Creating a premium service for M2M or Telematics solutions is a team effort between M2M solution providers and their customers. Based on a set of guidelines developed within a GSMA working group for M2M terminal and roaming behaviour, Telenor Connexion requires that all of their customers contractually commit to having embedded connectivity products that are optimised for mobile networks. This includes customers that we have had since the early 2000s (whereby we create amended contracts) right up to contracts we are signing today. Perhaps you are wondering why this is so important?
It’s important because the behaviour of M2M terminals, alarm panels, smart meters, tracking devices, etc. are different than the behaviour of normal consumer devices such as mobile telephones.
And each M2M application on the market can affect other applications and consumers. An M2M device could inadvertently signal in a manner that causes 2G or 3G networks to experience fluctuating service – thereby affecting the entire subscriber, enterprise and M2M customer base!
The surprising part is that this can happen even if the M2M product/terminal has been certified according to 3GPP or ETSI standards – AND even if it has been additionally certified by a leading Mobile Network Operator (MNO). Are you surprised? Maybe, but the truth is that adhering to the standards and passing the certification tests made by these organisations only ensures that the performance of the terminal is in line with the required performance of a 2G/3G mobile device. But we at Telenor Connexion, after years of working with M2M applications, know that machines can act differently than humans!
We put heavy emphasis on ensuring our customers have the knowledge to optimise the whole M2M solution behaviour and interaction with mobile network, from terminal to central system (i.e. non synchronous signalling, remote management, optimised connection attempt schemes, and much more!) Telenor Connexion’s three step M2M Quality Program helps to guide our customers through the process from conception to release of an M2M application.
Yes, we have to admit that some of our customers resist having to institute changes to their M2M or telematics solutions due to the effort involved in implementing software changes.
But most of them understand and are happy that Telenor Connexion has a reliability and quality focus! Our customers appreciate that we are helping them to ensure future proof technology in M2M. Unfortunately, we are aware that some M2M connectivity service providers are not asking their customers to comply to the same high standards today, but it is our sincere hope that they too will follow in our footsteps to ensure that as M2M grows in the industry we are working together to protect the reliability of delivering stable GPRS/SMS/ and 3G services. In the meantime our customers, module partners and roaming partners are ecstatic that we are!
