Quick bite on Machine to Machine (M2M)

It’s not been very long since I have entered the Telecom space; but I am extremely impressed to see the incredible work done by Vodafone in M2M.

From last 2 weeks, I am going through some extensive training on this technology & I am blown away to see how M2M is revolutionizing industries from various verticals these days.

M2M is also impacting our lives too:-

Few street lights in India are not manually managed; they are street lights which are operated based on the Sun & Moonlight. 

To enter your hotel room all that you need to do is tap your Smartphone.

Car Insurance premium can now be calculated based on your driving habits.

Not only today people are getting smarter, it’s the machines which are getting smarter than us. Thanks to M2M technology. This technology has been around for quite some time now, but these days we see its implementation very often.

Machine to Machine communication is considered to be a highly developing domain, which will work as an enabler for making various verticals “Smart” by providing the capability of transmitting data in real time by using wired / wireless networks, this communication concept offers will provide a wide range of opportunities that will help enabling novel business cases, enhanced workflow, efficiency and improved quality of life.

The M2M ecosystem is considered to be organized in a 3-Layer conceptual model as explained below:

1. Network Services Layer: Provided by the Network Service Provider (Telecom Service Providers).
2. M2M Services Layer: Based on Internet Protocol (IP) and provided by the M2M Service Provider.
3. Application Layer: Provided by the Application Service Provider catering to End User Applications

General description of M2M communication:

• M2M refers to the technologies that allow wired / wireless system to communicate with the devices of the same ability.
• M2M solution connects machines or devices to the internet transforming them into intelligent devices that can exchange real time information.
• M2M uses a device (sensor, meter, etc.) to capture an 'event' (motion, meter reading, temperature, etc.), which is relayed through a network (wireless, wired or hybrid) to an application (software program), that translates the captured event into meaningful information. 
• M2M devices may be fixed or mobile. Some examples of the fixed M2M applications are Smart metering, City Surveillance cameras, Home automation (remote monitoring of the house and communicating with Fridge, Air conditioners etc.). Moving M2M device applications may have vehicle tracking, Fitness health care devices, e-call, woman safety bands etc. Enabling technologies are as given below:
• RFID, wireless sensor networks (WSNs), Location based services (LBS).
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), NFC, WLAN (IEEE 802.11), Low power personal area network (IEEE 802.15.4) such as ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, Thread for short range communication (TAN / BAN/ FAN/ NAN/ LAN)
• Cellular 2G/ 3G / LTE MTC (3GPP rel 12), fixed line BB for WAN depending upon the applications.
• LPWAN technology such as LoRa and Sigfox for WAN are proprietary
• 5G will bring ultra-high reliability, ultra-low latency, wide coverage and high security network, suitable for M2M / IoT
• IPv6 capable of providing unique IP addresses to all the devices available on earth. 
• Devices may be connected directly to the M2M platform or through Gateway / aggregator, depending upon the design of the network. Fixed M2M devices may be connected through gateways having connectivity on lease lines (IP) / fixed line BB or on SIM based connectivity. 
• Moving M2M devices will be having the connectivity mainly on SIM

M2M Benefits:

• Operation efficiency: Automation of a process
• New Business Models:  Innovative strategy
• Consumer satisfaction:  Remote engine diagnostics of vehicles are a good example which WOWs  customers
• Compliance: Private APN to assure data security, the transaction is done safely
• Sustainability: eg Smart metering, Reduce wastage & assure optimized usage of resources

How M2M work?

1.  A SIM is inserted into the device
2. The SIM gathers information and transfers it via the Vodafone network to an M2M application
3. The M2M application processes the data to provide us with useful information

M2M applications:-M2M applications as per industry are given below:

S.No.	Industry / Vertical	M2M applications
1.	Automotive/ Transportation	Vehicle tracking, e-call, V2V and V2I applications, traffic control, Navigation, Infotainment, Fleet management, asset tracking,  manufacturing and logistics
2.	Utilities / Energy	Smart metering, smart grid, Electric line monitoring, gas / oil / water pipeline monitoring.
3.	Health care	Remote monitoring of patient after surgery (e-health), remote diagnostics, medication reminders, Tele-medicine, wearable health devices
4.	Safety & Surveillance	Commercial and home security monitoring, Surveillance applications, Fire alarm, Police / medical alert
5.	Financial /Retail	Point of sale (POS), ATM, Kiosk, Vending machines, digital signage and handheld terminals.
6.	Public Safety	Highway, bridge, traffic management, homeland security, police, fire and emergency services.
7.	Smart City	Intelligent transport System, Waste management, Street  Light control system, Water distribution, Smart Parking
8.	Agriculture	Remotely controlled irrigation pump

Some interesting work by Vodafone in M2M:

1. Calcutta Smart meters send electronic meter readings to the energy provider automatically. Read more....

2. Reva - Making the connected car a reality. Read more...

3. mSwipe-  Card payment via smartphone. Read more...

Why as a Marketer I ask for Data?

How to approach your target audience?

Where would you find your TG?

When can you connect with your TG?

How much budget I allocate for a Digital campaign?

What is the idea cost per user acquisition?

Best bid for CTC/CTR/CPM?

….and many more questions haunt a marketers mind.

In a traditional & conventional marketing scenarios, all these questions where answered with a vague amount of guess, prediction, case studies, intuition, assumption, try & error mechanism.

Well, in todays time with so much investment in big data analytics, marketers are on the right track when they decide to use a targeted and intentional approach to analysing their data. Big Data has become a marketing buzzword. All that marketers need to do is ask the right set of questions to get measurable results.

As a marketer we have access to social media analytics data, sales date, internet searches, cookies, CRM, thus we should ask some interesting questions to Big Data:

Which is the untapped market segment?

Nike saw big data as a portal into an entirely new market. As strong as Nike’s position has been, the “just do it” inspiration of its brand and the quality of its products was likely not enough to strengthen and grow its highly valuable and profitable customer relationships in the future. The data and information streaming from performance tracking and health monitoring wearables was potentially more valuable, providing a closer, more sustainable and constant connection to customers (not to mention loads of high-value data). Big data – a great complement to Nike’s current product portfolio and market positioning was both the ends and means of Nike’s innovation into a new market

When are consumers leaving us?

When T-Mobile set out to decrease its churn rates, it looked to big data to tell the story of customers who jumped ship and went to another company. The company noticed that customers who left shared similar behaviours across billing cycles, web logs, and social media channels.

Having identified several markers as risk factors, the company was able to effectively intervene when some of these markers popped up, decreasing churn rate within a quarter.

How effective is our social media?

Whirlpool, the largest manufacturer of home appliances, wanted to discover what their customers and consumers were saying about their products and services on social media platforms.They used Big Data to monitor and analysis conversations across popular channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, review and blogger sites, and mainstream news. Analytics findings were incorporated into Whirlpool’s decision models to accurately predict customer churn, loyalty, and satisfaction. This process enabled the company to listen, respond, and measure on a scale unobtainable by manual methods. The results revealed that Whirlpool improved its understanding of its overall business. There was increased satisfaction, faster responsiveness, and overall, more satisfied experiences with customers. 

Do our customers want us?

Finding the commonality in what your customers like can be eye-opening and can prevent you from making big investments in products or services that no one is interested in. Netflix proved this point when it optioned the wildly successful series "House of Cards."

Execs weren't originally sure whether to move on the series or not. Sure, it was good, but would Netflix audiences like it? Luckily, Netflix had more than enough data at its disposal to help make a pretty educated guess. Do viewers like Kevin Spacey? Yes. Do they watch gripping, cynical political dramas? Yes. Do viewers watch material like this all the way through? Yes! Then, does it follow that they will like this series? Yes! And so it is that "House of Cards" fans have big data to thank for hours of enjoyable TV watching.

How effective is you're marketing?

Nissan have a whole host of localised websites designed to help consumers determine which Nissan is ideal for them. They wanted to go further than just simply measuring conversions, but instead delve into the car types, models and colours that customers had been looking at online.

They did this through a ‘request form’ that a potential customer has to fill out following their completion of a brochure or test drive request. By aggregating these data points from individual customers, Nissan were able to paint a vivid picture as to the vehicles which were in demand throughout a particular region – this means that advertising campaigns and production can be tailored to suit the needs of a region instead of just a country as a whole.

What will WOW a customer & gain a competitive edge?

It’s hard to talk about analytics success stories and not mention Amazon. They were one of the early adopters and are the only company that have a patent that allows them to ship goods before an order has even been placed. Their ‘customers who bought this…’ feature was revolutionary at the time, but compared to the company’s current offerings, it pales into insignificance. Now, the data points are wide-ranging and far more indicative of what a customer is likely to be genuinely interested in.

Today’s recommendations are based on. their wish list, the items they have reviewed and what similar people have purchased – this creates a very rounded profile of a customer and is a great example of predictive analytics being used to its full potential.

So to get the most from your Big Data investment, focus on the questions you's love to answer for your business. But remember, while there may be good and mediocre questions, the worst mistake you can make is being too afraid to ask your data any questions at all. The process may be challenging, but it can create an incredibly targeted and effective strategy.

Data-driven decisions are better than intuition-based ones. Happy Questioning!

Internet of Things - Innovations & Business Models

How many times have you’ll fought with your loved ones for – Leaving the water tap open, forgotten to switch off the lights, not buying the groceries on time,  leaving the plants un-watered etc. Well, to solve such many more problems & to make our lives easier here comes “Internet of Things”.

I happened to attend ThoughtWorks Converge Conference last Saturday, in this post I will share some of my learning on “Internet of Things”(IoT).

-          IoT term was first used in the year 1999

-          7 things a device must have to be IoT (Connectivity, Sensors, Processor, Security, Quality, Cost efficiency, Energy Efficiency)

Some of the disruptive Innovations in the space of Internet of Things:

Builders constructing Smart houses:

A house where your room temperature is auto set depending on the current climate temperature, will timely water your plants, lightings change as per your moods. All this is done without human interference with the help of IoT.

Connected Refrigerator:

Imagine your fridge scanning through your grocery items inside & preparing the grocery order list & sending a purchase order to Big Basket & when you come home all the materials are waiting at your doorsteps. Fridge sending out emails suggesting you based on the items present the Dinner menu to be cooked.

Google Car:

 Well google car needn’t be explained. That’s what I need as I am hopeless in driving. So practically eliminating driver’s cost you have a car which will follow google’s map & take you to your destination without any effort.

Healthcare enabled Smart watches:

 Today your Smartphone’s will warn you before your chances of heart attack, when your glucose level is going high & how much your BP is in control. Makes you feel your doctor is in your hand.

IoT Business Models:

Internet Business Models are revolving around Likes, Shares, Eyeballs, Views etc. With IoT there is an evolution of new business model:

-  Build a solution which will solve problems of people & they would be ready to pay for that solution

-    Solve the customer real time problem “now”

-    You may not have consumers directly paying for the solution, but have to identify a third party who would be ready to pay for it

-   Design BM around partnership & alliance for a bigger WIN

Some successful IoT Business Models:

  http://www.patientslikeme.com/

A community where-in people discuss about their health issues & all this discussed business intelligence is shared across clinics & hospitals so that can generate leads.

http://www.getchui.com/

"The world's most intelligent doorbell." Chui's facial recognition technology replaces keys, passwords or codes, allowing you to disarm a security system with facial recognition

Top10 Internet of Things Startup 

Way to approach a problem via IoT:

1.       Identify the problem

2.       Come out with 10 diff IoT solutions

3.       Design feasibility study for each of the solutions & finalize one which is more doable

4.        Develop Business Model

5.       If you know your idea is profitable & scalable go ahead with it

Few Tips for business in IoT:

-          Never startup because you have a great idea, startup because you have a problem to solve

-          Find the most easiest technical solution

-          Don’t design solution just for one market – plan it as a global solution

Today Refrigerators can send Malicious Emails, so my question to you is - Are You Yet there ?

Is telecom's voice business dead ?

I think sadly YES, many of today’s voice players will be unless they can stop thinking like Telcos and adapt to new market realities – One of the take away from recently held Capacity Asia.

All Telco executives feel that there are still ways to make money in the voice business, but they aren’t the old ways of making money, and voice players better discover new ways and fast. The voice margins already so low, particularly in market like India, that being in the voice business is almost close to “slavery”. There is major impact from OTT players like Skype on the voice business, but Telcos had no one to blame but themselves for Skype’s success at their expense.

The Voice service providers are “so strangled by the telecoms way of thinking,” seeing India’s voice tariffs, which are so low. I hope that service providers might offer voice for free and make money from it in other ways, such as advertising. But no one will consider this because the shareholders still think like telecoms. They think inside the box when the only thing inside the box is a dead body!

Once a Facebook executive in Singapore was asked, “Since Facebook has 800 million users, why not charge them a dollar a month and make $9.6 billion a year? He replied: ‘That’s a telco’s mindset’.”
“Telcos are not good innovators. But they are good at engineering and operating networks. They don’t make apps, but they partner with those who do and layer our superior network and engineering experience, and come up with a better customer experience.

Telcos probably couldn’t execute a Facebook-like model where the experience is subsidized, but can create a local flavor of Facebook or Skype in ways that those companies can’t because Telcos know the local markets better.

One important point to note that:
1) The success of OTT services depends on the level of broadband penetration, which creates a distinction between developed and developing markets.
2) In Nepal, or India or Srilanka or Pak, OTT is not such a threat yet, so traditional voice is still thriving.

Recently KDDI’s mobile phone tied up with OTT player ie., Skype and want to make Skype as default option for voice on KDDI’s mobile phones. COO of KDDI says “Skype has had a big impact on our volumes, but we realized we can’t stop it, so we had to look at how to generate new business with it,”

So I feel still lot of business exist for Telcos, they can still rock provided they start thinking differently.

An Imagination world where customer is the king

*Please note all the names given below are artificial as we now take a dip into the imagination world J

Lolob Laptop gives me an option to compose my laptop look & feel. WOW, so here I decide what would be the screen size, ask for a keypad that I am most comfortable with choose where my charging & USB points should be and color & style of my preference.

As I am working on what I would wear for my cousins wedding, I get my outfit but instead of I hunting at 20 diff stores to find the matching pair of shoes, Bollywoody Shoes makes me to upload my outfit picture & it delivers shoes of my size, preferred heals inch with matching color & beadwork all in sync with my outfit.

Its early morning & I am as usual getting late to my office, but I have put cloths to wash. As at home we don’t wear watch, standing in front of the machine I mostly keep estimating what the actual time it would be. So Timi Timi Washing Machine provides me an embedded clock & a radio so that I am with time & instead of listening to the noise enjoy Rafi’s songs.

Friends are very important in life, the worst part is that they remember how many times you forgot wishing them on their birthdays, so to save me from this embarrassment my color changing dialer FriendlyBee watch gives me an alert to wish my friends at 12.00 & surprise them.

House is everyone’s dream, a place where they live with their loved ones in happiness. So DreamBuilder gives me a house with the bedroom from where I can view the moon every night & sunrise which greets me early morning in all the rooms as I walk in. A home placed on the 27^th floor which rotates as and when I wish.

My mom’s the best cook on this earth, well I think all mom’s are J She dictates the recipe on phone & I write it down on a paper which I would obviously loose. Presenting KquickMic Microwave which gives me a embedded notepad to take notes of all the recipes taught to me by my mom & aunts & pull it out anytime from the database when I wish to cook it again for my guest.

Everyone’s buying a car these days & in a city like Bangalore parking problem is just getting major. Most of the time finding a place to park & later spending minutes in figuring out where you actually parked gets painful. SheCar will be so smart enough that it will take care of finding parking spot & will come driving to you as you start looking out for it.

In this online word I still believe a physical Greeting card means a lot. When my dad gets angry over me Say It greeting cards helps me design a musical card with lovely cover pic of me & my dad pretending to be angry & as he opens, it plays “ayo mere papa ko gussa jab aata hai”

Smartphone is supposed to be smart, when I am missing someone badly, ChupChup phone sends “Miss u” message. When I am trying to avoid my boss & he is trying to reach me, it should get into busy mode. With the kind of features these days the phones come out, be assured that the battery can’t retain for more than 20 hrs, so this ChupChup phone will chupke se as I sit over it will convert the body heat to power & recharge the phone ;)

Why is it that I should watch Simi garewal’s TV show “Most desirable” on Sunday 9pm when AirWatch operator gives me an option to watch any TV serial at any time based on my mood.

Nothing like cooking for your love. What if you are not the world’s best chef Nightingale Restaurant will create the ambiance based on your selected theme. Also with the assistance & guidance of world class expert chefs I would cook the entire dinner from my own hands & server it. How special that would be…

Well I am stepping out of this dream world & coming to reality. Sad to realize that when I (crazy) customer asks for some of these products or services, it’s just laugh out. It’s time that Manufactures & Service providers wake up & actually treat customers as King. My only request is design & build a product/service that fit peoples lifestyle & leaves a scope for customization.

Analysis of source of competitive success

It was a privilege being invited to be a part of Chief-Executive forum where Prof.Sharon Belenzon from Duke University shared his 3 case studies, giving a different prospective towards “Analysis of source of competitive success.

Cirque-du Soleil: Company which found the mantra of success in a dyeing industry like Circus

Strategic Analysis majorly includes how the market is moving & how we can bring more value to customers. A dyeing industry is where we see inability to Innovate. Prof shared the case study of Cirque-du Soleil a company which stepped in the dyeing Industry like circus and proved that with innovation profits are guaranteed.

Things that they did:

- Brought in new elements (music, theater)

- Raised the bar & expectation of the customer satisfaction

- Eliminating the threats (animals, risk acts)

They brought in new elements to circus and invented a new business model. The question was what if many players come into competition, can this business model be patented. We had a discussion on what could be called as Innovation. Is it about inventing a new thing from the scratch or is it about getting components & packaging to build a product. We got the answers when we took the example of the guy who claimed to invent car windshield.

MTN & Orange in Africa: Company which sales with financial weak customers

The key decision is in which industry you would like to invest and start a business. There is no industry which is attractive. Look at the following features before entering into any industry:

- Easy Entry

- Opportunities of problems to solve

- Scope for innovation

- Geography distribution

I totally loved the Game theory introduction. Coming back to this case, its difficult to sell a product or a service to poor customer, but products like Shampoo sashes, interest rate payable for load, prepaid cards are some great business model which proves that the profit margin is more when attempted to make sales to poor customers. From the case study quick things to learn, if a company plans to do business with poor customer market are:

- Build the product at a low cost

- Do mass production

- Thinks of innovative revenue model

- Innovation in service rather than the product

- Strategy to convince to buy the product

- Skilled ways to handle corruptions

Country wise economy model:

This session was a real eye opener, gave me a different prospective to look at the economy model of each country. US economy model is where resource allocation is totally in the hands of the shareholder i.e Market and that is why we see that they are able to handle recessions smartly. They have the ability to adapt to changes easily. On the other hand if we look at India economy it’s basically in the hands of Business groups like Tata’s, Birla’s and Reliance. The ownership & control is diversified and here is the problem. Intercompany Dividend tax has to be introduced, and then we would see a real completion in the market.

The question is why don’t we have some real big Indian IT product company ruling the world today? Why do we see few entrepreneurs making it big like Tata’s?

CEMEX: Company which could maintain a monopoly in multiple regions in a competitive space.

If we look at CEMEX, it’s a company which is spread geographically and has the highest price as compared to all their competitors. Let’s find the answer to why & what made them build this monopoly

- Look for the market where growth opportunity is more

- Country which is politically week

- Less competitors

- Keep the price high and invest only 60% of the total resources

- Be scalable based on the demand

My take away from the session:

Go to the industry which has many problems, link resources to those problems and drive in innovation. Success is in all industry but what’s important is how well you design your strategy and feel the market pulse and act.