Maybe this time the global market will really take off…
International connectivity and global IoT enabler BICS has partnered Thales “to unlock the potential of IoT for enterprises by removing barriers to eSIM adoption within IoT devices”. Put another way, Thales has engineered an eSIM activation mechanism for IoT devices that BICS will deploy.
eSIMs have had a slower than predicted start in consumer and enterprise, devices, although the iPhone 14 might gee this up – in the US it has been launched with an embedded eSIM and without a SIM slot.
Thales and BICS hope to address this for enterprises by avoiding complex integrations with mobile network operators, allowing the eSIM to connect directly to an operator’s remote SIM provisioning platform
The two say that the eSIM Connectivity Activation service supports greatly simplified logistics and manufacturing as it needs only a single stock-keeping unit (SKU). Installation is also faster and less complex, which is of particular benefit in locations with uneven coverage. Enterprises developing IoT-connected devices can integrate eSIMs with far less investment, effort, and deployment time.
Removing obstacles
Luc Vidal-Madjar, Head of M2M/IoT Business at BICS commented, “Removing the obstacles for eSIM management with IoT devices will lead to far broader adoption of eSIMs in the industry and will finally allow eSIMs to deliver on their long-awaited promise of greater flexibility for IoT connectivity.
“Unlocking eSIM use in this way will be a critical step in supporting bigger and bolder global IoT deployments. For consumers and enterprises, this will ultimately bring massive IoT closer to becoming a reality. This in turn will mean large numbers of new smart products for end-users and promising new business opportunities such as for industry 4.0, smart metering, smart cities or connected alarm systems.”
BICS will support this ecosystem by enabling the provisioning of eSIMs inside Thales Cinterion modules. These modules can then connect to mobile network operators anywhere in the world with the Thales IoT Connectivity Activation service.
BICS claims it offers unique global coverage for any IoT technology (2G/3G/4G/5G/LTE-M and NB-IoT) and its SIM for Things solution.