Also in the news...
Bond Support Scheme
Find out about the Bond Support Scheme - how it works, its benefits and how to apply.
UK and African business leaders arrive in Togo to create trade and investment deals
The event brings together delegations from ten African nations alongside leading UK companies and investors to advance partnerships that promote economic growth and jobs.
Countering sanctions evasion: guidance for freight and shipping
For freight forwarders, carriers, hauliers, customs intermediaries, postal and express operators, and other companies facilitating the movement of goods.
International Compliance Tips for Entrepreneurs Going Global
While expanding across borders can accelerate business growth, it also raises the stakes when it comes to staying legally compliant.
Cutting Administrative Burdens When Trading Abroad
From customs declarations to inventory tracking across borders, the paperwork and compliance requirements can quickly become overwhelming for growing companies.
Let the Machines Do the Work
2014 is being hotly tipped as the year that the Internet of Things – or the Thingternent as it has become colloquially known – will finally make a meaningful impact on our everyday lives.
A number of high profile reports relating to Google, Samsung and other tech-giants have recently been splashed across major media channels suggesting that this new technology will be entering our homes and businesses sooner rather than later.
For anyone still unsure as to exactly what this means then take a look at Deutsche Telekom's M2M marketplace to see the range of devices that are currently available. Pretty soon your business or start-up could be streamlined and cost effective in ways that were previously unimaginable – all down to the simple idea of enabling electronic devices to communicate with each other.
Benefits for Businesses
In the world of business there are a tremendous amount of applications where this technology will excel. On the very simplest level, M2M communication could have your office printer ordering new toner as and when it needs it – without the potential memory lapse of human intervention. The same goes for any other piece of electronic office equipment; right down to the fridge that keeps employees refreshed throughout the day. Just make sure you are putting the much maligned, processed meat in the fridge, rather than the fridge sending it out.
However, on a more advanced level, the world of M2M communications is still very much unexplored territory. High-end monitoring systems are of course already in the making but start-ups the world over are beginning to make headway into the next generation of M2M technologies. These technologies take many forms and it seems that an evolutionary struggle is about to take place, with many of these ideas falling by the wayside and only a handful of the most useful and adaptable lasting the course.
Whatever your feelings regarding our electronically connected world, the signs are all pointing to its continued expansion into our everyday lives. IT companies are growing larger everyday, with more and more start-ups based entirely in the digital realm. However, as the digital world and the real world run along increasingly convergent parallels, it is clear that M2M communications will very quickly become the standard. Ensure your business or start-up is up-to-date with the latest developments that are likely to benefit you in a multitude of ways.