With the growth of 3G networks and the emergence of 4G, more customers in the retail, financial and other markets are turning to cellular technology to gain reliable connectivity and control operational costs. 

Wireless technology can quickly bring their business to new locations, with the ability to monitor, secure and maintain remote devices without the need for on-site technical staff, industry experts say.

To tap this market opportunity, Sixnet, a provider of machine-to-machine or “M2M” networking solutions for industrial and wireless markets, announced its new family of M2M wireless gateways and routers for retail and financial applications.

The new M2M wireless connectivity series is designed to offer primary and backup connectivity within these applications, company sources said.

The technology enables customers using kiosks, ATM machines, point-of-sale or “POS” terminals, lottery machines, WAN backup, landline backup and rapid deployment wireless connectivity to lower costs and protect critical business operations regardless of location, they added.

Sixnet's M2M wireless gateways and routers are managed by the company's SixView Manager, delivering ongoing management and visibility of multiple devices from a single console.

SixView Manager enables customers to easily update firmware and make field changes to remote devices without having to visit the individual unit, thereby saving time and reducing costs, company officials said.  

Important components of M2M wireless connectivity series include Sixnet QuicKonnect Routers, Sixnet EnterprisePro Routers, Sixnet ATM Cellular Gateway (News - Alert), and Sixnet ATM Internet Gateway.

Sixnet QuicKonnect Routers provides redundant failover from primary router or circuit disruptions, offers Out-of-Band management and VRRP support. Thus they help in maintaining business continuity.

The EnterprisePro Routers easily connect business applications to 3G cellular networks with IP Transparency; secures connectivity through built-in firewall with Access Control List, or “ACL,” and packet filtering; offers Out-of-Band management to remotely manage primary WAN routers, PBX's (News - Alert), firewalls, servers and other devices with serial ports.

Sixnet ATM Internet Gateway provides easy “plug-and-play” installation, fast transaction times and support for several ATM processors; reduces costs by eliminating the need for DSL or phone lines.

In February, Sixnet announced that it has earned ABB Industrial IT certification for its Gigabit and Fast Ethernet industrial switches. ABB's Industrial IT certification program ensures interoperability between hardware and software products and systems from ABB and third-party suppliers, company officials said.