M2M Alliance refocuses Summit on innovative IoT audience in Cologne and hosts an Academic Day
Andreas Fink
Ahead of the M2M Summit 2017 in Cologne, Andreas Fink, chairman of the M2M Alliance, the association behind the event talks to IoT Global Network:
IoT Global Network:This year the M2M Summit is being held in Cologne alongside StartupCon, a conference for start-ups. Why the move?
StartupCon is Europe’s biggest conference of its kind for start-ups. The new partnership allows us to offer our exhibitors, partners, and speakers a unique opportunity to present themselves to a large and innovative audience. Our established conference and exhibition for M2M communication and the Internet of Things is now part of a top-class programme for entrepreneurs.
On 80,000 square meters, visitors of the M2M Summit can get a unique overview of the latest M2M and IoT developments, while also having access to StartupCon, which is known for attracting investors and businesses from a wide range of industries. We expect more than 5,000 visitors in total. Participants of both events will therefore benefit from making new contacts and further lead generation.
Supporting start-ups means investing in the future of M2M and IoT. That’s also one of the reasons why we introduced a platform for young companies to present their ideas and solutions in the form of a pitch at last year’s M2M Summit. This start-up pitch will be expanded for the upcoming M2M Summit. The winner will get a wildcard to present their pitch again live on stage in the StartupCon arena, with a chance to pitch in San Francisco to win 1 million US Dollar.
IoT Global Network: Does that mean that the M2M Summit 2017 is solely focusing on start-ups and young companies?
Not at all. Established experts and companies continue to be an important part of the M2M Summit. For example, speakers from IBM, thyssenkrupp and SigFox will share their knowledge and latest developments at the event. The Academic Day, organised by Prof. Axel Sikora, will also be part of the programme again. There will be an exclusive M2M Alliance exhibition area within the LANXESS Arena, as well as a conference hall, covering the latest technology trends around M2M and IoT. A wide range of research projects on the latest M2M/IoT technologies and innovations will be presented and discussed.
To exploit synergies with Europe’s largest conference for start-ups, we are working closely with the organisers of StartupCon. All holders of M2M Summit tickets will have access to the StartupCon activities such as the conference, exhibition, pitches, workshops, and VR cinemas.
IoT Global Network: Is the M2M Summit 2017 relevant for IT experts or C-level management?
Both. For the first few years, the M2M Summit was the perfect habitat for IT experts. It was a meeting point for the who-is-who of the industry. There weren’t many users who wanted to find out more about how the technology could help them to optimise their processes and businesses. However, in recent years, we have transformed the M2M Summit to an event for everyone. The experts are still there, but the M2M Summit has now also a lot to offer for ordinary users.
M2M and IoT solutions are no longer a simple “competitive advantage”, but rather a strategy for survival – because most companies won’t be able to be competitive any more without introducing new methods and processes. I can’t think of a single sector that can ignore M2M and IoT technology.
That’s why more and more C-level managers attend the M2M Summit. They have realised that they can only make the right decisions for their business when they are familiar with all the latest trends and solutions. At the M2M Summit, they can see all providers, experts and solutions in one place.
IoT Global Network: Earlier this year, you announced that you would change the M2M Alliance’s development strategy, although the same Board of directors had been elected at the AGM in March. Why did you need to change?
Following the last M2M Summit, we have intensified the dialogue with our members and other experts. Over the past months, we have been talking and listening to our members as well as politicians and influencers on a daily basis. The changes within the M2M Alliance are reflecting the business imperatives of the entire industry.
The M2M and IoT market is growing rapidly. While the competition can be fierce, there is a common agreement that this ever-growing sector needs a strong voice to fight for the interest of businesses and users. With our new strategy, we can support our members even better than before, and the M2M Alliance is also becoming more attractive to new members.
IoT Global Network: What is different about the new strategy, and how will it benefit members, partners and users?
The objective of the M2M Alliance is to serve its members and the M2M and IoT industry in general. The best way of doing this is to increase the exchange on as many levels as possible. Our new strategy focuses on more direct interaction with our members as well as with other organisations.
One example is the new joint working group of the M2M Alliance and the OPC Foundation. Under the leadership of Prof. Axel Sikora, the Academic Advisory Board of the M2M Alliance, six member companies are working on the description of best practices for an integrated end-to-end security in M2M communication. After a successful start, the results are now being made available to a wider audience.
Through a digital reorientation, we also want to address more international companies. The design of the new website and the new in-house support guarantee latest news on hot M2M and IoT topics, whilst the new corporate design, including a re-launch of the logo, shows our determination to take the next step with the M2M Alliance.
Another example that shows how committed we are to strengthen the ties with our members is that there will now be two general meetings each year: at embedded world in Nuremberg and at the M2M Summit.
IoT Global Network: When will we see further results from the new strategy?
Our new M2M “Meetup” format has already been a success. The first Meetup, “How to develop an IoT product” with Sierra Wireless, IOX LAB, and AcalBfi gave a deep insight into rapid prototyping and the IoT product development. Further events with member companies will follow soon.
The relocation of the headquarters from Aachen to Düsseldorf has already taken place. The move to the IT and tech hub Düsseldorf will contribute to the new direction of the M2M Alliance. In the MedienHafen (media harbour) of Düsseldorf, our board member for innovation, Robert Jänisch, and his team are working on new ideas and solutions that will benefit our members and the entire M2M and IoT sector.
IoT Global Network: M2M and IoT are becoming relevant for a wide range of industries. On which industries are you focusing on?
The manufacturing industry as well as the logistics sector are advanced users of M2M and IoT technology. Other industries and sectors such as retailers, the travel industry and the construction business are just beginning to realise the potential. The latter is booming, but many businesses and their approach are often still rather old-fashioned. Our aim is to represent and help as many industries and sectors as possible.
IoT Global Network: Will you need new staff and skills to achieve this growth and change?
We have already increased our team, mainly with experts for events and marketing. Together, we are working on the M2M Summit as well as on the digital reorientation. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are re-investing all our money to support our members and to strengthen our growths. The bigger the M2M Alliance gets, the more we can achieve.
Tickets for the M2M Alliance conference and exhibition and the 4th StartupCon on 11th October 2017 are available for interested founders – including all lectures and workshops – from €19 (for students) to €69. Investors pay €199 and entrepreneurs €249 for access to all lectures as well as workshops and the StartupExpo. Tickets as well as more information are available on www.m2m-summit.com and www.startupcon.de.
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