This study explores the intersection of two of this decade’s technological megatrends: M2M communications, and social networking. The former is the critical ingredient in the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT). The latter represents, meanwhile, the variable whose addition to the equation brings the IoT to the next level. In other words: Things + People = Internet of Everything, or IoE.
The first part of the study presents the basic idea underpinning the emergence of this "social M2M", classified under four sub-categories. The second part provides analysis and examples of each category. Finally, the third part of the study includes ABI Research's latest forecasts demonstrating the scale and the growth trajectory of consumer-facing and enterprise-facing social networking services.