To provide easy-to-use and flexible interfaces between machines, M2M is being superseded by the creation of open machine communications environments using satellite and wireless communications infrastructures. Much of M2M to date has relied on the use of cellular networks designed for human communications.

According to a press release, M2M has grown from modest origins in wired networks to become a collected set of technological solutions involving a range of stakeholders from the software, telecom and electronics industries. Several factors have recently emerged that have spurred significant growth within the market for wireless M2M solutions.

Along with drops in the cost of modules used in M2M solutions, innovative new technologies have emerged. Among these are Edge Intelligence, a system enabling real time data analysis and capture. The growth potential of M2M related technologies is immense. However, viable solutions already exist in the industry.

With support from governmental legislation and projects, particularly fast growth rates have been enjoyed in a number of sectors. These include; connected buildings, healthcare solutions, vehicle telematics and smart buildings.

M2M will be the movement from existing industrial settings to such applications as public infrastructures, home appliance connectivity, security solutions and smart grids. The development of M2M standards has become the responsibility of a number of technical groups formed as the product of several dozen international and nation alliances and committees.

Some of the work currently underway include: an effort to develop a multi-part Smart Device Communications standard, the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (News - Alert) (TIA) TR-50 Smart Device Communications engineering committee2, China Communications Standards Association’s (CCSA) TC10, the IEEE (News - Alert) 802.15.4-2009 standard , the CTIA CPWG ERP M2M sub group , 3GPP SA2NIMTC (TR23.888), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s (ETSI (News - Alert)) TC M2M.

In other company news, TMCnet reported that SGS Consumer Testing (News - Alert) Services announced that two managers in the company's food safety division were selected to speak at the China International Food Safety & Quality Conference being held the week of November 8, 2010 in Shanghai.