Machine to Machine
Mobile carrier Vodafone from England established a sales office in Korea and entered the domestic M2M market. Vodafone will provide global M2M services for Korean companies wanting to expand business overseas.
On September 5, Vodafone M2M Asia-Pacific regional representative Niklas Ekarv had a meeting at the Seoul Plaza Hotel, where he said, “Vodafone will enthusiastically support Korean businesses expanding overseas,” and added, “We will also help not only large enterprises but also starting businesses to do broader ranges of business through M2M, using our globally structured communication network.”
Vodafone will limit its M2M solutions for domestic companies trying to set up in foreign countries. M2M is a system of sensors attached to devices and/or equipment trading information via a network, and aims for communication among all objects.
Global carriers are turning to M2M as a strategic new business model for additional profits using their configured networks. In fact, Vodafone established its exclusive M2M team in 2009 as part of the headquarters’ strategy. By 2010, its Asia-Pacific region M2M business headquarters was built in Japan.
Vodafone Korea M2M business representative Lee Sang-heon said, “Production businesses like automobiles or smart businesses related to the environment are all focusing on M2M solutions,” and added, “According to surveys, smaller businesses are more likely to seriously consider M2M applications than large enterprises.”