UK companies The Technology Partnership (TTP) and Mayflower have announced the completion of a smart street lighting installation in Hampshire. Using a wireless control node, Hampshire council is able to remotely control over 100,000 street lights using the Mayflower Central Management system, and thus offers a claimed 50 per cent reduction in power consumption compared to other existing smart lighting systems.

Nice thought it is that Hampshire council now has greater control over its street lights, this also serves as a useful illustration of buzzwords such as IoT (Internet of Things) and M2M (machine-to-machine), which risk remaining abstract concepts to the average person. While talk of smart fridges that order your shopping for you and anticipate your snacking needs is entertaining, this is the sort of area IoT is likely to have the most immediate, tangible impact.

“The system’s easy installation and its ability to control and monitor lights remotely enables the light emitted to be tailored to suit the external lighting requirements resulting in more efficient management of the lighting stock,” said Mayflower head Patrick Mitchell. “It also eliminates the need for night scouting and increases lamp life which also contributes to cost efficiencies.”

TTP’s project manager Richard Sims added, “TTP believes that innovative solutions to manage and reduce energy consumption are key to a sustainable future, both in the UK and worldwide. Mayflower approached us with aggressive cost, performance and reliability targets – and our experience in design for manufacture, wireless systems and cost engineering allowed us to achieve those goals. We’re pleased to be part of this significant Smart City development.”

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Analysts Ovum forecast M2M connections are set to grow rapidly over the next few years at a CAGR of 23 per cent, with the most important industry verticals expected to be healthcare, manufacturing, and energy & utilities, which are forecast to generate revenues of US$7.9bn, US$7.1bn, and US$7bn respectively by 2018. IoT is also expected to boom, with consumer trends such as wearables leading the way and an increasing expectation on the part of end-users that they should be connected at all times.