One of the most well-attended collocated events at ITEXPO West 2011 was the M2M Evolution conference, which was made up of panel discussions and keynote addresses that focused on the thriving area of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

While at the show, TMC (News - Alert) executive editor Paula Bernier had the opportunity to sit down with the chair of the M2M Evolution conference, Nikki Cuban, to delve into the M2M market and develop insight into what went on at this year’s show. Cuban is the VP of sales and marketing at OnAsset Intelligence, maker of a wireless asset tracking platform that helps organizations monitor their high value assets while in transit.

Cuban said one of the points of discussion at the conference was the definition of M2M, whether it is machine-to-machine or machines serving people. She said that a number of collaborative discussions took place between the technology world and the business enterprise world as to what those definitions are.

“At the end of the day, technology really needs to be there to serve people,” Cuban told Bernier.

Cuban highlighted the fact that this year’s conference focused on more than just technology; it also touched on how M2M solutions can solve business problems.

“What was unique about this M2M Evolution event is that we spent more time talking about the business problems than we did the technology per say,” she said. “I think Steve Hudson from Omnilink said it best: M2M has evolved to the point where we don’t have to explain what the technology is to the end user – the end user understands it – so now we can talk about how they deploy it and how they benefit.”

The turnout for the M2M Evolution conference was double what was expected, said Cuban. The show emphasized what M2M applications are and how they are utilized to help people in areas like the medical and food industries, just to name a couple.

Cuban also detailed a few specific keynote addresses that she found to be particularly illuminating, including one from DHL, a company that she believes represents what M2M is and what it will be in the future: a global technology.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Feb. 1-3, 2012 in Miami, Fla. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell