transport monitoring implementation.

“Today we are working with 10 partners to provide this particular service. We communicate with corporate clients who have their own vehicle fleet, find out the need for monitoring and present the solution to the client. The client chooses the solution that suits him according to how wide the capabilities of the web interface are, or what sensors he wants to use in the car, for financial reasons. Some partners have sensors that can be fitted to an entire car. Some have purely monitoring and speed control. Those. we connect together with a partner. By the way, on our website you can get acquainted with all solutions for business clients.

The vehicle fleet is equipped with a GPS module for collecting coordinates and a GSM-card with a special tariff for transmitting data to an information collection server.

When the car moves in open areas, the satellites always see it and transmit data about the route. If the car is in the garage, the satellites cannot see it. But some of our partners have already found a way out of this situation - by cell ID, that is, by cells that show where the car with a SIM card is located when there is no GPS signal.

The frequency of signal transmission is configured at the discretion of the user. Usually it is 30-60 seconds, then the route is fully visible on the map. You can increase the polling interval even up to 1 hour, but then the route of movement will not look so clear.

The service owner has tremendous ability to monitor and manage literally everything. You can outline geofences so that if the car leaves the boundaries of a geofence, the service owner will receive a notification about this.

The service allows you to measure the speed of the vehicle. The web interface will display all speed violations and emergency braking that have occurred.

There are also sensors to monitor fuel drain.

M2M software is able to create route sheets. The car can be tied to the driver and form route sheets. This system makes it possible to automate and simplify many processes for transport companies.

We, as an operator, have a solution for such companies, a special tariff. Both for use in Ukraine and abroad. It is very expensive to use GPRS while roaming. Nevertheless, there is a request from the business side, since both passenger and freight transport travels from Ukraine abroad. To remove this price barrier, we identified about 20 countries, mainly Europe, plus the CIS countries (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Moldova), where we established a list of operators in whose networks the card is registered and transmits data. These networks have preferential rates for GPRS - 10 hryvnia per megabyte. For roaming, this is very little money. Therefore, our corporate clients are actively using this tariff.

In January, for companies that operate in M2M verticals, we expanded the capabilities of the Self-Service System and launched the M2M Manager service for monitoring and managing M2M lines. Now the Administrator of the corporation can manage his lines in his Personal Account: both voice and M2M. In the "M2M Lines" section, the lines that the client defined as M2M will be available for management, control and work with data / reports. It means that he himself determines this.

The administrator can change the display of information in the main window of the service for himself. For example, add the device identifier, the position of the object (for example, via SMS-ping), a note (comment) on this object (for example, the driver's name, address) and much more.

He can see the details of the line by clicking on its number. Here information is displayed that was not in the Main Menu. The status of the provision of roaming services, what is the balance of the line and the remainder of the packages, what are the accesses, is there a credit limit, etc.

At the client's request, in the M2M service settings, VPN tunnels can be built using a separate access point through which data will be transmitted. The access point for connecting the Internet, for example, in a smartphone, is standard, everyone uses it. It is open and has a dynamic IP address that is issued for one session. And clients need to have a dedicated IP address, otherwise they will not be able to find the card on the network. Therefore, separate access points are being built. A customer who already has their own personal access point can delete shared access points that they do not need and add their own access point to their lines. The situation is the same with the IP address. The ability to independently manage all this significantly saves time for both the client and the operator.

For the owner of the corporation, M2M and regular communication can be either on the same contract or on separate ones. It all depends on the wishes of the owner.

All information from personal account you can export and work with it in Excel. "

14. And when you write that we are talking about a "ready-made solution", what is meant by this "solution"?

"Turnkey solution" means a proposal for equipment, software and the operator's tariff plan. The operator does not undertake to advise and select equipment for the client, in this case it is the responsibility of the partners. The more functionality, the higher the cost of the solution. The operator, in turn, offers a suitable tariff and provides special SIM cards, provides the ability to control and manage cards.

In the case of M2M, it will probably be even SIM-chips - more reliable and practical solutions that are guaranteed to last for at least 10 years. Such SIM-chips are not inserted into the GSM-slot, but are soldered. They allow you to minimize the size of the device itself, in addition, they are thermo, dust and moisture resistant. However, there are also thermo SIM cards. They are of a standard size, like regular SIM cards, but with additional protection... They also lack authentication counters, which allows them to extend the life of the card.

SIM-chip and its device

15. Are M2M SIM cards related to our 140% mobile penetration in Ukraine? Or are they counted separately?

M2M are sitting in these numbers, no one separately counts them. Large companies such as Turkcell, VimpelCom, AT&T keep separate statistics and have a separate report on M2M lines. In Ukraine, the scale is not yet the same, so there is no such need. After all, our country lagged behind from a large part of the world in terms of technology.

The relatively young Machine-to-machine (or M2M) segment in Russian cellular networks is rapidly developing. Transmission of telematic information and remote monitoring, control of the location of vehicles and company employees, video surveillance and organization of VPN networks - millions of existing living and potential "iron" subscribers can significantly "warm up" new market... In addition, along the way, having solved many problems in different areas related to the need for remote control.

The term "telematics" refers to the integration of telecommunications and information technologies in order to transfer information between different devices at a distance. The interaction of devices (machines) using communication technologies is called Machine-to-machine or M2M. The spread of mobile communications in the world and in Russia contributes to the rapid development of M2M services, since it provides an inexpensive and effective method communication between devices in the coverage area cellular network... Today, almost any device equipped with a microprocessor can be connected to the network using a GSM module and exchange data with other devices or an information processing center via GPRS, SMS, CSD (Circuit Switched Data - a standard circuit switched data transmission technology in the GSM network). ) or MMS.

M2M in the world and in Russia

Assessing the world M2M market, experts cite the following figures: today there are about 100 million devices operating in the world that remotely transmit data to information processing centers. According to them, the best way to transfer M2M data is via wireless networks. This is due to both the savings in cabling and the four times shorter duration of the data transfer session between devices in wireless networks (5 seconds) compared to the wire (20 seconds). According to the agencies Future World Consultancy, RSA, Allied Business, Berg Insight and ABI Research, the projected annual growth of the M2M market in the world in 2012 will amount to 80-120%.

According to MTS estimates, M2M services in Russia and the CIS countries are currently at the initial stage of development, and the number of M2M modules in the MTS network in the most developed Moscow market today is less than 1% of the subscriber base. At the same time, the Russian M2M market is growing rapidly, and, according to the most conservative estimates of the company, the number of users of M2M services of MTS in Russia will exceed 3 million in the next five years.

According to Mikhail Gerchuk, Vice President of MTS for Commercial Issues, the first step of MTS in the strategy of developing M2M services was the launch of the Telematics tariff. According to its terms, within the framework of connecting various GPRS packages (from 5 to 90 Mbytes) with a fixed monthly fee the cost of 1 MB of traffic will be 2.8 rubles (outside / over the package - 4.75 rubles). The traffic rounding threshold is only 1 KB, which is optimal considering the small volume of each telematic session.

MTS is already implementing a similar joint project with MOEK (Moscow United Energy Company) in the M2M sector. The project provides for the transfer of protected data on energy consumption within automated system monitoring. MTS SIM cards are installed in energy consumption meters, which provide continuous information transfer to the server of the MOEK Central Energy Metering System. The transfer of information through MTS communication channels occurs almost instantly, therefore the calculation is carried out with the highest possible accuracy. This allows for optimal planning of energy supplies, which means - to improve energy savings, reduce losses and save fuel. According to experts, the introduction of an automated system for technical accounting of energy resources can reduce energy consumption by up to 10%.

Other market players are also paying increased attention to the M2M segment. According to the head of the MegaFon media relations department, Tatyana Zvereva, the operator was the first company on Russian market which has issued a federal proposal for this segment.

“Launched in 2006, the Remote Site Management offer still has a number of unique advantages- non-tariff roaming in Russia and uniform tariffs for the whole country. Also, for clients who need it, we provide a secure channel that ensures the safety and security of data. As practice shows, such offers are interesting for banks and companies working with various meters and payment terminals - this is about 1% of companies on the Russian market, ”said Tatiana Zvereva.

The service "Management of remote objects" is intended for secure wireless access to information about remote objects united in technological networks. The service allows providing information exchange with remote objects via GPRS, SMS and CSD channels, including sending reports, receiving commands and performing certain operations. It is also possible to create wireless networks for data collection and rapid expansion of networks by connecting new objects in the shortest possible time. The subscription fee (you need to purchase a separate SIM card and GPRS modem) is from 95 to 480 rubles (15 MB and 150 MB of data, respectively) per month, while the traffic is rounded to 2 KB (the average amount of data transferred during each session) ... In addition, SMS (1 ruble) and CSD voice channels (1.4 rubles / minute) can be used as backup data transmission channels.

Beeline also considers the M2M segment to be interesting and promising. The operator's press service notes that the company has been working in this direction for about a year, offering special tariff plans and solutions for this segment. From already implemented projects for corporate clients"Beeline" is worth noting the national tariff plan"Monitoring" using EDGE / GPRS, CSD-channels, which allows to increase the efficiency and manageability of the client's business. It is intended for use in security and logistics systems, ATMs, payment terminals, monitoring systems for housing and communal services and vehicles. The monthly subscription fee of 45 rubles includes 15 MB of GPRS Internet traffic, 15 minutes of outgoing CSD calls (all incoming calls are free). Data packets are rounded off by 10 KB, and over 1 MB of data will cost 3.45 rubles (from 00:00 to 08:00) and 6.45 rubles (from 08:00 to 00:00). In accordance with the tariff plan, SMS will cost the client 1.45 rubles, and 1 minute of outgoing CSD traffic - 1.45 rubles (from 00:00 to 08:00) and 2.45 rubles (from 08:00 to 00: 00).

... plus GPS and location

In addition to the actual transmission of telematic information, cellular operators actively provide their networks to determine the location of any objects. To do this, a mobile terminal with a GPS receiver is installed on vehicles, which at regular intervals transmits information to the dispatch center via GPRS / SMS channels of operators.

Thus, MTS, in partnership with Sitronics, is implementing a project for automated monitoring of vehicles using the NIKA service for Unimilk Company (see the news section dated January 19, 2010). Earlier, MTS has already implemented similar projects with the Moscow Metro and Zelenograd Automobile Plant. The latter, thanks to the introduction of such a system, managed to reduce non-production vehicle runs and consumption of fuels and lubricants by 5% and ensure a decrease in costs by 6.1 million rubles per year.

MegaFon offers the Mobile Watch service for the corporate sector, designed to locate any mobile object using a subscriber GPS / GLONASS device with an embedded SIM card. The monthly subscription fee from each terminal is 800 rubles, it includes 5 Mb of GPRS / EDGE traffic, as well as 20 outgoing SMS messages. Transferring 1 Mb of data (GPRS / EDGE) costs 7 rubles, and SMS - 1 ruble (both for home region and for roaming). Free receipt data over the voice channel (CSD) will cost 9 rubles per minute in roaming.

Beeline implements the Transport Monitoring service in partnership with M2M Telematics and Nekso-TK companies.

Head of department for work with corporate clients
of the company "M2M Telematics" Marina Boksha

According to Marina Boksha, the head of the department for work with corporate clients of M2M Telematics, the Transport Monitoring program jointly with Beeline is suitable for companies with their own fleet of vehicles from various sectors of the economy: transport, construction, housing and communal services, logistics, trade, production of goods and services, finance and medicine. This is a comprehensive solution aimed at improving the efficiency of trucking enterprises by solving various problems of managing and monitoring the fleet of vehicles. Wireless connection over the Beeline network (GPRS) provides an affordable way of communication of equipment installed on vehicles with the dispatch center of the enterprise. Customers who have connected to the "Transport Monitoring" have the opportunity to control the costs of data transmission services used in the monitoring system (payment for telematic services "M2M telematics" and communication services is carried out through a single account "Beeline").

Keep track of everything and everyone

But you can also remotely control the location of each employee of the company. For corporate clients, MTS offers the service " Mobile employees", Where the location of employees and the customer's transport will be based on two technologies MPS (Mobile Positioning System - a system for determining the location of a subscriber based on wireless network resources) and GPS. At the same time, the accuracy of positioning mobile phone within the city (MPS) is 150-500 meters and 2-6 km outside the city, and when using equipment with GPS function, the positioning accuracy increases to 5 meters. The Mobile Employees service allows you to receive information about the movements of employees, cars or cargo at a given interval or according to a schedule, generate automatic reports on movements, the execution of tasks by employees, as well as on the mileage and fuel consumption of vehicles. The use of the service not only allows for accurate regular remote control, but also creates the possibility of more productive correlation and route correction. Today the service is available in more than 130 cities of Russia, it can be activated on the basis of the following special tariffs: "Classic" (a limited fixed number of requests per month, as well as the use of additional "packages" of requests) and "Unlimited" (an unlimited number of location requests per month).

Meanwhile, from January 25, 2010, MTS plans to launch an updated service "Mobile bodyguard" (a personal security system that allows, in the event of a threat, to promptly call a mobile police squad or response service using a regular cell phone). To connect to the "Mobile Bodyguard" service, subscribers need to fill out a security agreement with special application, where all the coordinates of the subscriber are indicated. When you press one button on the subscriber's cell phone, an automatic dialing occurs phone number monitoring station. The operator on duty, automatically receiving all the data specified at the conclusion of the security agreement, immediately sends the private security group to the specified address. This service is available to all mobile phone users connected to the MTS network in Moscow and Moscow region. The subscription fee is 30 rubles / day, while for MTS subscribers connected to this service, a free departure of the response team is provided no more than once a month (30 calendar days), the second and subsequent visits within one month are provided on additional conditions.

MegaFon is present on this market with the Corporate Navigator service, which operates throughout Russia and is designed to control the movement of company employees. At any time, their location is shown via the WEB-interface on a detailed map on the Internet, in addition, the coordinates of employees are available via WAP-service, SMS and USSD requests. The subscription fee is different and varies depending on the number of requests, the smallest package of 10 requests will cost 45 rubles / month, and the largest - 1000 requests - will cost 2,300 rubles. The most interesting additional paid services here include the connection of notification of entry / exit from a given zone (with an interval of 3 and 8 hours, 5 days), as well as building a route on the website with the determination of the subscriber's coordinates.

Beeline implements the Mobile Navigator service together with the GPS company.

VPN and video surveillance

In addition, services mobile transmission data can also be used when organizing corporate VPN-networks (Virtual Privat Network). The Mobile VPN service from Beeline is designed to build secure virtual networks, both using fixed-line operators (SCS Sovintel (Golden Telecom, now part of Beeline), Orange Business Services (Equant) , "TransTeleCom"), and without them. To use the service, the client needs a laptop or pocket computer with GPRS support. If necessary, terminals, ATMs and other equipment can be connected to the corporate VPN network.

Commercial Director of Sky Link Andrey Tsybakov notes that when organizing VPN-channels Mobile Internet irreplaceable. It is needed for switching ATM networks, security systems, when equipping towers in environmental and meteorological monitoring systems, monitoring traffic conditions and various business tasks.

At the same time, the speed of the mobile Internet (for Sky Link this is 3G / EV-DO technology with a data transfer rate of up to 3.1 Mbit / s downlink) allows organizing online video surveillance systems. Sky Link subscribers in the Moscow region can already use the CDMA SMART VISION wireless interactive monitoring and control system developed by Videofon. The box set includes a Sky Link USB modem and a Videofon portable video camera (its cost is 11 thousand rubles excluding VAT), and the system can be activated with any operator's tariff plan, depending on the traffic volume. It is possible to connect up to 60 external sensors for burglar alarms for various purposes (movement, smoke, opening, etc.), when triggered (the so-called "alarm event"), the user is notified by SMS or by e-mail... Online broadcasting on the Internet can be carried out through a WEB-browser in three modes: frame by frame, slide show and video.

According to Andrey Tsybakov, the Sky Link 3G-based video broadcasting systems are already in use in St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Ulyanovsk, Novosibirsk, Ryazan and Omsk. Mainly, they are intended for monitoring the traffic situation in places with the greatest concentration of vehicles and maintaining public order on the streets. For example, in St. Petersburg it helped to organize round-the-clock video monitoring of the traffic situation on bridges. The operator offers its subscribers in St. Petersburg a set for video surveillance of remote objects "Everything is under control!" Depending on the configuration, it may include 1-4 video cameras with a power supply, an IP video recorder, a C-motech CNU-680PRO router, a set of wires and an R-UIM card. The cost of such a set, excluding the cost of the modem, is 17.8 thousand rubles. In addition, Sky Link offers another set with an IP video camera that combines analog and digital components in one device, and a C-motech CNU-680 PRO router with EV-DO Rev.A support for 18,950 rubles. A special tariff plan "Video Surveillance" is also offered, which includes the service "Public static IP-address" and 250 MB of traffic in the monthly subscription fee of 500 rubles. Over the limit, 1 MB will cost 1 ruble, and outgoing calls within the Sky Link St. Petersburg network - 50 kopecks / minute, outgoing local calls will cost 1.35 rubles / minute, and SMS - 1.5 rubles.

In general, according to Andrey Tsybakov, mobile Internet has good prospects in the M2M segment. Sky Link sees strong demand from corporate customers, especially in places with low cable penetration. In particular, these customers use wireless modems to different systems telemetry, monitoring and navigation.

M2M (machine-to-machine) are solutions based on the communication of all kinds of sensors, sensors and other "hardware" among themselves on the basis of wireless communication... In general, all equipment falls into the M2M sphere, which by default is not intended for calling a friend or for messages on twitter and fb, for example, security systems, ATMs and payment terminals, navigators with traffic jams, etc.

Such smart machines have already appeared in a wide variety of areas, the number of which is growing every year:

• Banks and payment systems(solutions for connecting ATMs, payment terminals and other devices with the Client's corporate IT systems, other systems)
• transport and logistic(solutions for monitoring the vehicle fleet, cargo transportation, urban and municipal transport, etc.)
• Safety(solutions for the protection of stationary / mobile objects, video surveillance, etc.)
• Technological ACS natural monopolies and industrial enterprises (energy, housing and communal services, etc.)
• Consumer electronics, vending and other industries.

Why is this useful:

1. You can connect remotely almost anywhere, even when the cable to the place is almost impossible. For example, in a house on the top of a mountain or on a gas pipe somewhere in the steppe.
2. You can connect quickly and without laying infrastructure. For example, a security company can install sensors around the entire perimeter without thinking about the cable.
3. Such a connection is anyway cheaper, especially for corporate use.

Generally speaking, a completely different type of subscriber is entering the scene now. You won't find new "live" subscribers in the cellular communication market in the daytime with fire - now even in the most remote village it is difficult to find people without a telephone. But the world of cars as mobile users is only gaining momentum. Sim cards are already starting to be found in outlets, cars, dog collars, so the world of Skynet does not seem so fantastic. Naturally, operators reacted to this market change and offered their solutions for working with M2M.

What do you need from operators?

First of all, you need handy tool to manage and monitor SIM-cards used in hardware. Any modern company should be able to manage its costs, including for mobile communication... One of the most common problems in this area is the misuse of SIM cards. The company's task is to determine in a timely manner that the SIM-card is used not for the needs of monitoring objects, but for accessing the Internet from the mobile phone of an unscrupulous employee (for example, there was an example when cards were stolen from M2M traffic lights). In fact, it comes about the task of control over traffic and communication costs. In this vein, the system for monitoring SIM cards must provide information in real time so that the client receives online notifications about unauthorized actions from the SIM card or about a sharp increase in traffic that is not typical for this device. Plus, it's good to integrate it with existing ERP and CRM systems.

A number of operators such as Vodafone, Telenor, Orange, T-mobile have developed their own management platforms, spending tens of millions of dollars and several years of operation. Others, including AT&T, Telefonica, KPN, Rogers, O2, use solutions from leading M2M platform providers and MVNO operators (Jasper Wireless, MainGate, ASPider and so on) as part of partnership agreements. Such solutions are gradually beginning to appear in our country, and Beeline Business has become a pioneer in the Russian market in this area. In addition to the standard set of services, such as special M2M SIM-cards ("thermo" and chips), Mobile VPN, IP, APN, the operator has been offering a special M2M product since the end of 2010 - "M2M Control Center". The solution is based on the global Jasper Wireless platform, which is also used by AT&T, O2, KPN, TelCel, Rogers and others. It allows client companies to independently manage their SIM cards.

How it works?

In essence, the platform on which the M2M Control Center product is based is a separate billing system, which is tailored specifically to work with M2M SIM cards.

Billing

The most accurate rounding (rounded up to 1 Kb once a day), free intranet roaming countrywide. It is possible to use a "common traffic pool", which implies "redistribution" of traffic packets between SIM-cards. For example, if a subscriber has 10 SIM cards with a tariff with 20 Mb of traffic included in the subscription fee, then when using the "shared pool" the client will receive a package of 200 Mb of traffic that any SIM card can use up. The invoice is issued depending on the last connected TP (i.e. within a month you can switch between packages, tariffs and options as much as you like). If you can see that more traffic has been consumed than planned, you can simply change the tariff to a more profitable one. You can (and should) customize automatic change tariffs for different values ​​of SIM-cards traffic.

Functional

The functionality is quite large: from elementary functions for managing your SIM, to the ability to configure the operation of SIM-cards, “retail billing” and detailed information on the operation of the device (for example, which SGSN was used in a given period or what events took place on the network).

For numbers connected to the M2M Control Center service, a separate number capacity is allocated in DEF codes 089 and 968. The use of DEF code 089 and a separate SMS Center dedicated specifically for this service gives a number of advantages - unnecessary messages will not come to the client's terminals, it is impossible to send "spam" to the SIM from short numbers, from external networks, etc. ... Thus, SMS will be sent only between numbers connected to the service and directly between the SIM card and the platform. All SMS are displayed in the interface of the Control Center, where you can also see the delivery status and all detailed information about the SMS.

You can configure the status of the SIM card (active / blocked / ready for activation), change the set of services (for example, by disabling GPRS in roaming, enabling / disabling SMS and CSD, etc.), send an API command or notification to the user by e-mail about the occurrence of a given event. You can program events and reactions: changing tariffs or, for example, alerts: if a payment terminal, which is supposed to raise a GPRS session for each new transaction, suddenly becomes too rare to go online, the user will be promptly notified of the problem.

Access

To differentiate the rights of users to access the platform, there are different user roles that are changed by the client on their own.

Retail

Retail Billing functionality allows flexible account management. In general, the customer receives from the operator one general invoice for using the service. Retail Billing can be used to split it into several small accounts, which can, for example, help a large company keep track of spending by branches located in different regions. The client can also re-submit retail invoices to his internal users, create your own retail rates. That is, in fact, a client of the M2M Control Center can, having bought a SIM from us with a tariff with a certain cost of one MB, give them to their internal users / clients and assign their own cost of MB, and absolutely any.

APN

On the platform, it is possible to create a dedicated APN access point for the client. This may be necessary if the client requires non-standard traffic routing, for example, so that all traffic from SIM cards, bypassing the public Internet, goes through a dedicated channel directly to the client's server. Thus, the security of data transmission is significantly increased.

VPN

Using Mobile VPN helps to solve a number of problems:

• Access to the corporate intranet site;
• Access to corporate mail;
• Access to corporate databases and file resources;
• Access to corporate applications based on the TCP \ IP protocol;
• Secure connection of terminal equipment to corporate network(POS terminals, ATMs, technological equipment, М2М, etc.);
• Providing "controlled" Internet access for company employees.

There is a 2nd option for connecting a mobile Mobile VPN
1) Mobile VPN with a fixed operator

VPN with FNO:


2) Mobile VPN without a fixed operator

R - Radius server, H - DHCP server

This type of connection is more convenient because there is no need to lay a fixed channel to the client, it is enough to have a broadband connection of the client's office to the Internet. In this case, the VPN - router, LNS server, Radius server, DHCP server are located on the client side.

Monitoring

Having gained access to the platform interface, the user can monitor the status of all his SIM cards in real time. The built-in diagnostic system allows you to determine the real state of the SIM card, which in case of any problems will help to determine at what stage the failure occurs. For example, seeing that everything is fine on the part of the operator, we can conclude that the problem is with the end device and vice versa, do not send the repair team to the device (often remote or difficult to access), but understand that the problem is on the operator's side.

For more detailed diagnostics, the platform has Spotlight functionality, which allows you to determine on which SGSN and GGSN the SIM card is registered, view the GPRS session parameters, see all attempts to activate the PDP Context, attempts to authorize in the network, the facts of sending SMS and the delivery status, the presence of "empty" sessions, when traffic was not transmitted during a raised GPRS session (this may be the normal behavior of the device, when it simply "holds" the session, but it may also indicate problems).