Jan 22, 2013

Building a "billion dollar" M2M business

Over the past 1-2 years, the concept of a “billion dollar” business has often arisen in my project related discussions concerning multi-national operators. Indeed, Matthew Key (Head of Telefónica Digital) recently set a target of Eur.0.5-08bn (almost US$1 billion) for its M2M revenues by 2015. A billion matters in the frame of reference for most large operators because anything smaller often does not warrant management attention. This is understandably the case when resources are being requested of Group-level decision makers who have to weigh competing market opportunities.

So, what does a billion dollar business look like? How might an MNO reach this level of revenues within a 3-5 year interval of time? And, what are some of the business model implications for operators pursuing a “billion dollar” goal? 

Jan 8, 2013

M2M Corporate Initiatives 2012

Please check the Corporate Initiatives navigation tab for the most recent market developments  
 
2012 proved to be another strong year for the M2M/Connected Devices market with a significant rise in corporate business ventures. The nearly 100% increase in activity during 2012 – a total of 114 corporate events – easily surpasses the rate of market development in 2011 according to our database tracking M2M corporate ventures.

The two strategies showing the greatest amount of activity during 2012 were:
  • The creation of commercial partnerships across the M2M value chain to supply integrated M2M offerings to the market

  • Market entry and expansion initiatives by companies targeting new and different M2M segments.

Nov 26, 2012

Finance as a Telco M2M offering

The role of telecommunications service providers in the M2M market is typically associated with the provision of wide-area data connectivity. This narrow perspective ignores the other capabilities - technical and non-technical - that service providers can bring to bear in new application scenarios.

In November 2012, Telefónica announced a cooperation agreement with Generali Seguros in Spain to pilot a new, automobile insurance service. The service will allow users to pay for their car insurance policy based on how they drive. The service will also provide information about how users can drive responsibly and tips to improve their driving habits. The overall service concept is not new; it has parallels with an offering such as 'In Drive' which is available in the USA from State Farm Insurance and Verizon's recently acquired subsidiary, Hughes Telematics.

However, what is interesting in the Spanish case is the three-party business model that Telefónica has put in place to capture a share of the wider commercial potential of this new service.

Connected-device business models in the US Market


(published in RCR Wireless - 26 Nov 2012)

A previous article in RCR Wireless magazine highlighted the topic of new M2M business models with reference to the size and characteristics of this fast growing market opportunity. It also highlighted the central role that communications service providers (CSPs) occupy in the eco-system. Beyond traditional data plans, however, what are the new business models that will allow the full market potential to be attained?

Nov 13, 2012

Vodafone and its M2M strategy

In Vodafone's H2-2012 financial results presentation, its CEO outlined Vodafone's 2015 strategy including a reference to its M2M goals. In particular, Vodafone's M2M business unit will be a part of its Group-wide Enterprise unit. This raises important questions about Vodafone's longer term goals especially in the light of a growing consumer M2M market and the reorganisation plans of several of its competitors.

Nov 10, 2012

New business models in the mEducation market

The words 'business' and 'education' aren't frequently used in the same sentence.  However, the business of education is increasingly becoming an important topic as educational institutions adapt to budget pressures and entrepreneurs develop new approaches to education by 'blending' traditional and new techniques.

The GSM Association, in its role of enabling markets for new mobile enabled services, invited me to carry out a  study on the mEducation market. This focused specifically on commercial drivers and business model innovation. In the middle of 2012, I had several discussions with education service providers, policy makers and mobile operators from across the globe; everyone was enthusiastic and hungry for knowledge and insights into the commercial and business model aspects of this market.

Nov 1, 2012

M2M Corporate Transactions Q3-2012

Please check the "Corporate Initiatives" navigation tab for the most recent market developments.

M2M started to develop as a sizable and strategic market for the mobile industry around 2008. This was the year that consumers and mobile operators began to appreciate the novelty of Amazon's Kindle connected eReader.

The Kindle offered an innovative eBook service enabled initially by Sprint's mobile network and now supported by AT&T in the USA. It employed a smart pricing model that did not force readers into a mobile data contract. It also did not oblige users to think about how much data they were downloading. Amazon's business model was also intriguing in positioning the device as a way to drive revenues in Amazon's core eCommerce business rather than a standalone commercial proposition.

In the market evolution of M2M, 2008 is also important for another reason. This was the year that mobile operators as a group addressed the market potential for connected devices through the GSM Association's Embedded Mobile market development campaign.