Created last year in Beijing at the Global Standards Collaboration (GSC)-15, the GSC M2M Standardization Task Force was charged to facilitate global coordination and harmonize M2M standardization by coordinating with a wide range of M2M players. The goal of the September meeting is to map out activities and make recommendations for future and current standardization priorities to GSC, a forum for the collaboration of the world’s leading telecommunications standards organizations and the International Telecommunication Union (ITIU).

M2M is defined as connecting two machines that are not typically carried in a user’s pocket—such as a refrigerator, vending machine or oven—where they can communicate across a network with little or no human intervention. “For example, a vending machine can let a supply system know that it’s out of product, which will then arrange for a delivery of more—without human involvement,” said Ron Bohlander, associate director for Business Operations & Commercialization at GTRI’s Information and Communications Laboratory (ICL).

• September 20 -- GTRI Conference Center. Experts from a wide range of industries will address the many dimensions of M2M communications and present their views of the impact of M2M standards on their markets.
• September 21 -- Georgia Tech Technology Square Research Building. Representatives from leading international standards groups who will focus a roundtable discussion on the future of global standardization.