TelecomsTech spoke with Pat Nash, managing director at InVMA and a partner of ThingWorx, about standardisation, Google Glass and how startups can compete in an increasingly crowded M2M and IoT market.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and the broader Internet of Things (IoT) promise significant change, but several challenges remain before the market reaches mainstream adoption. Two of the most discussed obstacles are standardisation and the need for effective partnerships.
Pat Nash offers a pragmatic perspective. He does not believe that formal standardisation is the only route to success. Instead, Nash emphasises partnerships and strong ideas as the driving forces, particularly for startups. “I don’t think standardisation will necessarily help the industry, but I think for startups in particular partnership is the way forward,” he says. “To me it’s all about the ideas, not necessarily the technology or the implementation.”
Nash’s position reflects his business approach. InVMA works with ThingWorx, a leading IoT platform provider, which Nash says places the company in a “fairly comfortable position.” That collaboration means InVMA can integrate and process data regardless of the protocol used: “If people want to standardise on the protocol that’s fine, it kind of makes it easy for everyone but if not, we’re cool with that. You can still get the connections, and we can still get the data in whatever the protocol.”
For startups trying to establish themselves in M2M and IoT, Nash advises focusing less on chasing universal standards and more on forming partnerships and developing compelling, vertical-specific solutions. He recommends starting with a clear, industry-targeted idea and building traction through real-world deployments and case studies. “You’ve got to start with a vertical idea, particularly a solution, and run with that – get some traction, get some case studies available and go from there,” he explains. “Ultimately the real winners in M2M and IoT are going to be based around some idea, some IP.”
Nash also highlights the need for a breakout application that makes the technology meaningful to a wide audience. Monetisation is a key barrier to mainstream adoption: without clear business value, the industry will struggle to gain momentum. He stresses the importance of putting data into context so it becomes actionable and valuable. For example, in venues such as auditoriums or football stadiums, IoT data could inform capacity management or optimise exit routes by tracking when crowds begin to leave. “It’s linking through to the idea of how that might be useful, rather than just connecting stuff to the Internet for no apparent reason,” Nash says.
When asked whether devices like Google Glass might serve as the killer app the industry needs, Nash remains cautious. He acknowledges the desire for high-impact applications but doubts any single device will automatically transform the market. “I’m not certain,” he says. “I think that the industry does need some killer apps without doubt, and those apps can take you anywhere across any vertical market at any time. At the moment money is probably being spent on M2M more than IoT, because it’s easy to identify some business value to return on investment.”
He concludes that whoever discovers a truly compelling, monetisable application first will have a major advantage. “The first person who finds a killer app is going to do extremely well,” Nash adds.
In summary, Nash’s advice for companies entering the M2M and IoT space is clear: prioritise practical solutions and partnerships, focus on vertical use cases that demonstrate tangible value, and pursue real-world deployments to build credibility and unlock monetisation. Standardisation may simplify some aspects of development, but it is not a prerequisite for success—strong ideas and the right collaborations will drive adoption and growth.