Macario Namie writes:

2014: Automotive will drive LTE into M2M

As the connected car phenomenon gains pace, 2014 will see global automotive firms embracing LTE. Machina Research predicts 90% of cars sold in 2020 will have some form of embedded connectivity – that connectivity roll-out continues strong in 2014 and LTE is pivotal to its long-term success. 4G networks might not be globally ubiquitous yet, but the lifecycle of a car is far longer than that of a smartphone, hence the requirement to future-proof by building in LTE now. 4G is prohibitively expensive for most use cases in M2M, much as 3G was, but it does offer significant bandwidth and speed advantages over 3G, advantages that come to the fore in the infotainment piece of the connected car model, whereby users stream videos, games and other data-rich services.

2014: Explosion of new devices extends the connected home beyond security applications to hit the mainstream

The connected home is one slice of IoT (the ‘Internet of Things’) where there is a lot of innovation and there are many applications which make it an exciting space to watch evolve. Solutions are now available to make our lives and homes ever more efficient. From security monitors to bathroom appliances, in 2014 the connected home will come into its own.

Take Alarm.com, a traditional connected home application that enables interactive security, video monitoring and energy management. Or Nest’s smart thermostat, which enables you to remotely control the temperature in your home. These types of application have the power to transform the way we interact with our home, saving us money on energy and enabling us to monitor and control our home while on holiday. Mobile operators are setting up connected home bundles too, like AT&T with AT&T Digital Life, which provides personalized home security and automation packages. As people reap the benefits, the connected home will become more mainstream in 2014.

In 2014 we’ll witness telcos embrace cloud technology, playing catch-up with enterprises

The majority of enterprises have recognised the benefits of cloud computing. Spending in this space is rapidly increasing, with Gartner predicting cloud Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) CAGR of 27.7% through until 2016. Meanwhile, mobile operators, among some of the biggest providers of cloud services, have not yet moved to embrace cloud technologies in their own operations, beyond M2M where many already deploy over Jasper’s cloud-based platform. In 2014 this is set to change, as operators will implement more cloud-based technologies within networks, for example in billing systems.

2014 will see enterprises globally expanding connected services thanks to operator alliances

The dissolution of mobile operators’ regional borders in order to enable businesses to scale their connected services globally is well underway, as 2013 saw consolidation of international alliances between carriers. Etisalat became the eighth in the group of operators joining forces to enable enterprises seamless connectivity across the world by standardizing on the Jasper Wireless cloud-enabled platform. (The other seven are: KPN, NTT Docomo, Rogers Communications, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra and Vimplecom). In 2014 these alliances will start to yield fruit as enterprises embrace the global mobile Internet of Things (IoT) and deploy connected services over worldwide networks.

2014: VCs bullish on IoT

Financial analyst Rutberg & Co reports that mobile startups brought in $4.1 billion in deals in the first half of 2013, a seven percent increase over the year before, and highlight “Connected device and M2M platforms” as one of the four key investment themes. From our discussions with operators, and improving economic conditions, Jasper Wireless can see that figure rising by as much as 10 percent in 2014. We could be looking at about $9 billion VC funding pouring into the mobile startup marketplace with Internet of Things (IoT) taking a 25% share of the pot.

Macario Namie is Vice-President of Marketing for Jasper Wireless. Jasper Wireless provides cloud-based technology to support machine-to-machine communication, the Internet of Things, connected vehicles and mobile engagement.