by James Richmond | Feb 28, 2017 | M2M One News
M2M One Newsletter – February 2017
Welcome to M2M One’s February 2017 Newsletter!
We’re already 2 months in to 2017 and the M2M & IoT world is as exciting as ever, with carriers and module manufactures expected to announce plans for LTE, NB-IoT & 5G services at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.
In this month’s newsletter we talk about some pricing changes coming to our M2M One Global SIM cards, email alerts to give you more visibility over your Group Data Plans, manging customer allocations in the M2M Control Centre and finally a special offer from our friends across the water at M2M One NZ.
- M2M One Global SIM Price Review
Last year we launched our first Global Roaming SIM card for use in multiple markets across the world, allowing M2M One to support Australian customers who are deploying units internationally.
We’ve been working with our underlying carrier partner on coverage and rates and we’re pleased to announce that we have new pricing available for our global SIMs including tiered pricing similar to our domestic Australian plans.
We’ll be officially launching our new pricing structure in March but you can get a custom quote today by contacting your M2M One account manager – For more information about our Global SIM visit: https://www.m2mone.com.au/global/
- Group Data Plan Management
While M2M One do offer individual CAP data plans we strongly recommend all customers utilize the power of Group Data – This allows you to share the data allowance of each SIM card on the same plan across your entire fleet (e.g 100x 5MB SIMs = 500MB)
While M2M One are still waiting for native group plan monitoring within Control Centre we have built a daily pooled usage digest that can give you an overview of how much of your pool you are currently utilizing. If you would like to subscribe to this daily digest please contact your M2M One Account Manager.
M2M One join M2M Connectivity for Melbourne’s leading digital innovation expo – Connect 2017
We welcome you to join us at Connect Expo 2017 on March 29th-30th at Melbourne Convention Centre to talk M2M & IoT.
M2M One will be sharing stand 148 with our friends at M2M Connectivity where we’ll be showcasing our range of SIMs and Data Plans for connected devices.
If you’re interested in joining us at Connect you can download your free visitor pass to the expo from here: http://connectexpo.com.au/pdf/CONNECT-2017_Visitor_Ticket.pdf
Each month we bring you tips and tricks for getting the most value out of the M2M Control Centre.
End Customer/Cost Centre Allocation
This month we look at updating the End Customer field in the M2M Control Centre – This allows you to keep customer information that can be searched and filtered against each SIM card in your account.
Updating the End Customer field can be done in 2 ways:
- Manually – You can update this information individually by going into the Service Listing in control centre and clicking on an individual ICCID number. This will bring up the Additional Information section – From here click the End Consumer tab. Any information you enter in here will be saved against the SIM card, however only information entered against End Customer will display in the Service Listing.
- Bulk update – Control Centre allows you to bulk update information by uploading a formatted Excel spreadsheet. To perform a bulk upload, create a spreadsheet in Excel with two columns, the first should read ICCID (this column should contain your SIM numbers) the second column should read End Consumer ID (under this column you can input your customer name data). Once you’ve prepared your spreadsheet navigate to the Service Listing and click the Batch Update tab from there follow the prompts to upload your custom data.
Have more questions about the M2M Control Centre or want some training?
Contact your M2M One account manager
Looking for local connectivity in New Zealand? Try an M2M Starter Kit from M2M One NZ
M2M One NZ offer local connectivity to the SPARK mobile network with access to the CISCO Jasper M2M Control Centre. As a special introductory rate you can get a Starter Kit for $26.00 NZD + GST
The M2M One NZ Starter Kit Contains:
- 1 x M2M SIM Card with 3 months of pre-paid data (50MB p/m)
- Access to the award winning CISCO Jasper M2M Control Centre
- Dedicated support from M2M One NZ’s team of M2M/IoT experts
by James Richmond | Jan 25, 2017 | M2M One News
M2M One Newsletter – January 2017
Happy New Year and welcome to M2M One’s January 2017 Newsletter!
This month we’re looking at kicking off the new year with a new look newsletter, talking about the future of 2G networks in Australia, looking at issues arising from using public IP addressing on your devices and providing some tips to improve SIM security using the M2M Control Centre.
As most of you will be well aware of all Australian mobile networks are in the process of shutting down their 2G/GSM networks.
On December 1st 2016 Telstra completed their shutdown of the 2G (900Mhz) Mobile Network across Australia. This now leaves only the Optus and Vodafone networks available for 2G devices, with a view that all remaining 2G coverage will be closed and re-farmed for LTE by 30th September 2017.
To continue operating M2M/IoT devices on the M2M One/Telstra network in Australia you need to make sure that the device contains a module capable connecting to 850Mhz 3G and for optimal coverage 850/2100Mhz 3G (Devices only able to connect to 2100Mhz will not work effectively on the Telstra network, 850Mhz is a requirement for a 3G connection)
Throughout 2016 we have seen a significant increase in the amount of malicious occurring on M2M devices with IP addresses exposed to the public internet (Devices using telstra.extranet as their APN) – These attacks can range from port sniffing or DDoS activity that can significantly increase your mobile data usage to unsecured devices being hijacked or tampered with.
M2M One strongly advise all of our customers to avoid using public IP addressing at all costs – An alternative to using telstra.extranet is to use M2M One’s IPX service which provides a private static IP that can be accessed through a secure IPSEC connection – more details available on our blog (click here)
If for some reason you absolutely have to use a public IP address we recommend taking the following actions to protect yourself:
- Change the default username and password for any access interfaces on your device.
- Work with M2M One to set-up limits and notifications on your SIM cards to be notified of increased activity.
- Don’t leave your device online when idle.
- If you notice malicious activity force your device to change it’s IP address by restarting or terminating the session.
M2M One’s first event of 2017 will be Connect Expo in Melbourne – Running from the 29th to 30th of March. Details available at: http://connectexpo.com.au/
Each month we bring you tips and tricks for getting the most value out of the M2M Control Centre.
SIM Security
This month we look at adding more security to your SIM deployment using some of the alerts and automation rules available in the control centre.
IMEI Change – When a device first connects to the control centre the IMEI information is automatically populated. M2M One can establish a rule that will either notify by email or suspend a service if this IMEI changes at any point. This can be useful to protect your SIMs from misuse in other devices.
Usage Alerts – M2M One can set-up alerts to notify or suspend a service for excessive use of Data, SMS or Voice functionality. This can be useful to protect you against overage or to alert you of possible misuse or malfunction.
Roaming Usage – By default all M2M One SIMs have roaming disabled by default, however there are cases where you may need roaming added to a SIM to test overseas. M2M One can set-up alerts for high usage or registration in an unauthorized zone when roaming is enabled to protect you against high roaming fees.
At present all new rules and alerts need to be created and applied on your behalf by M2M One support (support@m2mone.com.au) while Jasper complete upgrade works on the automation section of the control centre.
Have more questions about the M2M Control Centre or want some training?
Contact your M2M One account manager
by James Richmond | Dec 5, 2016 | M2M One News
Welcome to M2M One’s December Newsletter.
As 2016 draws to a close we’d like to thank our customers, partners and peers for a great year and wish you all every success in 2017.
In December we look at the aftermath of Telstra’s 2G shutdown and what the future has in store for remaining 2G devices in Australia, advise you of our operating hours over Christmas & New Years, offer some tips on managing your devices through the M2M One Control Centre and a reminder about our new data plans and features.
This month’s newsletter features:
- Notification – M2M One Operating Hours – Christmas & New Year
- 2G Update – Post-Telstra 2G Shutdown information
- M2M Control Centre – Managing Devices
- Pricing & Features – M2M One SIM Cards and Data Plans
1. Notification – M2M One Operating Hours – Christmas & New Year
Christmas & New Years Operating Hours
M2M One Office Closes – 5:00pm Thursday 22nd December 2016
M2M One Office Re-Opens – 8:30am Tuesday 3rd January 2017
SIM Orders & Dispatch
Cut-Off for SIM Orders – 2:00pm Thursday 22nd December 2016
SIM Orders Re-commence – Tuesday 3rd January 2017
SIM orders can be placed by e-mailing orders@m2mone.com.au
Telstra & M2M One Network Embargo
Embargo begins – Friday 16th December 2016
Embargo ends – Monday 9th January 2017
While the network embargo is in effect M2M One are unable to process any new orders for Static IP or VPN services (IPX) or make any network level changes on existing VPN Tunnels/Clients.
2. 2G Update – Post Telstra 2G Shut-Down Information
Australian 2G Shutdown
On December 1st 2016 Telstra completed their shutdown of the 2G (900Mhz) Mobile Network across Australia. This now leaves only the Optus and Vodafone networks available for 2G devices, with a view that all remaining 2G coverage will be closed and re-farmed for LTE by 30th September 2017.
To continue operating M2M/IoT devices on the M2M One/Telstra network in Australia you need to make sure that the device contains a module capable connecting to 850Mhz 3G and for optimal coverage 850/2100Mhz 3G (Devices only able to connect to 2100Mhz will not work on the Telstra network, 850Mhz is a requirement for a 3G connection)
To learn more about the Australian 2G shutdown and to prepare your Optus & Vodafone devices for their shut-down next year, you can read our blog at – https://www.m2mone.com.au/preparing-your-business-for-the-2g-gsm-network-shut-down-in-australia/
3. M2M Control Centre – Managing Devices
M2M One provides all of our customers with access to the CISCO Jasper M2M Control Centre, whether you have a single SIM or 10,000 this online portal can help you manage your SIM fleet in real-time as well as monitor data usage.
When you log into the system you have the ability to:
- Activate/Deactivate SIM cards
- Edit End User/ Cost Centre details for individual customers
- Add and edit up to 5 additional custom fields that can be stored against each of your SIMs
- Diagnose and monitor data usage, network connectivity and activity in real-time
- All changes can be made through the portal GUI or in bulk by uploading a spreadsheet
You will need to contact M2M One support to:
- Change Rate Plan or APN on a SIM
- Configure Alerts & Rules on SIMs (This is temporary, until the feature is re-activated for customers in 2017)
4. Pricing & Features – M2M One SIM Cards and Data Plans
With this pricing change we thought it would be a good time to talk about the two types of plans offered by M2M One.
M2M Individual Data (CAP) Plans
- Each SIM has a fixed allowance of data, when this data is exhausted the SIM will be suspended until the plan is moved to a higher allowance or reset in the next billing month.
- Ideal for solutions that need a fixed cost and fixed allowance of data – i.e consumer IoT products.
M2M Group Data (Shared) Plans
- Each SIM on the same rate plan contributes it’s data to a shared pool (For example, 10x 50MB SIMs gives you a 500MB pool of data)
- If your total usage is above your pooled allowance the SIMs will begin to generate excess charges for the month – However M2M One can help you mitigate this by moving the SIMs to a more cost effective plan before the last day of the calendar month.
- M2M One can provide a daily email digest of pooled plan usage for maximum visibility.
- Group data plans are ideal for all business critical M2M Solutions.
As part of our service to all customers we work with you to maximize your data utilization while minimizing your monthly recurring costs, our team of M2M specialists can help you analyze and review your usage and spend each month to make sure you are making the most from your SIM fleet.
by James Richmond | Aug 1, 2016 | M2M One News
Welcome to M2M One’s July Newsletter – We’re back in the office after a fantastic 3 days at this year’s ASIAL Security Expo, the sheer amount of security applications now utilizing wireless technology is staggering. We’ve been talking to people about connecting everything from cameras, alarm panels & vehicles to guards, dogs and even livestock.
This month we invite you to join us for an IoT workshop and conference on emerging and disruptive technologies at Convergence 003, show you some alerting & automation features available in the M2M Control Centre, show you some highlights from ASIAL, spotlight an emerging connectivity solution in SIGFOX and as always, we remind customers that Telstra will be shutting down their 2G network on 1st of December 2016.
This month’s newsletter features:
- Trade Event – Convergence 003
- M2M Control Centre – Alerts & Notifications
- Highlights – Security 2016 Photo Gallery
- Product Spotlight – SIGFOX/Thinxtra Radio Modules
- Customer Reminder – Telstra 2G (GSM) 900MHz Shutdown
1. Trade Event – Convergence 003
M2M One are excited to be exhibiting our range of connectivity solutions for wireless M2M/IoT devices at Convergence 003 taking place at University of Sydney in The Refectory on Thursday the 15th of September 2016 – Click here for more
In addition to exhibiting M2M one will be participating in a Co-Creation workshop for The Internet of Things alongside SIGFOX, Thingworx and IBM – more details below:
Internet of Things Co-creation Workshop
This workshop will bring together some of the regions’ leading IoT subject matter experts (SME’s), enabling top technology executives (CTO, CIO, Head of Digital, Head of Technology, Head of IT, etc) from a broad range of industries to find ways to maximise value by integrating IoT in their business offering.
Using Design Thinking and Business Model Canvas frameworks to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities that exist right now, as well as the steps needed to design a new business idea. The workshop will have tangible real world outcomes that include:
- Experience succinct case studies from leading IoT service providers, including M2M One, Thingworx, Thinxtra/SIGFOX
- Work alongside the industry leaders to design and shape real and innovative business ideas Identify what your own customers
- Learn a little of the power of the Design Thinking and Business Model Canvas frameworks to quickly identify powerful ideas
- Walk away with an understanding of the IoT landscape, opportunities and best of breed contacts to help roll-out your ideas
To register for the workshop and the Convergence event please visit – http://convergence.events/
2. M2M Control Centre – Alerts & Notifications
The M2M Control Center is currently going through some changes in the way it manages and distributes alerts on SIM card and Data usage, the customer facing version of these alerts are in the process of being decommissioned with a new system replacing them in late 2016.
As an interim solution M2M One will need to set-up any alert and monitoring activity on behalf of customers – M2M One can currently set up rules based on the following:
- Data, SMS & Voice Usage in a month or within 24 hours an individual SIM
- Change of SIM Status (Test Ready, Activated, Deactivated, etc)
- Change of IMEI Number
- No connection within a specific period
- Daily Digest of Pooled Data Usage & Allowance per Rate Plan
Using automation rules and alerts are free of charge for all customers and can be set up at any time by emailing support@m2mone.com.au
3. Highlights – Security 2016 Photo Gallery
M2M One had a great time participating in Security 2016 this year at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, 20-22 July 2016. We look forward to seeing you in Darling Harbour for next year’s event!
In the meantime, you can view our photo gallery from the event on our blog.
4. Product Spotlight – SIGFOX/Thinxtra Radio Modules
SIGFOX Ultra Narrow Band High Power RF Module For Au/NZ Now Available
Radiocrafts have launched their new RC1692HP-SIG module, the first SIGFOX module designed and
pre-certified for the AU/NZ/US market standard. This is one of the first hardwares available to support a new generation of narrow-band IoT technologies and is ideal for developers interested in low power wide area communications.
Developer modules are now available from M2M Connectivity
M2M One will be working closely with local SIGFOX licensee Thinxtra to provide air-time tokens for access to the Australian SIGFOX network – For more information please contact info@m2mone.com.au
5. Reminder – Telstra 2G 900MHz Shutdown
M2M One would like to continue to remind customers that Telstra will discontinue their 2G/GSM 900MHz network on the 1st of December 2016. This will impact all M2M One customers utilising 2G/GSM only hardware in Australia.
You can view our official notification here
M2M One customers with 2G devices have the opportunity to utilise 3G and soon, 4G LTE. All M2M One SIM cards are compatible with the Telstra 2G, 3G (and soon) 4G network, so you will not need to physically change any SIM cards from M2M One.
M2M One customers affected by the shut down of Telstra’s 2G/GSM network who are looking for solutions/alternatives for their 2G/GSM devices are advised to contact a 3G/4G LTE device vendor.
Please read M2M One’s notification of the shutdown if you haven’t already.
You can also read our blog on the Australian 2G Shutdown
by James Richmond | May 26, 2016 | M2M One News
Welcome to M2M One’s May Newsletter – M2M One are proud to once again be participating in the Victorian Government’s trade mission to Singapore, our goal is to help businesses outside of Australia get quick, simple access to SIMs and connectivity without any commercial restrictions or limitations on Australia’s largest mobile network.
We’re now starting to get some insights from chipset manufacturers and networks around what the future holds for LTE networks, particularly as it pertains to Narrowband (NB-IoT). Keep an eye on our website for some blogs and thought pieces on how to best take advantage of these new developments in the coming months.
This month we invite to join us at CommunicAsia in Singapore, introduce you to our partners M2M One New Zealand, highlight our participation in the recent CeBIT expo in Sydney, and explore a new global roaming SIM in the Product Spotlight. In addition, as always, we remind customers that Telstra will be shutting down their 2G network on 1st of December 2016.
This month’s newsletter features:
- Trade Event – CommunicAsia 2016
- M2M Control Centre – Billable States
- Highlights – CeBIT Australia 2016
- Product Spotlight – M2M One Global Roaming SIM
- Customer Reminder – Telstra 2G (GSM) 900MHz Shutdown
1. Trade Event – CommunicAsia 2016
M2M One is excited to be exhibiting our range of M2M SIM Cards, Data Plans & Networking
services at the Victorian Government Pavilion stand, booth no. BN2-01 at CommunicAsia in Singapore this year.
CommunicAsia is Asia’s largest integrated ICT event, offering solutions across Big Data Analytics, Cloud, e-Government & e-Services, M2M, Security, Smartcard/RFID, Wearables, and many more.
Held concurrently with Enterprise IT 2016 and Broadcast Asia 2016, and incorporating SatComm 2016, CommunicAsia maintains its standing as THE one-stop venue for ICT professionals to:
- Chart future directions of the Information Technology sector
- Address critical industry-related issues within Asia Pacific markets
- Develop strategic partnerships among key players in the ICT ecosystem
- Source for the latest industry-targeted technologies and innovations to adapt and respond to challenges and opportunities
If you’d like to arrange a meeting with any of the M2M One staff at CommunicAsia, please reply to this email with a suggested time and date.
2. M2M Control Centre – Billable States
M2M One has a number of SIM states available to customers in the M2M Control Centre, but are you clear on which states will generate a charge?
Billable States
- Activated – Any SIM in ‘Activated’ state at the end of the calendar month will generate a charge regardless of if it has used data or not – If you have a SIM that has not used any data you will need to move the SIM to a non-billable state before the end of the month to avoid paying the monthly service fee.
Non-Billable States
- Test Ready – All M2M One SIMs are shipped in Test Ready state. This state does not generate a monthly charge but is provisioned and ready to be used at any time. When a SIM uses over 20KB of data or sends 4 SMS messages the SIM will automatically move to ‘Activated State’ and become billable. Note: Once a SIM has left Test Ready it can never return to this state.
- Activation Ready – ‘Activation Ready’ is exactly the same as ‘Test Ready’ but without the data/sms allowance. Any data, SMS or voice usage will instantly send a SIM into a billable ‘Activated’ state.
- Inventory, Deactivated, Retired – These three states function in exactly the same way, but have different ‘vanity’ labels to better manage SIM stock. Any SIM moved into one of these three states will not generate a monthly fee and the SIM will cease to function immediately. To start using the SIM again you will need to manually move the SIM from one of these states to either ‘Activated’ or ‘Activation Ready’ – Customers tend to use Inventory to mark unused stock, Deactivated to mark temporarily suspended SIMs and Retired to mark SIMs that have been lost, stolen or otherwise unusable.
We hope these definitions make it clearer for all customers using the M2M Control Centre and helps manage cost and stock more efficiently.
Important – SIMs that have used data within the billing month will be charged their full rate plan for the month regardless of SIM state.
3. Highlights – CeBIT Australia 2016
M2M One had a great time participating in CeBIT Australia this year – a worldwide event recognised as the place to be for tech innovation. CeBIT took place at the Sydney Olympic Park Showgrounds on 2-4 May.
As well as exhibiting – M2M One, in conjunction with Ken Hosac from US hardware supplier Cradlepoint, participated in the Internet of Things Conference. On Wednesday 4th May in the Dome Theatre, Ken spoke on ‘Reinventing and Empowering Retail with the Internet of Things’.
M2M One were also invited to deliver a 25 minute seminar on
‘Developing a Cellular IoT/M2M Solution in Australia’ at the Showfloor B Theatre – You can view the slides from this presentation
here.Once again, we’d also like to extend a huge thank you all our customers who provided testimonials for our nomination to the CeBIT business awards this year. Due in no small part to your generous feedback, we were short-listed as a finalist for the
CeBIT Business Award for Service Distinction.
You can view our photo gallery from the event on our
blog and we look forward to seeing you all next year at CeBIT Australia 2017!
4. Product Spotlight – M2M One Global SIM
Need access to a single SIM for global M2M/IoT deployments?
M2M One realize the importance of simplifying a global M2M deployment with as few SIMs and providers as possible. That’s why M2M One have introduced the M2M One Global SIM, designed to provide access to over 500 carriers on a single SIM with pricing to benefit M2M/IoT solutions.
M2M One Global SIM Features:
- Access to over 500 carriers in 170+ countries
- Data pooling across multiple regions for simplified pricing
- Flexible data rates from as low as 500KB ranging to 50MB per device in selected areas
- Single APN for ease of deployment
- No carrier steering, use the best carrier for your region
M2M One Global SIM coverage includes the following countries:
Albania | Anguilla | Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina | Armenia | Aruba | Austria | Azerbaijan | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belgium | Bermuda | Bolivia | Brazil | British Virgin Islands | Brunei Darussalam | Bulgaria | Canada | Cayman Islands | Chile | China | Colombia | Congo | Costa Rica | Croatia | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | Egypt | El Salvador | Estonia | Faeroe Islands | Fiji | Finland | France | Georgia | Germany | Ghana | Gibraltar | Greece | Grenada | Guatemala | Guyana | Honduras | Hong Kong | Hungary | Iceland | India | Indonesia | Ireland | Israel | Italy | Jamaica | Japan | Jersey & Guernsey – Channel Islands | Kazakhstan | Kenya | Kuwait | Kyrgyzstan Republic | Laos | Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Macau | Malaysia | Malta | Martinique | Mexico | Moldova | Montserrat | Morocco | Nauru | Nepal | Netherlands | New Zealand | Nicaragua | Nigeria | Norway | Pakistan | Panama | Papua New Guinea | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Poland | Portugal | Puerto Rico | Republic of Korea | Romania | Russian Federation | Rwanda | Saint Kitts and Nevi | Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Serbia | Singapore | Slovakia | Slovenia | South Africa | South Korea | Spain | Sri Lanka | St. Lucia | St. Vincent & Grenadine | Suriname | Sweden | Switzerland | Taiwan | Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Turkey | Turks and Caicos | Ukraine | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | Uruguay | USA | Uzbekistan | Venezuela
5. Reminder – Telstra 2G 900MHz Shutdown
M2M One would like to continue to remind customers that Telstra will discontinue their 2G/GSM 900MHz network on the 1st of December 2016. This will impact all M2M One customers utilising 2G/GSM only hardware in Australia.
You can view our official notification here
M2M One customers with 2G devices have the opportunity to utilise 3G and soon, 4G LTE. All M2M One SIM cards are compatible with the Telstra 2G, 3G (and soon) 4G network, so you will not need to physically change any SIM cards from M2M One.
M2M One customers affected by the shut down of Telstra’s 2G/GSM network who are looking for solutions/alternatives for their 2G/GSM devices are advised to contact a 3G/4G LTE device vendor.
Please read M2M One’s notification of the shutdown if you haven’t already.
You can also read our blog on the Australian 2G Shutdown
