The widely used term m2m stands for "machine to machine". Originally the Internet was used primarily by people. Estimates vary, but it is commonly accepted that there are now - or soon will be - more machines on the Internet than people. This trend is supported by devices designed with Internet connectivity built in, and this support requires a different set of features than human use of the Internet.

A typical example of an m2m device is Control Solutions' i.Report. This device uses cell phone technology to report data via the Internet. But this cell phone is special. It has no speaker or microphone, and has no screen or keypad. What it does have is terminals to connect things like temperature sensors. It uses a cellular IP connection to send data via Internet to a central server. The server will send notifications to users cell phones with a text message telling them when there is an alarm such as "high temperature".

The "m2m" part of that process is i.Report talking to the server without any human intervention. Many of Control Solutions' web enabled products support m2m interaction with servers in addition to providing a web interface for people to work with the device.