Machine-to-machine (M2M) technology is regarded as bright spot in the mobile industry, but Ovum said operators will not realize its full potential without strategic partnering. Forecasts from the global research firm show that over the next five years, M2M revenues will grow to reach $44.8 billion (€33 billion), with more than a third coming from the Asia-Pacific region. The company predicts that revenues will also grow slightly more slowly than connections, reflecting the increasing competitiveness of the market and the extension of M2M into lower-value applications. Total global M2M connections will more than treble from 106.4 million in 2012 to 360.9 million in 2018, at a CAGR of 22.6 per cent. The most important industry verticals in 2018 will be healthcare, manufacturing, and energy and utilities, which are forecast to generate revenues of $7.9 billion, $7.1 billion, and $7 billion, respectively, by 2018. Release
