With smart grid and machine-to-machine, or “M2M,” technologies evolving to all levels of customers, interoperability among the components involved in these communications networks is emerging as a major challenge for vendors.

AT&T (News - Alert), nation’s leading broadband service provider, announced it has certified more than 370 wireless specialty consumer and M2M devices including eReaders, netbooks, digital photo frames, personal navigation devices, and home security monitoring and smart grid devices – for use on its mobile broadband network.

In addition to existing and emerging consumer electronics devices, AT&T also supports rugged handsets and laptops, healthcare tracking tools, meter-reading, vending machine, and home detention devices, among multiple devices designed to support the needs of a broad range of M2M solutions for enterprises, the company said.

Some of the eReaders that AT&T now supports include Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble nook, as well as the upcoming Plastic Logic QUE proReader and Interead's COOL-ER 3G.

Under the category of Netbooks, AT&T provides embedded wireless connectivity for netbooks and laptops from Acer, Dell, Lenovo and Samsung, among others.

Personal Navigation Devices supported include Garmin nuvi 1690 and the TomTom (News - Alert) XL 340S LIVE, both featuring local search and fuel price services, among other content.  

Digital Photo Frames supported include Isabella's VIZIT and the Pandigital Photo Mail LED Digital Photo Frame - both expected to be in market in the first quarter of 2010.

Under telematics category, AT&T currently enables telematics service for a major luxury automotive OEM and has plans to expand to other automakers, the company said.

 “We are committed to collaborating with consumer electronics manufacturers and all other companies in the emerging devices ecosystem to help drive innovation and growth in what is perhaps the most exciting area in the wireless industry today,” said Glenn Lurie, president of emerging devices, resale and partnerships.

“We've developed the infrastructure to help electronic manufacturers quickly bring their products to market, creating new business models, offering new pricing structures for customers who purchase emerging devices, and continually expanding our mobile network capabilities to support the long-term growth of these devices,” Lurie added. 

The company recently extended an agreement with KORE Telematics, one of AT&T’s largest value added reseller of M2M network services, to support wireless data services through AT&T Control Center, powered by Jasper Wireless (News - Alert).

Under this agreement, KORE Telematics will manage customers who can benefit from access to the company’s Control Center’s diagnostic tools and further streamline the recently introduced certification process, company officials said.