AT&T and Deutsche Telekom extend M2M offerings

US operator AT&T and German incumbent Deutsche Telekom have each extended their machine to machine (M2M) offerings.

AT&T has extended its M2M agreement with Indian IT and outsourcing outfit Wipro. The two firms are using an M2M platform supplied by cloud-based M2M services and software provider Axeda.

Under the terms of the deal, Wipro will help AT&T offer M2M development services and systems integration to the operator’s enterprise customers across all major industries. This will dramatically speed the delivery time and lower the cost of application development and maintenance for M2M applications, according to AT&T.

“Customers are turning to us to make their M2M connectivity easy to manage and monitor in virtual real-time,” said Mike Troiano, VP for advanced mobility solutions at AT&T Business Solutions.

“Our relationship with Axeda has fuelled customer interest globally, and with the addition of Wipro’s Axeda-trained engineers, we’re poised to help even more businesses implement highly-secure and reliable M2M solutions.”

Steve Snyder, VP and head of Wipro’s media and telecom business innovation team, added thatWipro has deep systems integration skills, vertical industry expertise, IPs based on enhanced analytics, and the largest team of Axeda-ready consultants in the world.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Deutsche Telekom is to offer a usage-based insurance solution that enables vehicle insurers to offer their customers special benefits for driving safely.

The operator has partnered with telematics technology provider DriveFactor to bring to market an M2M solution that evaluates driving behavior.

The  solution uses a tracking module and a SIM card to evaluate driving data. The pay-as-you drive insurance concept is attractive for insurers and their customers, as drivers will benefit from a reduction in the premium paid in return for taking part in the programme.

“Jointly with our partner DriveFactor we offer insurers a complete single-source usage-based insurance service—from the hardware to integrating evaluated driving data into their IT systems,” says Jürgen Hase, head of Deutsche Telekom’s M2M competence centre.