There’s a lot of excitement around M2M these days, but despite all the talk and high expectations, you can count the number of deployments with 100,000 or more units on your two hands.

That’s the word from Alex Brisbourne, CEO of KORE.

The company calls itself the “world’s largest fully digital wireless network provider specializing exclusively in the rapidly expanding M2M communications market.” By partnering with tier 1 cellular network operators for connectivity over GSM, HSPA, CDMA and EV-DO networks, as well as equipment and software companies for gear and applications KORE is able to deliver complete solutions for vehicle tracking, homeland security, automated metering and dozens of other M2M applications.

Brisbourne yesterday told MVNO Evolution magazine, a new publication from TMCnet parent company Technology Marketing Corp., that he recently verified the above information with Machina Research.

That said, while everyone is excited about the M2M opportunity and tools from companies like Axeda (News - Alert), InterDigital and Gemalto are now enabling more streamlined application development, the machine-to-machine industry will have what Brisbourne describes as a long ramp up time. To be more specific, he says that it will be five or more years until M2M becomes mainstream.

KORE, which is involved exclusively in business-to-business M2M, has shipped 1.6 million machine-to-machine devices, 1.1 million of which are now in service, Brisbourne said. Industry wide, Brisbourne estimates there are probably between 35 million and 40 million M2M units deployed in North America. The biggest single deployment “by a country mile” here is that of GM’s OnStar in-car navigation system, he adds.

But KORE, among others, is working to expand M2M to great numbers of users and devices. KORE recently has seen significant growth in Asia. Since buying MACH (News - Alert) Communications about 18 months ago, he says, KORE has experienced an average growth rate of around 15 percent in the region.

For more on KORE and M2M, join us at ITEXPO (News - Alert) Miami. At the co-located M2M Evolution event later this month in Miami, KORE’s Chuck Horne, vice president of Products, will discuss the challenges posed by geographic boundaries when deploying a global M2M solution.