Friday Review: Think horizontally

Telcos are proficient at separating machine-to-machine (M2M) into its constituent vertical sectors: automotive, energy, healthcare, transport, retail, manufacturing, and so on. They are equally as proficient at talking up their ability to address each one with a comprehensive suite of end-to-end services that encompass design, implementation, project management, system integration, support...the list goes on and on. However, as the machines connected to the network increase in volume and variety, telcos would be wise to consider how different verticals overlap and interact with one another. In fact, thinking about them as verticals at all might not be the optimal approach. "Right now we're working at the sector level," said Saverio Romeo, principal analyst at Beecham Research…