Kicking off this morning in Miami, the M2M Evolution Conference will bring together members from across the machine-to-machine ecosphere – including service providers, device manufacturers and app developers – to explore some key market trends that are helping to shape the industry.

On hand will be Mike Sapien, principal analyst at research and consulting firm Ovum, who will add his own expertise on the current value proposition phase of M2M and what applications we can expect to see down the road.

To appease those who can't attend the M2M Evolution Conference, collocated with ITEXPO East 2012, TMC (News - Alert) CEO Rich Tehrani reached out to Sapien to get some of his initial thoughts on this thriving market.

M2M has a presence in a number of verticals – including medical, smart grid, retail and finance – but one area to keep your eye on is the shipping and transport sector, says Sapien. M2M applications can offer companies more detailed tracking and monitoring of sensitive product deliveries, ensuring that shipments are handled with care by the likes of FedEx and UPS.

Sapien also dismisses the idea that 'millenials' are a homogeneous generational group that needs to be catered to by technology providers. All consumers want value, ease of use and access to products when needed – things that M2M can help provide.

Check out the interview below for a few other thoughts on the M2M market, including the importance of developing common M2M platforms.

The M2M Evolution Conference and ITEXPO (News - Alert) East 2012 kicked off today and will run until Friday, Feb. 3 at the Miami Convention Center.

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?

When all appliances and electronics have wireless devices embedded, then refrigerators will sending your grocery list to your market automatically; and your home medical devices can track your health for you and update your patient records. You don’t need to know the technology or network protocol, you just need to know that your information is being sent to the store or doctor of you choosing.

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

The newcomers’ need one quick overview of the M2M ecosystem using one sample solution and application to understand the moving parts and vendor community within M2M.

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

Platforms mean that there are many applications and solutions that can use the same infrastructure without any major tweaking. It is more about leveraging resources that exist and not having to reinvent the wheel each time. M2M has many horizontal platforms or solutions that can be used across many industries, vertical applications and global markets.

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?

Retail and Financial Services are the verticals important beyond Medical/Healthcare and the general “Track & Trace” but there is also an emerging move in more detailed product delivery that goes beyond shipping/transport.

Example: Produce and wine shipments that are tracked for temperature and hardship during the shipping. There is more potential in some of the produce and sensitive shipping environments to continuously track and monitor environs of sensitive products. Some wineries are using these methods today to ensure their wine is being handled properly by the shippers (FEDEX, UPS) and also are delivered in prime condition for the wine consumer.

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?

First, I would argue that there is too much focus on ‘millenials’ and the use of them as one generational group. They are NOT as large or homogeneous as most industry pundits espouse.

Second, I also believe as most young adults, including millenials, start to join the workforce and get into steady employment, their habits and preferences will mature and change. Clearly there is a difference with this new generation but most consumer behaviors and customer service principles will remain – customers want value, ease of use and access to products when needed.

The new technology including M2M can enhance these customer requirements and the overall customer satisfaction. Clearly with the new generation, there is more emphasis on ‘on-line, real time’ communication than face to face or live communication.

Why is M2M Evolution a must-attend communications event?

Two years ago, M2M was still a buzz word and there was much industry noise with little real implementation and deployment. It has grown from a few, trophy customers in transport and a few healthcare Telehealth pilots to now having many applications and many deployments with many real customers. M2M is growing both in scale, across many verticals and expanding into all global regions of the world. M2M Evolution gives us a peek at some of the more interesting developments.

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 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.

Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.

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