Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has been selected by Verizon to deploy its 4G-LTE SIM cards that are designed to withstand harsh outdoor environments for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.
G&D’s ruggedised SIM cards are available either as removable plug-in M2M SIMs or as embedded MFF2 M2M SIMs and are designed to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, vibration or high humidity, for use in outdoor meters, automobiles, external security cameras and buoys.
The M2M SIM cards also have a longer data retention period than standard consumer SIM cards in order to offer support throughout the lifecycle of the M2M device. They are supported and managed by G&D’s secure AirOn platform.
“Today’s connected machines require a more robust module than a smartphone or tablet,” said Mark Bartolomeo, vice president, connected solutions, Verizon Enterprise Solutions.
“For certain business applications, the modules must be able to operate in extreme environments – such as sensors on powerlines in changing weather conditions or routers in vibrating locomotive engine rooms racing down a track.”
Last year, Deutsche Telekom teamed up with US-based Digi International to offer a similar service to heavy industry in Europe.
According to industry body the SIMalliance, there was a 42 percent rise in shipments of soldered SIMs designed for M2M applications, known as the MFF2 form factor, in 2012.
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