Growing Africa mobile phone use pushes up global subscription

Medical applications include remote medical diagnostics which would facilitate the collection, monitoring, and analysis of patient data from rural and/or isolated locations.

For energy companies it could be smart meters that read themselves, increase business efficiency and cut operational expenses.

In transportation — tracking solutions improve route optimisation and safety for vehicles on the road and even digital signs that can be updated remotely, cameras that can send pictures halfway around the world are other examples that machine-to-machine technology make possible.