TeliaSonera Sweden (Telia) disclosed in a press release that in April it will launch ‘M2M in a Box’ to enable more Swedish companies and organisations to utilise machine-to-machine (M2M) / Internet of Things (IoT) communication over its mobile network. In addition to a SIM card, M2M in a Box contains 25 sensors which can be utilised in connecting ‘everything from buildings to machines’; the sensors collect data (e.g. temperature, humidity, movements and positioning) that can be monitored in real time via a cloud-based web portal and can automatically trigger customer messaging notifications when readings change. The standard package also includes a battery and charger, plus ‘round the clock support’, and costs SEK9,375 (USD1,090) per month. Potential examples of M2M in a Box usage were given in Telia’s release: ‘A municipality can place sensors in snow ploughing vehicles to ensure that the roads are ploughed as they should. Stores can measure temperature and humidity in refrigerated counters. Construction companies can put sensors in the machines on a construction site and receive notification when they are moved outside a certain area.’
At present many small and larger companies are reluctant to expend resources on extensive M2M-related engineering/IT projects, but Telia claims that M2M in a Box makes it easier to explore the potential of M2M and IoT without large-scale investment. According to a study quoted by TeliaSonera, by 2018 there will be 35 million connected ‘things’ in Sweden, from appliances and home alarms to pay points, industrial machinery and vehicles. The same study said that in the wider Nordic region there will be 102 million connected things by 2018, compared to 2014’s regional total of 45 million, while Sweden currently has the largest IoT market in the region, valued at EUR1.3 billion (USD1.38 billion) in 2014 in terms of all products and services.