Abstraction and Semantics support in M2M communications

In line with the global horizontalization trends in M2M solutions, it is predicted that considerable percentage of the M2M service platforms will be designed to accommodate multiple verticals. Data and information management tools will be of increasing importance. This includes capabilities to access and capture data, but more prominently how to handle data and information in a structured way. Semantic annotation of data and means to add contextual information will be needed. Data models will evolve both as domain specific models and as common models. Instrumental will be tools to link these models, and also technologies to perform reasoning and knowledge e.g. based on evolved semantic web technologies. This paper will give an overview of current work in standardization bodies on semantic support for M2M data: how to discover, interpret and use the M2M data from different sources, without any kind of prior knowledge of that. This is essential to offer high-level M2M horizontal services and to develop open markets for M2M data.