Wireless Logic, the U.K.’s machine-to-machine, or “M2M,” SIM aggregator has reported 75 percent year-on-year growth in the number of connected SIMs that it now manages within the U.K. market. 

The company has also increased its sales force by 25 percent at the end of what Wireless Logic’s CEO, Oliver Tucker, described as a milestone year in the adoption of M2M technology in the United Kingdom.

The company now plans to extend its European footprint as the already growing appetite for managed data connectivity rises across the continent.

“The average expected compound growth rate for the global M2M market is expected to reach 31 per cent by 20121; we are already seeing a growth rate far in excess of that which is extremely encouraging as we move into Europe,” Tucker said. 

According toTucker, 2009 was the year that the company saw huge continued growth in traditional M2M sectors such as telematics, vehicle tracking and smart metering, and started to see increased interest in SIM connectivity from a host of non-traditional sectors such as healthcare and agriculture; a clear indication of the market opportunities ahead.

The company officials said that in 2009, the number of data-centric partners using Wireless Logic’s fully managed airtime service rose to over 400, making Wireless Logic the United Kingdom’s largest single data airtime connectivity company. 

The company officials attributed the growth to the ongoing success of its strategic partnerships with 02, Vodafone (News - Alert) and Orange, a number of high profile customer wins including those with French asset tracking giant Masternaut and Hermes, formerly Parcelnet, and the market’s desire for fully managed contracts and Service Level Agreements for M2M projects.

Philip Cole, sales director, Wireless Logic, said that there has been a lack of understanding within the market around the cost and service structure of M2M to wider business, with many believing that it’s impossible to negotiate a tailored data tariff or benefit from a robust Service Level Agreement which protects their investment.

“All this is now possible and, we believe, will become a necessary industry standard,” he added.

The company officials said that Wireless Logic’s investment into its own private network – ‘ManageNet’, has continued throughout the year, with more clients adopting this platform to communicate securely with their SIM estates. 

“There are currently an estimated 2.1 million connected machine-to-machine devices in the United Kingdom, rising to 2.6 million by 2010 and 3.1 million by 2011 – the potential for the growth of this market, as companies start to understand the strategic importance of this technology, is boundless,” Tucker said, adding that it’s no longer difficult or complicated to integrate data connectivity into every enterprise mobility scenario and, as a result, use the intelligence-gathering capabilities and insight that Wireless Logic provides to make significant savings.