Experts and users from all over the world met in Düsseldorf last week for the 10th anniversary of the M2M Summit.
Here they were able to discuss the latest solutions and developments. The list of sponsors, exhibitors and speakers included industry leaders such as Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, SAP and Bosch as well as many independent experts and start-ups. A lively exchange about standardisation, data protection, industry 4.0, and other topics took place. New ways how small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from the latest networking solutions were also outlined at the event.
Themed “Digital Transformation powered by M2M”, the anniversary event of the M2M Summit attracted users and experts from all over the world to discuss the latest developments in networking. Among the highlights of the event were interesting lectures and speeches by Scott Amyx (CEO, Amyx +), Christina Rux (Volvo Car Corporation), Eric Goodness (VP Gartner) and Dr. Rainer Kallenbach (CEO, Bosch Software Innovations).
Jeremy Cowan (IoT Now magazine) and Magnus Melander (Swedish M2M Service Enablers) led the programme, consisting of more than 40 lectures and panel discussions.
The diverse exhibition offered companies like Vodafone, Rutronik and Finpro, from the official partner country Finland, the opportunity to meet potential users face to face. In addition, many start-up companies such as Logarithmo, Kepler Communications, and Cybus took the opportunity to showcase their solutions for M2M connectivity and their industry 4.0 applications.
Under the patronage of Sigmar Gabriel, a wide range of products and strategies were presented, highlighting how companies can use the digital transformation to become even more efficient and competitive. In particular small and medium-sized companies were shown new ways of how they can – with the right know-how and a little bit of courage – introduce new processes and business areas. The most important topics included the Internet of Things (IoT), standardisation, data management, and security.
In his keynote speech, professor Axel Sikora from the University of Offenburg made clear how important the issue of standardisation is for the success of networking solutions. “There is still a great need for action – from manufacturers, associations and politicians,” emphasised Prof. Sikora. “The full potential of the individual solutions can only be exploited with uniform and consistent standards. The impetus from the M2M Summit should not only help to drive these developments forward but also enable the vertical and horizontal integration of applications.”
At the panel discussion on IoT standardisation, Stephen Mellor of the Industrial Internet Consortium emphasised that data security is key to future developments, and warned against the catastrophic consequences of insufficiently secured networks.
Another interesting aspect was the different views on digital transformation, especially when it came to topics such as “industry 4.0”. Representatives of the Finnish delegation reported that the focus in Finland is not on networking solutions for “industry 4.0”. Instead, all areas of life are taken into account: from manufacturing to retail to energy supply to smart homes.
Not least, thanks to the networking event on the first day of the M2M Summit, first talks for national and international partnerships were held. The Academic Day of the M2M Alliance, hosted by Prof. Sikora, was also a huge success.
Summarising the event, Dr. Andreas Fink, chairman of the M2M Alliance, concluded: “Digital transformation is helping more and more companies to optimise their processes and to be competitive – nationally and internationally. The fact that the M2M Summit has been contributing to this development for 10 years delights and honours us. The M2M Summit continues to bring experts and users from many different countries together. This shows us that we are on the right track. However, in the interests of our members, we will not rest on our laurels but continue to work hard to ensure that the digital transformation continues on an international level,” said Dr. Andreas Fink.
