A lot goes into powering a machine to machine (M2M) application. Hardware, software, big data and connectivity all usually come from different partners to work together in the ecosystem – an ecosystem that is growing very quickly.
DataJack, Inc. is a provider of pre-paid mobile broadband Internet access, and has its eye on the growing Internet of Things. The company introduced its Machine2Machine Device Connection Platform, a solution that will equip customers with everything to deploy, manage and monetize million of M2M connections.
I caught up with Peter Sperling, EVP of business development at DataJack, who explained the company’s move to M2M and how its platform enables connectivity for different services and applications.
“We’ve seen a huge influx of calls and requests for information regarding machine to machine applications and services,” Sperling said. “Let’s say a guy has an idea, and he wants to start testing. There’s really no way for him to go out and just buy a module, get some service and test his idea and foster that entrepreneur at a level where it’s not a major cash investment on his part.”
That’s what DataJack hopes to accomplish – to be an enabler for entrepreneurs and those looking to ease into the Internet of Things, and then be there for them when they want to scale up to a larger transition.
Any entrepreneur, customer or subscriber can sign up and get an account with DataJack, which can include four or five types of modules and devices and test kits. “By fostering that relationship at an early stage, we’re building a customer. If they do deploy something on a large scale, they already have a provider they’ve been working with that can offer easy access and help with that transition,” Sperling said.
DataJack offers a feature-rich set of tools for easy activation, which include modules, integration and connectivity that can all be combined as a package. Different tools enable different types of applications that can easily be integrated and turned on quickly. Activating a device is easy – it can be done even without making a phone call. All users have to do is upload device credentials and choose a plan (the most basic run from $4.99 for 100MB a month).
The company also offers development APIs that can help enable devices to work with other types of platforms, such as Google (News - Alert) voice applications or messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Sperling sees a lot of interest in vending companies working with near-field communications solutions. DataJack has built in an e-commerce product as part of its package, offering a one-stop shop for getting M2M applications off the ground.
DataJack is a subsidiary of Quamtel, Inc., a mobile broadband service provider that acquired DataJack in December 2009. DataJack enhances Quamtel’s assets in wireless -- its 4G mobile broadband offers coverage to 280 million people over 12,900 cities nationwide -- and enables the company to offer a variety of communications tools.
Edited by Cassandra Tucker