Machine-to-machine communications

Machine to machine (M2M) is direct communication between devices using any communications channel, including wired and wireless. M2M communication can include industrial instrumentation, where a sensor communicates the data it records (such as temperature or inventory level), as well as telematics, which uses M2M to enable a fleet telematics system to monitor mobile assets. Such communication was originally accomplished by having a remote network of machines relay information back to a central hub for analysis, which would then be rerouted into a system like a personal computer. More recent machine to machine communication has changed into a system of networks that transmits data to personal appliances. The expansion of IP networks has made M2M communication quicker and easier while using less power, and it is a component of the Internet of Things (IoT). These networks also allow new business opportunities for consumers and suppliers.