Automation and energy management may turn out be the minefield of new opportunities for cell phone or cable television service providers in connectivity and managed service businesses. 

Jim Sinopoli, managing principal at Smart Buildings LLC, writes in AutomatedBuildings.com that several service providers are starting to discover that it’s not only IT systems that can be managed for clients but any sensor or device on any system or network, many of which operate in buildings.

He notes that service providers provide connectivity and then managed services are offered by the same provider or via a third party who has developed the machine to machine (M2M) service.

In this old concept of M2M, service providers are now seeing new opportunities. Sinopoli says that one of the best examples of newer M2M services is the Kindle e-reader. In this service, Amazon provides content to the specific device via the network and bundles in the cost of the M2M service with the cost of the content.

M2M applications are ideal when wired networks are not available, the installation cost is high, assets are mobile, or when third party is involved in managing the service. Sinopoli also provides a sample of what some of the prominent service providers are doing to enter the zone of new opportunities.

In 2009, Sprint introduced its Emerging Solutions Group, aiming to focus on developing and offering M2M solutions. The company has also opened M2M Collaboration Center, a working laboratory, in San Francisco. It also expects to soon launch the Sprint (News - Alert) Command Center that will offer self-service access for clients. Currently, Sprint offers remote monitoring to keep track of Alzheimer's patients; news and weather updates for digital signage systems; and more.

Verizon has launched a M2M Management Center. This center is for enterprise clients who want to use the Verizon (News - Alert) connectivity to implement new solutions or business models. It has partnered with nPhase, a joint venture between Verizon and Qualcomm. The company offers wireless ATMs, electronic medical records, RFID-tagged supply chain applications, video surveillance, stolen vehicle tracking, and more.

Since 2002 through its partner Mobistar, Orange has been involved in the M2M business. The company has its own International M2M Center, and offers solutions such as

vehicle tracking and online monitoring and reporting, asset management, wireless CCTV safety cameras, satellite navigation systems, patient medical trials, patients’ diaries, security, asset tracking, dynamic signage, EPOS, vending machines, and more.

U.S telecom giant AT&T is not a new entrant in M2M market. It has been in the M2M telemetry space for more than 10 years. It partnered with Jasper Wireless, a global M2M player, to push its M2M strategy, including a deployment of an AT&T (News - Alert) Control Center, powered by Jasper Wireless. The company’s M2M applications are considered ideal for vertical markets such as architecture, engineering and construction, automotive, banking, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, location-based services (LBS), manufacturing, petrochemical, retail, transportation and utilities.