With the markets for M2M technologies growing at nearly exponential levels, the M2M Evolution Conference is expected to be one of the hottest collocated events at ITEXPO East 2012.

Set to commence this morning in Miami, the M2M Evolution Conference will bring greater visibility to this thriving market while exploring a number of key trends, including the role of the network platform and the cloud in delivering M2M solutions. This year's conference will focus on medical and smart grid initiatives, but will also detail other trends in the transportation and asset tracking spaces.

Before helping get the show underway as a gold sponsor, Multi-Tech Systems' Matt Sharma sat down with TMC CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) to touch on a few topics that will be explored in more detail later this week in Miami.

Sharma says that one of the keys to the success of the global M2M market is keeping the development environment open. This strategy – one that is employed by Multi-Tech – enables developers to custom fit products and services to their own business, and push innovation to new levels, he says.

Multi-Tech launched its developer resources site, multitech.net, in 2009 to try and drive the M2M market in a similar way that Apple and Google (News - Alert) did with the app market. This open source path to revenue is a staple of Multi-Tech's business strategy, and one that may soon become pervasive in the M2M market.

Check out the complete interview below for more of Sharma's thoughts on the M2M market and the conference in general. Multi-Tech's team will also be camped out at booth 223 in the M2M Pavilion if you are in Miami.

M2M is like the story of the blind monks and the elephant… So many pieces. How do you explain M2M to your family and customers?

I refer to application examples and success stories that Multi-Tech has had with customers. Articulating the use of a Multi-Tech device in a mission critical, life-saving application quickly gets the “light bulb” turned on.

How often does it feel like the same audience? What needs to be done to shorten the newcomers’ learning curve?

I believe that the newcomers will continue to realize that there are companies like Multi-Tech that have the M2M expertise to help accelerate the learning curve. The technical acumen is one thing, but building a model for ROI is what helps to drive decision making. Multi-Tech has been very successful working with customers and partners to shorten the path to mutual success.

We often talk about platforms in M2M. Does this mean we are developing a core of attributes common to every M2M strategy?

I firmly believe in an open development environment for M2M. Our M2M device strategy revolves around empowering developers to custom fit our products and services to their business. This also includes extending our vast network of partnerships to the customer. Presenting a solution with red tape not only slows down the M2M process, but it drastically limits the possibilities and synergies that may exist.

Our focus in Miami is on medical and smart grid; what other M2M verticals are important for your company and should be considered for future M2M events?

The retail space has many different segments that are a good fit for M2M. Digital signage and vending (often they are one in the same) is an area we have seen success and also see a lot of potential. Making marketing impressions is a big business, and M2M allows companies to reinvent ways to target consumers and drive brand equity.

Often, our lessons are generational based on our children and the millenials now entering the workforce. What is the impact of these new users and what is their relevance to M2M?

I was born in the early 80s and am considered a millennial. The biggest thing companies need to know is that we (millennials) look at almost everything as an opportunity for change. The term “best practices” will be continually challenged and at some point the scales will tip in our favor, allowing for fast moving, progressive ways of doing things differently.

The mobile app space is a good representation of how millenials can drive effective change. The key word with this whole movement is accessibility. Companies like Google and Apple (News - Alert) have invested heavily in building loyal developer networks and empowering developers with the necessary tools to be successful. Multi-Tech started down this path in 2009 when we launched multitech.net, our developer resources site. I believe that Multi-Tech is well positioned to help M2M expand and grow by empowering software developers with an open source path to revenue.

Why is M2M Evolution a must-attend communications event?

It’s an opportunity to get in front of Value Added Resellers and show them they can increase their revenue by adding M2M solutions to their portfolio. A couple popular applications include using our intelligent routers for security and surveillance and shared Internet access at construction sites.

Want to learn more about M2M technologies? Then be sure to check out the M2M Evolution Conference, collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO East 2012, happening NOW in Miami, FL. The M2M Evolution Conference is for 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 (News - Alert) 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. For more information on registering for the M2M Evolution Conference click here.

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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 Rich Steeves