Potential applications for machine-to-machine communications in tracking people and assets seem limitless. In yet another example of how M2M can be leveraged, just take a look at what OnAsset Intelligence Inc. and Push America are doing.

The organizations have come together to provide location monitoring technology to bikers on a cross-country ride called the Journey of Hope, which raises funds for people with disabilities. The bicycle trek takes off tomorrow from Seattle, and starts June 12 from San Francisco. The 80 riders expect to roll into Washington, D.C., for the conclusion of the 12,000-mile event on Aug. 13. 

Riders will be equipped with OnAsset’s SENTRY 400 GPS tracking technology.  Every 30 minutes, the devices send location updates to OnAsset’s Vision software platform, which is integrated with Google (News - Alert) Maps on the Push America website, every half hour. That way riders’ family and friends, as well as race coordinators, donors and other interested parties, can check in on the whereabouts of each rider.

Of course, this is just one example of how M2M can figure into people and asset tracking solutions. Other examples can be found in the health care (monitoring patients in their homes), real estate (tracking the activity on a lockbox) and pharmaceutical (checking the condition of medication en route) industries, to name just a few.

In fact, pharmaceutical is among the key vertical targets for OnAsset, Nikki Cuban, vice president of marketing and business development for the company, told TMCnet at the most recent ITEXPO event.

The OnAsset service leverages M2M technology to look at a variety of factors. The OnAsset devices can provide information on humidity, temperature, pressure and light relative to a shipment. Cuban noted that maintaining certain levels of humidity and temperature windows is important in ensuring the effectiveness of some medications and the safety of many things intended for human consumption.

The M2M capabilities offered by OnAsset also can help companies keep their goods secure. If an M2M device on a palette or box registers excessive shock, that’s typically a sign of theft, Cuban explained. In this case, one of the companies can take steps to check the cargo and call the police, if needed. This capability has registered big returns for some of the companies using the OnAsset solution, including one business that was able to recover more than $1 million in stolen goods, Cuban said.

OnAsset offers its solution for a monthly service fee per M2M device, and the network and management piece is provided at a per-device fee lower than most people’s monthly cell phone bills, Cuban said. CDC Software (News - Alert), a cloud-based ERP outfit; CH Robinson Worldwide; DHL; and Flemming Cargo Securement are among OnAsset’s distribution partners.

For more on how M2M are used in these kinds of applications, look for the July issue of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine, which comes out in print next month and will be posted on TMCnet the following month.

Want to learn more about M2M technologies? Then be sure to check out the M2M Evolution conference, collocated with TMC’s (News - Alert) ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. The M2M Evolution Conference is for those industry professionals interested in capitalizing on a rapidly growing segment of the telecom industry. The M2M Evolution Conference embraces the any-to-any strategy of the Internet today. Co-sponsored by TMC Partner Crossfire Media, it showcases the solutions, and examines the data strategies and technological requirements that enterprises and carriers need to capitalize on a market segment that is estimated to grow to $300 Billion in the year ahead. To register, click here.