Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its latest Mobile M2M Modules report, which provides market share, market size, forecasts, analysis, and trends for mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) modules by technology, vertical, and region.
M2M analyst note
Godfrey Chua, directing analyst for M2M and The Internet of Things at Infonetics Research notes:
“The services built upon mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) modules, such as fleet management and connected car, are already a sizeable business and are growing much faster than traditional business lines. We look for the market to accelerate beginning in 2015 as M2M services inflect and module sales shift toward higher-ARPU 3G and 4G systems, ultimately just about doubling to $2.9 billion in 2018.”
Mobile M2M module market highlights
- For the full year 2013, the global mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) module market totaled $1.4 billion, up 6% from the previous year
- 2G remains a key foundation, comprising the majority of units shipped in 2013, though with the shift toward broadband technologies, Infonetics expects 3G to grow to 67% of mobile M2M module revenue by 2018
- LTE is the most dynamic and fastest-growing technology segment, with a 2013–2018 compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of a very robust 144%
- North America and Europe are the key centers of mobile M2M module growth, but buoyed by significant investments in China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, Asia Pacific is catching up and is expected to account for a third of total revenue by 2018
- Sierra Wireless, Gemalto/Cinterion, and Telit dominate the M2M module space, together accounting for nearly two-thirds of total market revenue, with a combined total of almost a billion dollars in module sales
- Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE are rising and creating intense pricing pressure in emerging markets in Asia and other parts of the world