Value chain scenarios for M2M ecosystem

Abstract

Recently attention has been directed to Machine to Machine (M2M) wireless communications by a number of stakeholders which include device manufacturers, applications developers and mobile network operators across the globe. As voice revenues for most mobile operators enter a decline due to the new data oriented networks and services being availed into the market, there is growing need to adopt new revenue models through adoption of wireless connectivity in a wide range of devices. With the introduction of these new applications and services, new stakeholders come into play in the M2M communications value chain. A way to market these M2M devices can thus involve creating a platform of services that adds value and functionality to the devices and is a result of a combination of synergies between device manufacturers, application developers and mobile operators. This paper discusses several value chain scenarios which form the M2M ecosystem wherein all stakeholders assume different levels of control over the customer relationship and the assets that make up the value proposition.