It’s not always crystal clear how your particular IoT Journey will look. The steps you take along the way may follow a clear path, or you may take unexpected turns as your business grows and evolves. One thing is clear, though: with the right support and services you’ll get the most from your IoT journey, no matter where it takes you.

When you started your IoT journey you probably had a business case that would best be realized by connecting things. Everyone’s experience is different and sometimes, when devices are first deployed, controlling that deployment is not at the top of the to-do list;  maybe the deployment wasn’t so big that it needed many changes so contacting the help desk for any changes was all you really needed. It was relatively simple, and you were just happy to have coverage.

Now you had more control and started optimizing your costs, and maybe even started to see the possibilities of new revenue streams, due the data you had. Time passed and new requirements made you reconsider your connectivity provider or your choice of connectivity technology, meaning you now had not one or two but three (or even more) legacy deployments.  Your choices now have you on three parallel IoT journeys, but that’s what customers wanted, right? Complexity was increasing, overview and control was hard, not to mention all those issues with data layers. The need to unify and simplify them became apparent and you began using products that helped you do that.

Once your connectivity was unified you continued to grow, again deploying more devices and getting more data and it’s at this point that you saw that you needed to get deeper into business analytics and get better insights into how your devices were performing – after all, big data is a hygiene factor these days. Online GUI is great, but you want those insights and data delivered straight into your own systems. API and streaming are the way forward, and you now need smarter connectivity.

Because you were determined to get the most from your IoT deployment you made it smarter and in turn, your business continued to grow. You might have started with 500 devices but now have 50 000 or even 100 000+ and are deploying in places you wouldn’t have dreamed of a few years ago – but which come with their own regulatory challenges. At this point you have a completely different set of requirements from both a global connectivity perspective and a quality perspective. You require low latency and probably attractive pricing beyond the retail offer.

Fragmented technologies, unpredictable connectivity costs, and regulatory difficulties might be just a few of the challenges you’re facing.  And the off-the-shelf connectivity everyone is offering is no longer enough for deployments of this nature. You need something bespoke that is tailored to your needs, but you don’t want to be heavily investing in building up an IoT/Telco company inhouse to deliver all of this – you want it delivered as-a-Service.

You’re always going to need your global SIMs with roaming agreements, you’re still going to need analytics, and you will always need to unify because who knows what technology lies around the corner? Your choices now should future proof your IoT solution, no matter what comes tomorrow .

The good news is that if you’ve made considered choices along the way you have already implemented technologies, products, and services that build upon one another, so as you reach unicorn status it’s really just a matter of adding that final layer that will make everything you’ve built work in harmony, like a well-oiled machine.

Building from the bottom up and adding layers where and when needed will take a lot of pain out of your IoT journey. With Tele2 IoT it doesn’t matter where you are in your journey – our solutions are built like legos stacked on top of one another: they fit with whatever you are building, whether that’s getting your deployment off the ground, unifying an already-complex solution, or giving you the tools you need to manage your global deployment in one consolidated access technology-agnostic platform.

It’s only been a decade or so since IoT grew some roots and really started to change the world as we knew it. Early adopters were bold enough to take a calculated risk and go where no company had gone before. In doing so, they were able to not just enhance their business and hopefully open new markets, they were also able to help shape the road ahead, simply by dint of being there first.

The stakes are much higher for early adopters, though, and it means navigating pitfalls along the way. When it comes to IoT those early days pitfalls included fragmented technologies, organizational issues, lack of user experience and knowledge, and security concerns. Those who began their IoT Journey a bit further down the road or who are now about to start their IoT journey can learn a lot from those who braved the wild west early days of IoT, because despite the challenges, IoT has brought an enormous amount of value to companies that have implemented it.

• Identify use cases and business benefits

As the IoT hype wanes, focusing on developing use cases with clear business benefits is more critical than ever. Not only will this identify benefits such as cost savings, revenue generation, happy customers, and optimized processes, it will also help you avoid lame arguments like ‘everyone’s doing it’ while convincing company decision-makers to make IoT a priority

• Implement cross-functional collaboration

It’s important that your IT department partners with other functions and units; this can be an opportunity to assess skill gaps while also spreading new capabilities across your organization. It’s also important to understand that it’s not just the CTO who needs to understand your IoT deployment – C-level involvement across the board is important right from the start.

• Have a data plan

Data is the superpower of IoT but the more IoT you do the more data you’re going to have to handle. In order to keep things under control, understand where data is coming from, what you want from it, and how you’re going to analyze it.

• Make security and privacy a priority

When data is flowing the potential for it to be breached is always there, but you can minimize the risk by taking security seriously and working with your provider to ensure the secure solution that meets your particular needs.

If you would like to learn more about how Tele2 IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a buzz word ever since it first entered the Gartner “Hype Cycle” in 2011. By the time it first peaked in 2014 experts were predicting 50 billion connected devices by 2020, with investment topping $20 trillion. People thought everything from lamp posts to clothing to our bodies would be connected.

But whenever there is hype people tend to jump in feet first, instead of first dipping their toe in to test the temperature. It’s no different with IoT – five years on from it first peaking in the Hype Cycle the smoke has cleared and a different picture has emerged. The expected number of connected devices is now closer to 20 billion, with investment likely to be in the billions, rather than trillions.

So, what changed?

The US-based research and advisory firm Gartner first published its annual Hype Cycle in 1995. According to Gartner, new technology goes through five cycles: Innovation Trigger, Peak of Inflated Expectations, Trough of Disillusionment, Slope of Enlightenment, and Plateau of Productivity.

When IoT made its 2011 debut in the Hype Cycle it was part of the Innovation Trigger, before moving into the Peak of Inflated Expectations in 2014. Two years later, Gartner created a separate Hype Cycle for IoT, a move many speculated was based on the idea that while some IoT uses were maturing, others still had a way to go – and a separate hype cycle would better reflect the fragmentation.

When it comes to B2B, it’s clear that IoT is maturing. Streamlined processes, cost savings, possible new revenue streams – these are all proven benefits. Many companies see it as an essential part of their business strategy, but instead of going full steam ahead, their IoT solutions are based on a business case and they often started with a pilot, rather than with full implementation right away.

Despite IoT being a key strategic priority for companies, far too many solutions either fail or are not wholly successful.  Penetration is high, but utilization is low. Integration challenges, cost and duration of implementation, lack of skills and knowledge, fragmented markets, security questions – these are all reasons why an IoT solution can struggle.

It has taken far longer for companies to develop a firm understanding of the complexity of IoT, and even more importantly, many companies implement a solution without fully understanding or identifying which problem IoT will address, and how they will extract value from their IoT solution.

Additionally, the complexity of implementation varies from industry to industry. It’s easy to see and derive value when you slap a tracker on a car: you know where it is, you know when it needs maintenance, and you can measure everything from fuel consumption to road conditions.

On the other hand, connecting an airport is in many ways even more complex than connecting a city. There are systems for shops, airport tax, services to airline companies, support for the elderly or infirm, parking, WiFi… the list goes on and on. On top of that there are operational requirements, such as knowing where the baggage is.

As IoT has evolved the smart IoT provider has learned that focusing on core capabilities, with the understanding that no single company can deliver the entire IoT solution on its own, puts them in a better position to serve their customers. Acting as a partner to customers by helping them identify where IoT will deliver real value and then drawing upon an external partner ecosystem to being together the right ingredients is a big part of IoT being where it is today. IoT providers are now thinking long term; the solution that works today may not be the one the customer needs tomorrow. Both businesses and technology evolve, and IoT is now acting proactively, prepared and ready for what is heading our way.

Another area where IoT has matured is understanding how to manage data and offering solutions to customers.  Realistically, it doesn’t matter how much data is flowing – if you don’t have a clear understanding of what you want from it and then a way to extract value you’re not getting much of anything from your IoT solution.

At the end of the day, IoT hype is well-deserved. It is the kind of technology that can truly transform a business, from an operational standpoint as well as a business development one. As the rate of maturity increases, companies will no longer implement solutions without enough foresight or knowledge because providers will be on hand to guide them through the process and act as a real partner.

For more than 25 years the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card has been fundamental in the development of mobile telecommunications. First introduced in 1991 SIMs began life about the size of a credit card and were designed to store information used to identify and authenticate users.

SIMs were also used to connect devices to 2G GSM (Global System of Mobile Communications).  SIM advancements have developed in close parallel with advances in cellular network evolution – but not all SIM cards were created equal.

SIMs & IoT

The rise of IoT meant the development of a different kind of SIM. While an IoT SIM acts similarly to a standard SIM, it does a very different job, offering features and functionalities that you won’t find on the SIM you have in your phone.

One main difference is the subscription type; among other things, an IoT subscription allows you to monitor data usage and SIM activity, you can activate and deactivate it, and you are able lock it to a device. You can also share data across all devices and have multi-operator coverage.

Another difference is the robustnes, since SIMs are often found in harsh environmental conditions. While standard SIMs only possess a 25°C to 85°C temperature range, an industrial IoT SIM can operate to temperatures as low as -40°C and as high as 105°C. Industrial IoT SIMs also enjoy a much longer life span than standard SIMS, due to their 17-year data retention capability, increased storage capacity, and as many as 16 million read-write cycles. Industrial IoT SIMs can come in any form factor, depending on the size of the device and the purpose it serves.

New SIM technology

With everything from smart homes to autonomous cars and Industry 4.0, the integration of IoT technology into both our everyday lives and a company’s core business is inevitable. But first we need to turn on the eSIM, which in many ways holds the key to the connected world.

Unlike with smart phones, where you can connect to WiFi and download an eSIM profile, with IoT there is not a person to connect and download the eSIM locally, so it has to be done remotely.

And there-in lies the beauty of the eSIM: everything can be managed remotely, including switching your connectivity provider, which offers tremendous savings when it comes to logistics and field support. And having a solution based on the global GSMA standard means you ensure both compatibility and future proofing.

Speaking of the future, what is next in store for IoT when it comes to SIM cards? Will they even be with us in five or ten years’ time – or will we have already moved on?

Predicting the future

In the future, we could see all devices connected through secure connections enabled by SIM technology, and it will be possible to change a subscription model remotely for optimal connectivity. eSIMs introduce a truly digital distribution of connectivity which enables new business models to evolve.

We’ll also see a higher degree of embedded SIMs, meaning SIMs that are built-in, where essentially there is no plug-in SIM at all in the connectivity-enabled devices.  These will play a big role in how quickly and seamlessly tracking devices connect.

An embedded SIM is a hardware-centric SIM integrated into the chipset. These SIMs will, among other things, simplify supply chains, enable smaller devices, improve power consumption, reduce costs, and maintain high security levels.

Chipsets, modules, and other hardware components will be produced with eSIMs, with provisioning connectivity profiles, which means the end product can connect directly.  The connectivity provider profile can be remotely changed if and when needed, and we thus move from a linear to a circular SIM lifecycle.

Because an eSIM can store multiple connectivity profiles we will also see more functionality being developed on top of the SIM – so-called SIM applets. SIM applets are small programs inside your SIM dedicated to fulfilling a particular task. This could be implementing the business logic to change a connectivity profile based on rules, such as when one network is not available.  This would provide redundancy for high-availability solutions, such as alarms.  Another business logic could be to automatically change a profile based on which which country the IoT device is trying to connect in.

SIM technology will continue to evolve to support new business logic and value creation – and SIM functionality will remain critical to your IoT solution in securely identifying and authenticating every device.

How can a prospective IoT business differentiate the qualities of one Telecom operator’s connectivity offer from another? Which connectivity provider gives best all-round value when it comes to reliable machine to machine connectivity, IoT expert service, and pricing? Here are top 5 tips that we recommend you to take a look at in order to optimize your data consumption and find the best IoT connectivity partner. 

The communication between things provides significant value for most industries today, such as lowering service costs with remote access, efficient energy utilization through real-time monitoring and creating new revenue streams by selling differentiated services.

We use connected machines to perform variety of different tasks to achieve this business value. It can be using car sensors that enable pay-as-you-drive auto insurance. The ability to monitor equipment remotely or GPS tracking that monitors vehicles/containers location and activity. The use cases are endless.

As connectivity is a crucial part of all M2M/IoT solutions and one of the potential cost drivers, it is important to make sure you choose a Telecom operator that can help you optimize your data consumption. Below you find five tips on what to look for.

1. Understanding the units you’re using

Does the telecom operator understand diversity in M2M/IoT devices? Is the connectivity service provider experienced in dealing with HW units and how they are being used in field? In example, some tracking units uses Binary for data format that uses much less data than ASCII. If you have units that support both then make sure you set the unit to use binary as the data usage will be lower.

2. The configuration of your device

Depending on your needs, you should configure the best optimal setting on your device. Because actual configuration of your device will affect the amount of data being used. For example in GPS tracking devices, the way you want to have the tracking interval/polling and heartbeat are very important. If you want to set tracking time down to seconds, then the device will push a lot of data. Using heartbeat and/or sleep mode (if supported) would save cost.

3. Rounding effect (the handshake cost)

If you configure the device to be always ON (learn how long a data session can be with your telecom operator and CDR creation maximum timeout) instead of starting a data session, sending few bites and closing the session down, will save you up to 15% cost. This means you can lower your costs by aligning according to the rounding policy of your telecom operator for around 5-15% depending on how often you send data.

4. Reliability of the cellular connectivity

Static devices sending non-critical data may only require single network SIMs if the coverage in given location is good (do not forget that coverage also depends on the traffic at base station in a given time). But if the device is roaming/mobile, operates from areas with shaky signal coverage, or involved in sending business critical data, a single network SIM (or a SIM with roaming steering to the “cheapest” network partner) presents risks of connectivity failure. Multi-network SIMs go a long way in addressing this risk by automatically switching connection between networks to retain best signal connectivity. So, ask if you are getting full roaming without network steering and access to the best signal in a given location?

5. Automation to prevent overage charges

Most of the connectivity service providers also have some sort of SIM management platform. Check if your platform can be pro-active and take action if something un-expected happens. Inability to do anything beyond simple email alerts on potential issues is a possible extra cost and/or customer dissatisfaction for you. Real-time ability to de-activate rogue devices or push a notification into existing IT systems via APIs means devices with problems can be fixed before they become customer support calls to you.

All in all; you should look for the competence level of your telecom operator before signing an M2M/IoT deal with them. Most of the network and connectivity issues can often be resolved online or over the phone. But sometimes the M2M devices themselves malfunction or may experience network signaling issues. Check if your Telecom operator has testing skills that can work with you to physically examine the M2M device to ascertain the most likely cause of the problem? Will the service provider be able to help get you back up and running quickly if anything goes wrong?

At Tele2 IoT we have a long history in connectivity. We can help you to optimize your costs and go global. If you would like to learn more about how we can help enable your business, please get in touch.