Sierra Wireless (News - Alert) has partnered with French wireless network operator Bouygues Telecom to introduce a new offering, the AirLink (News - Alert) GL6100 modem packaged with Pay-as-you-go, machine-to-machine airtime, for wireless M2M communication.

 

The new ready-to-use package will target industrial, sales and payment and security solutions and will greatly facilitate the development, logistics and management of M2M solutions, according to both companies.

 

“Technology complexity is one of the main barriers to growth in the M2M market,” said Olivier Beaujard, VP, Market Development of Sierra Wireless. “The bundled offer we are announcing today is a huge step towards a simplified value chain, and will help our customers bring their solutions to market faster.”

 

The offer gives access to Bouygues Telecom ready-to-use pan-European data airtime on the new Sierra Wireless AirLink(TM) GL6100 GSM/GPRS modem with Embedded SIM. In addition, the offer includes a one year subscription to Sierra Wireless’ AirVantage Management Services for remote diagnosis and software upgrades.

 

“We are very excited about the future of M2M communication, and we are continuously seeking to enhance our offering for this growing market segment,' Franck Moine, director of Bouygues Telecom's M2M Business Unit said. “We are proud to present the world's first pan-European pre-paid M2M airtime offer, combined with an innovative SIM activation and credit refill portal. The offer is specifically designed for customers looking for quick and hassle-free M2M connectivity.”

 

Bouygues Telecom's Pay-as-you-go M2M offer features pan-European prepaid airtime with no commitment, and allows subscribers to use a single account for a pool of SIM cards.

 

Available in the second quarter of 2010, the offer is accessible in a few clicks through Bouygues Telecom’s dedicated self-care portal, allowing customers to efficiently manage their embedded SIM pool and maximize ease of use.

 

The new AirLink GL6100 from Sierra Wireless is an easy-to-use, programmable, quad-band GSM/GPRS modem. It also features complete IP connectivity, from basic TCP/IP blocks to advanced internet services.

 

The Pay-as-you-go M2M offer is ready to be activated on Sierra Wireless’ pioneering Embedded SIM component, which integrates the SIM function directly onto the Sierra Wireless modem, ensuring proper functioning in harsh environments and reducing the risk of disconnected devices. Embedded SIM also simplifies the logistics associated with SIM card inventory, and eliminates the risk of SIM card theft.

 

For the launch of the combined Sierra Wireless and Bouygues Telecom packaged offer, 1MB free pre-paid airtime will be included, to be spent within the calendar month of each Embedded SIM activation.

 

Included in the package is also a one-year subscription to AirVantage Management Services, an end-to-end turn-key solution that allows for remote diagnosis and software upgrades for AirLink GL6100 products in the field. The launch offer will be valid until the end of 2010.

 

In another development, Funkwerk has selected Sierra Wireless HSPA Module for high-speed mobile broadband connectivity speeds of up to 7.2 megabits per second.