IoT Vs Machine-to-Machine Communication: Comparing The Key Aspects

IoT Vs Machine-to-Machine Communication: Comparing The Key Aspects

The rising machine-to-machine communication has given boost to one of the most talked about concepts called the Internet of Things (IoT). While the IoT is based on cloud computing and works through a network of data gathering sensors, the machine-to-machine communication is a direct communication between devices using a channel that has embedded hardware modules and may either be wired or wireless. Being an advanced concept, the IoT solutions depend on the IP based networks to share the device data via cloud platform.

Moving beyond the traditional concept of machine-to-machine communication, the Internet of Things establishes a connection between the sensors and machines, where the sensor helps in measuring, evaluating and gathering data. The machine-to-machine solutions are targeted at providing at-point solutions for applications in service management. On the other hand, the data collected by the Internet of Things have the potential to be integrated with enterprise applications to provide it major insights about latest trends that help in boosting operational efficiency and overall business performance.

But the right infrastructure to analyse the information gathered by the sensors are the cloud based applications that help in functionalising the Internet of Things. The core concept behind the Internet of Things is to integrate device and sensor data with Big Data, analytics and other vital enterprise applications to aid in major business decision making process and devising of future strategies in various areas.

Here are some major points of difference between machine-to-machine communication and Internet of Things that will highlight why the latter is gaining huge popularity on the global platform:-

1. Access To Remote Device

The machine-to-machine communication generally makes use of hardware modules embedded in a machine that communicate through proprietary cellular or wired networks to a software application installed at the supplier’s service operation. 

The Internet of Things, however, uses the same devices or machines as machine-to-machine communication along with low power and passive sensors. These devices communicate via IP networks and the collected data is integrated with enterprise applications to develop new business models. While the machine-to-machine communication is more of point to point nature of communication, the IoT based data delivery makes use of cloud based infrastructure that is more scalable and is a universal enabler.

2. IoT Integration Offers Major Organisational Benefits

In comparison to the traditional machine-to-machine communication, the IoT has huge potential in the market as it has the ability to accommodate wider variety of devices to bring in benefits of high order. IoT applications have the ability to access and sort out typical issues from the system or machine level to apply analytics and process Big Data owing to the complete dependence on software. The IoT solutions offer universal visualization capabilities that make data available in various devices to any large number of allotted users, which machine-to-machine communication fails to offer.

3. Difference In Technology Suppliers

The competencies of the suppliers of both machine-to-machine communications and Internet of Things are different in a way that the supplier of the former one focuses on providing embedded hardware and cellular telecommunications network. And the IoT suppliers focus on the software capabilities and its ability to integrate with enterprise applications for Big Data purposes.

4. Difference In Business Needs

Though both the terms are being used interchangeably in many business arenas, but when it comes to finding a solution for different business needs and requirements, it becomes important to judge the suitable option. In case a business is looking for point to point solution through simple remote machine access, then it can go for machine-to-machine communication. Or if a business wants to augment organisational benefits via the use of Big Data, analytics and software driven performance tools, then it can opt for Internet for Things solution.

The potential of Internet of Things is surging remarkably as it is an outcome of the rapid technological advancements worldwide that has created a network of smart devices. This network will result in creation of massive amounts of data that needs to be stored, processed, accessed and analysed. Big Data storage and analytics is largely dependent on cloud computing and its combination with Internet of Things can enable powerful processing of sensing data stream to drive productive and cost effective actions for the enterprises.