Is SGP.31/32 the solution to all IoT connectivity problems?

Ian Marsden

Founder & CTO

LinkedIn

Breaking the proprietary link between MNOs and devices means businesses can choose the right providers for their deployments – and change providers if they need to. Manufacturers can build single SKU devices. Ubiquitous, global connectivity becomes a realistic goal.

And though some MNOs fear losing their close relationship with customers, tier 1 operators and platform providers see the value in the potential upsurge in IoT deployments. These players will drive the availability of solutions built to the standard.

But it’s not the whole story.

Building IoT devices that work

Our work with Kaleido Intelligence shows that many companies find device and hardware optimisation a much greater problem than global connectivity.

The way a device, modem and SIM operate together is critical. Building fit-for-purpose devices requires IoT design expertise and thorough prototyping, proof of concept and testing phases.

Mobile networks operate in different ways and it’s vital to test devices in a lab environment to determine how they operate with all the networks they might connect to, including how they handle firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) updates from the operators.

Managing devices on multiple networks

The new standard will make it easier for providers to access profiles from partner MNOs, opening up opportunities to switch devices to different networks to achieve optimum connectivity.

But accessing profiles from an MNO is just the start. Switching devices to different networks risks creating an operational nightmare: multiple contracts, billing, lifecycle management, monitoring and analytics.

To avoid this, connectivity providers need to offer a federated management platform so there’s one contract and a single pane of glass for managing all devices.

Accessing multiple networks

Connectivity providers need interconnects to other networks before they can switch devices onto them. This requires engineering and integration work – and it’s something that’s not always in place ­(despite providers claiming to offer network switching capabilities).

In addition, many operators now segment and regulate their networks to handle increasing volumes of connections. Providers must have the knowledge and skill to ensure that devices connect to the right segment and behave correctly to avoid being penalised by operators.

The Eseye approach

At Eseye, we’ve long recognised the need to manage SIMs remotely and switch devices to different networks to comply with regulations and achieve optimum connectivity.

That’s why we introduced our intelligent, multi-IMSI SIM in 2013, developed a sophisticated rules-based connectivity management platform, and built the AnyNet Federation with interconnects to 16 different networks.

When the GSMA introduced the eSIM architecture, we developed our own backend RSP systems and enhanced our AnyNet+ SIM to combine multi-IMSI and eUICC capabilities. The latest AnyNet product – SMARTconnect – embeds intelligent, global IoT connectivity directly into devices. It gives devices the intelligence to connect out-of-the-box and stay connected, whatever happens.

Now we’re designing new SIMs and developing our connectivity management platform to work with SGP.31/32 so that we can offer GSMA-certified solutions at the earliest opportunity.

And we’ll also support deployments that use the M2M standard for as long as needed and advise on how to proceed during this period of transition.

It’s not just SGP.31/32 – there are a lot of other developments happening in the world of IoT. We’re enhancing our solutions to support innovations in iSIM, 5G, private and public network integrations, satellite connectivity, factory personalization and more.

You don’t need to wait for SGP.31/32 solutions

Remote SIM provisioning using SGP.31/32 will – one day – be a big step towards the goal of global, ubiquitous connectivity for IoT devices.

But the good news for Eseye customers is that you don’t need to wait for SGP.31/32 certified solutions to be released. Nor do you need to be an expert in the latest standards and technologies to find the right connectivity solution for your deployment.

That’s what we do.

Our partnerships with multiple MNOs mean that our multi-IMSI solution can meet the connectivity requirements in many use cases without incurring the additional cost of implementing an eSIM-compliant deployment.

In other cases, our partnerships with MNOs and the work we’ve done to integrate with other providers means that we can download profiles for many different networks to your devices and switch them when required.

Ian Marsden

Founder & CTO

LinkedIn

Ian has a passion for developing technology-based solutions that deliver real improvements to businesses, the environment and quality of life.

Previously he co-founded CompXs to deliver the world’s first ZigBee design. Prior to CompXs, Ian held senior software leadership roles at Philips and has since spearheaded the ground-breaking innovation of our global AnyNet Secure cellular solution.