Advantech unveils new M2.COM IoT sensor platform

Advantech, along with ARM, Bosch Sensortec, Sensirion and Texas Instruments (TI), has announced the collaboration of a new Internet of Things (IoT) sensor platform called M2.COM, which will be unveiled during the upcoming Embedded World 2016.

Miller Chang, Vice President, Advantech Embedded Computing Group, said, “Data collection will be one of the main challenges for IoT. Sensors, wireless technology, and embedded computing will be the three major core abilities for data acquisition, and that’s the reason Advantech worked closely with industrial partners to define the M2.COM open standard. With this standardisation, we envision M2.COM will accelerate IoT sensor device deployment.”

According to Zach Shelby, Vice President, Marketing, IoT Business, ARM, a standards-based industrial computing and sensor format is key to fulfil the changing demands of the IoT market. “The ARM mbed OS provides the perfect foundation for this new format, supporting the needed communication protocols and formats to securely and easily integrate M2.COM based sensor devices with IoT cloud applications.”

Jeanne Forget, VP Marketing of Bosch Sensortec, also highlighted that one of the key challenges hindering a fast growth of sensor enabled devices in IoT relevant markets today is the lack of widely adopted open Platform. For Bosch Sensortec as the leader in MEMS and other sensor technologies it’s therefore essential to actively participate in developing open platforms like the M2.COM. We believe that through the collaboration of these competent partners the M2.COM open platform will become a strong driver for sensors in IoT markets.”

Collecting Data and creating wonderfully smart systems and devices will only move the IoT forward if those things are able to interoperate or communicate with one another, according to Pascal Gerner, Director Product Management of Sensirion. “Therefore we are proud and convinced, that we are doing the right thing by defining a standard -M2.COM to simplify the integration of sensors IoT development,” he said.

Olivier Monnier, Marketing Director Wireless Connectivity Solutions/IoT, Texas Instruments, discussed that in order to accelerate the change and new business opportunities created by the IoT, it’s important to have a platform that saves development time and cost with a standardised sensor interface, like M2.COM, where developers can connect anything anywhere. “By leveraging TI’s low-power SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3200 wireless microcontroller, M2.COM IoT developers have access to award-winning hardware that will enable them to get their design to market quickly and easily.”

Advantech reinforces its vision of ‘Enabling an Intelligent Planet’ in order to accelerate the practice of Smart City and IoT solutions, and in the spirit of ‘Partnering for Smart City and IoT Solutions’ it will continue to collaborate with worldwide partners. Through Advantech, ARM, Bosch Sensortec, Sensirion and TI’s joint promotion, we believe the M2.COM will realise more IoT sensing possibilities and accelerate the practice of Smart City and IoT solutions.