they become part of the IoT. Globally, M2M connections
will grow 2.4-fold from 6.1 billion in 2017 to 14.6
billion by 2022 (Figure 1). There will be 1.8 M2M
connections for each member of the global population
by 2022. Legacy protocols, such as BACnet and Modbus,
will continue to adopt the physical connection of
standard based 4-pair Ethernet and emerging single-
pair BASE-T1.
The extraordinary evolution of IP-enabled devices,
equipment, and machines has transformed traditional
methods of communications in intelligent buildings
and data center spaces. As IoT continues to penetrate
the market, an abundance of smart devices are
saturating networks. Among the evolution of smart
devices, new technologies have also become available
for transporting countless forms of information.
Communication protocols, applications, and IP-enabled
devices are using technologies, such as Bluetooth,
Zigbee, Wi-Fi, small cell, in-building distributed
antenna system (DAS), wired LAN, A/V sensors,
and emerging light fidelity (Li-Fi) for a wireless optical
network. It is important that the design and provisioning
of the wired and wireless infrastructure be designed
to accommodate present and future systems
and applications.
Global M2M Connections / IoT Growth by Vertical
By 2022, connected home largest, connected car fastest growth
Other (30% CAGR)
Energy (24% CAGR)
Retail (10% CAGR)
Mfg & Supply Chain (10% CAGR)
Connected Car (28% CAGR)
Connected Cities (26% CAGR)
Connected Health (22% CAGR)
Connected Work (15% CAGR)
Connected Home (20% CAGR)
May/June 2019 I 55
Intelligent buildings have been in existence as early
as the mid-1980s. Beginning in the data center with
controllers, also known as distributed digital computers
(DDC), the individual DDC equipment had the
capability to communicate back to a central system.
Manufacturers of mechanical, electrical, plumbing
(MEP) equipment began to advance toward microprocessor
based circuitry in their products. This evolved
into Ethernet port-based equipment that communicated
back to the central system. In the mid-1990s, the central
controller system began to communicate with the
Internet. Paul Dooley, RCDD, CTS, who is the principal
consultant for The Sextant Group, explains that "20
or more years ago, building automation was limited
to MEP equipment, such as lighting panels, variable
air volume (VAV) boxes, water meters, gas meters, and
electric meters." Dooley explains further that "Wi-Fi and
other technologies were not available as a transmission
medium for these automated systems at that time."
Today the equipment is IP-enabled and IP-addressable,
leading to an explosion in IP devices. The communi-
cation between and among these devices is often
referred to as M2M, as there is no human interfacing
client device in the communication link. If these IP-
enabled devices then connect to the Internet, then
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
19% CAGR
2017-2022
Billions of
M2M
Connections
Source: Cisco VNI Global IP Traffic Forecast, 2017-2022.
FIGURE 1: Global M2M connection growth is forecast at a 19% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next four years.