The technological world is witnessing rapid evolution that is transforming how the business landscape operates. These sophisticated IT tools and technologies are leveraging the power of data and analytics to uncover crucial insights and boost the decision-making process. IoT and M2M have become a buzzword in this technologically-advanced domain of various advanced tools.
IoT M2M connectivity is making it big in remote device networking. However, these two concepts are remarkably different, and hence you need to learn the difference between machine to machine and IoT. This article will elaborate on various points that will enable you to efficiently differentiate between IoT and M2M.
What Is Machine to Machine (M2M)?
Machine-to-machine or M2M helps describe any technology that allows the networked devices to seamlessly exchange information and carry out an action without human intervention. It facilitates wired or wireless communication between two or more physical assets. The machines automatically exchange data between themselves. M2M is used across various applications, from monitoring and controlling machines or indexing websites by search engines. M2M is generally used in manufacturing, home appliances, healthcare device management, smart utility management, and more.
Internet Of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a collective network of connected devices and technology to facilitate communication. The IoT is a giant network of connected things and people to collect and share data. It harnesses the power of the Internet for connecting physical devices in real-time. The physical objects are embedded with sensors, software, processing ability, and other technologies to collect and exchange data with other machines across the Internet.
Differences Between IoT and M2M
Abbreviation
IoT stands for the Internet of Things, whereas M2M stands for Machine to Machine.
Connection Type
In terms of the type of connection used, the M2M system uses point-to-point communication. On the other hand, an IoT system situates its devices within a global cloud network. The cloud network facilitates large-scale integration. The connection in IoT is through Network, and it uses various communication types.
Intelligence
The IoT consists of smart physical objects that are active, digital, and networked. The devices have objects that can leverage data and analytics to facilitate decision-making. In M2M, some degree of intelligence is observed.
Communication Protocol
IoT uses various internet protocols such as HTTP, Telnet, and FTP. On the other hand, M2M deploys different traditional protocols and communication technology techniques.
Scope
IoT has a more significant scope for connecting a large number of devices. M2M, however, has limited scope for devices.
Internet
The devices under IoT require an active Internet connection to communicate. In M2M, the devices do not depend on the Internet.
Open API Support
While IoT supports open API integrations, M2M does not.
Business Type Used
IoT communication system is generally used by Business 2 Business(B2B) and Business 2 Consumer(B2C) types. Whereas Business 2 Business (B2B) also deploy M2M connectivity.
To Conclude:
IoT and M2M undoubtedly share common aspects, but some sharp differences characterize their properties. It enables machines to communicate, collect, store and exchange data to boost decision-making. M2M and IoT significantly vary in terms of achieving connectivity but work efficiently towards building a more ‘smart’ and connected world.