Almost any device in any business sector can be monitored and managed remotely:

• Transport and logistics - Applications include vehicle monitoring and recovery, driver safety, accident notification and location positioning.
• Health care - For a diverse range of life saving and life enhancing services including remote patient monitoring.
• Utilities - In the harvesting of energy products, such as oil and gas, and in billing customers.
• Service businesses - To manage the day-to-day allocation of service calls, remote diagnostics and to provide superior service to customers.
• Security and surveillance - To track cash-in-transit, prisoner movements and for surveillance.
• Point of sale - To support secure, real-time payments and transactions and provide retailers with real-time visibility into their inventory.

There is a growing global trend towards using intelligent monitoring and metering technology to improve energy efficiency, lower operating costs and meet carbon reduction commitments.

M2M technology can be used to monitor property assets and tackle energy wastage. For example, information collected from light and heat sensors throughout buildings can be processed and monitored. Instructions can be transmitted back to individual devices to re-calibrate their settings, reducing energy consumption and costs.

Fleet management applications can be used to lower costs through efficiency and enhanced security. When used in conjunction with satellite-based GPS (Global Positioning System) units and LBS (Location Based Services), they make it possible to pinpoint real-time vehicle location, monitor freight and keep drivers secure.

'Vodafone is working with a number of automotive manufacturers to help them address the regulatory pressures on the industry regarding eCall. Vodafone’s experience in mobile applications and content delivery has helped these companies to develop innovative solutions.