eSIMs are gradually replacing traditional SIM cards as enterprises are looking to achieve ‘always-on’ connectivity, especially for business critical IoT projects. According to a Beecham Research, nearly 8 out of 10 respondents said that they are already using eSIMs or expect to use the technology in the coming months as they believe eSIMs can fuel massive IoT projects for the enterprise.
eSIM can support various connected technologies across the consumer and enterprises, the research said. “eSIM technology will be used in smartphones and in a range of consumer devices that require always-on connectivity that includes wearables, such as smartwatches and smart glasses, connected home devices, and computing devices such as laptops and tablets,” it said.
Experts believe that eSIM will enable subscribers to connect more devices to their mobile operator, offering several device packages and customized data plans. The new technology is also more manageable as customers can conveniently add new devices to their programs without going in-store or waiting for a physical SIM card to arrive in the post, as per the report.
While the new technology opened up new revenue opportunities for mobile operators, their customers scale-up their plans by adding new devices which require data.
Even companies with a large number of mobiles used by their employees will also benefit from the convenience of eSIM. It can deliver a smooth user experience for managing cellular connectivity. The new technology will also enable IT teams to provide and deploy new devices rapidly and conveniently.
“The Internet of Things is all about connecting to remote devices for useful data. The connection itself is crucial – no connection, no data,” said Robin Duke-Woolley, founder and CEO of Beecham Research.
“As IoT data becomes increasingly critical to business operations, enterprises are realizing they need always-on connectivity if they want fast, reliable, and secure access to this data. eSIMs and new global IoT connectivity services help companies gain this always-on connectivity, and with it, the ability to lower IoT project costs and increase project revenues.”
It is also worth pointing out that businesses that use IoT systems can also take advantage of eSIMs. The company with large-scale machine-to-machine deployments such as oil and gas, power plants, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses can use eSIMS.
For instance, firms that use several individual pieces of hardware and need mobile connectivity, involving SIM card into each unit can be a painstaking task. With eSIM, businesses can remotely connect all of this technology to a mobile network. Moreover, companies that require technology to operate in another country, eSIM will aid programme remote to connect to a local operator in that region.
Unlike traditional SIM technology, eSIM uses less space and is relatively cheaper. As a result, mobile connectivity can now be installed into hardware where it was previously not feasible because of cost or space restrictions.
As for the consumer market, mobile network operators can build new data plans for businesses as their connectivity requirements scale up. It will also incorporate new packages for formerly independent devices, such as connected cars or iPads, naturally ensuing in new revenue streams.
