Buyer's Guide To Industrial IoT SIM Cards - Pod Group

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English
Buyers Guide To Industrial IoT SIM Cards by Sam
Colley Pod, IoT Solutions... / Insights /
Buyers Guid...
Your IoT Deployment Success Depends on your IoT
SIM Cards
With hyper-scale connectivity around the corner,
business will change as we know it. Were
hearing a lot about industry 4.0 and the next
global industrial revolution it will be rearing
its head in no time and now is the time to take
advantage of it. 1
The huge financial benefits that can be gained
from business process automation
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are there for the taking when it comes to
industrial-scale IoT deployments. Successful
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IoT deployments are strategically integrated into
business models and improve the bottom
line. With this new paradigm shift and
technological breakthrough that SIM card
technology has provided, there are new horizons
for many enterprises looking to increase
productivity and operational efficiencies through
the power of IoT SIM Cards. However, there are
roadblocks and challenges with IoT deployments.
The systems architecture is critical, and
matching this with business goals should be part
of your fundamental analysis. Enterprise-scale
IoT deployments should start small then scale
quick. With Industry 4.0 here to stay, proof of
concepts, lean product development and iterative
testing are just a few of the examples of what
large-scale enterprise IoT deployments will have
to consider and build on if optimized
connectivity is to be realized. The purpose of
IoT is to make your processes more accurate and
efficient, increasing your productivity and
profit. IoT allows businesses to run for 24 hours
a day, and having fewer people to do a job can
increase the potential of automation across
enterprises. Before any of this is to happen
though, you must have the connectivity in place
and this is where you need to decide on what IoT
SIM Card is right for you.
Knowing Your Connectivity
Choosing What SIM Card Technology To Go
For Depending on what, where and when you will be
looking for connectivity will determine what
type of SIM card will be for you. For IoT and M2M
devices, the most reliable connectivity methods
are cellular networks. Consider the
following 1. Network Coverage There are many
benefits to IoT SIM cards when it comes to
coverage.
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The options range from one country with a single
price or a global network with a global tariff
the choice is firmly in the hands of you, the
customer. Youll want to?
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avoid high roaming costs for sure and choosing a
SIM card such as a Multi-Network is a smart
choice because these SIM cards will allow you to
connect to the best network operator at all
times. Supporting enterprise-level IoT deployment
means reliability is crucial. Combining embedded
SIMs, or eSIMs, with eUICC software allows for
enhanced connectivity and true scalability. In
short, traditional SIM cards can only hold one
profile and work on the network that it has been
programmed for, whereas eUICC technology allows
users to remotely add or provision SIM profiles
Over the Air (OTA) without needing to swap
physical SIMs. The ability to configure multiple
SIM profiles on an eSIM makes eUICC one of the
catalysts for reliable, continuous IoT
connectivity. Traditional SIM cards are still fit
for purpose, however for future proof solutions
its recommended to consider eSIM
technology. 2. Network Reliability IoT SIM cards
do offer a better user experience and simpler
implementation if youre looking for network
coverage that is both global and reliable. One of
the ways that you can offset not having 100
uptime, all the time, is by OTA (Over the Air)
provisioning and remote management. Traditional
SIMs are challenged by this because of their
data roaming costs which are usually very high.
The cellular connectivity provided by Multi-IMSI
SIMs means that this problem is a thing of the
past. For Multi-IMSI SIMs to update OTA, it
required inter operators agreements when outside
of the home nation. There are a few ways that OTA
updates can happen and they are through the
Edge, Gateway to Cloud and Edge to Gateway. The
Edge OTA is a remote server that directly handles
updates from firmware and software, whereas the
Gateway to Cloud OTA is an internet connected
gateway to manage a number of IoT devices and
finally, the Edge to Gateway OTA are only when
devices are connected in the network. Choosing
how to update will depend upon your needs, how
many devices are connected and the network
available for connectivity. Its worth noting
that not all IoT devices are stable and have
access to the internet, therefore, a backup or a
number of backup options are available with OTA
provisioning.
New approaches to edge layer connectivity raise
questions when designing the network
architecture and should be part of your
fundamental analysis as well as?
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mapping network touch points and endpoints to
really understand the scale for your IoT
deployment. Management platforms such as Pod IoT
Suite allow for this type of workflow to be
automated and make sure you have IoT/M2M
connectivity that is resilient and reliable. 3.
Network Security Making sure your network
security has minimum risk of being compromised is
mission critical to IoT deployments. Having your
virtual and cloud networks secured should be
part of your security framework and using
encryption protocol VPNs can prevent malware
from impacting your organization. Configuring
every device can be complex, especially at
enterprise level with 1000s of devices
available. Having a root of trust available for
every device is critical. Establishing a unique,
immutable and unclonable identity so that devices
can be authorized in an IoT network is highly
recommended.
Getting Closer To The Edge Edge cloud storage can
be used to steer data away from data storage
centres and non-steered roaming solutions
connect to the best networks available. You are
less likely to lose connectivity and can even
create data caps to prevent data usage exceeding
a chosen limit. Edge computing is becoming
widespread for IoT deployment and industrial IoT.
There
is less risk of your data being hijacked this way
as its not on a public internet and
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reduces the risk of attacks to data being a
barrier to business operations. You only
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send the data you need to and can save money this
way a great example is offshore oil rigs using
edge computing. A major consideration in the
security space now will be how to adapt to 5G.
With more bandwidth and faster connection
speeds, the opportunities are there but so are
the risks and threats of cyber security. Zero
touch provisioning plays a crucial role for
network security and lifetime security of your
network. 4. Device SIM Management Managing
your devices and SIMs are all possible remotely
through platforms such as Pod IoT Suite.
Management platforms work remotely to manage your
devices and connectivity. For large-scale IoT
deployments, this process has to be fully
automated and standardized because device
numbers can run well into the tens of thousands.
Bootstrapping your devices and connectivity form
the ground up will put you in the best position
to manage your deployment effectively and
efficiently. No more tedious management of
individual SIMs, the days of complex inventory
logistics are long gone, high roaming charges are
a thing of the past and flexible contracts are
here to stay. With the SIM technologies available
to us today, platforms have empowered users with
end-to-end control of their connectivity. Remote
access to devices and SIMs have provided
necessary profile management in real time users
of such platforms are now able to switch MNOs and
remotely provision, a feature possible with the
use of eSIMs and eUICC technology. eUICC is very
popular in the automotive space for many reasons
and theyve been benefiting from remote
management for years. The interoperability
available between IoT ecosystem vendors, from
SIMs to operating systems of UICC SIM, has
increased the adoption and performance of remote
device/SIM management. The Universal Integrated
Circuit Card (UICC) does more than a SIM, yet
there is no SIM without a UICC. The universal
integrated circuit card has historically been a
static element of a SIM card and every SIM card
has a UICC associated with it, allowing
migration to another physical SIM but no longer
being associated with the original SIM. eUICC
solutions are different depending on what
vertical its being used in. Payment 1 terminals,
vehicles, consumer electronics, smart metering
are a few examples. The management platforms and
eSIM technology are now enabling machine to
mac?hine
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(M2M) communications which have been a great for
automotive telematics, in-home health care
systems and fleet management systems. Industrial-g
rade IoT SIM cards withstand pressure from harsh
environments, the IoT analytics available can
monitor trends over time and allow you to make
smarter business decisions. If youre looking to
harness the true power of SIM technology then
eUICC is an option to consider. They come in
different shapes and sizes and have multiple
profiles that possess a richer operating
software capacity, capable of connecting to any
network globally with an OTA software update.
This revolutionary technological advancement
will be what brings IoT connectivity to billions
of people and realize the ambitions of Industry
4.0, all possible through a single point of
access for users. Cisco predicts that by 2021,
there will be 27.1bn networked devices serving
4.6bn users globally. Management on such scale
requires well thought out web based platforms
and secure connectivity.
5. Data Processing Storage Finding the right
data combination is crucial for optimal IoT
connectivity. Choosing the data format protocol
and transport of that data is a key consideration
and should be mapped out prior to
deployment. The network architecture of eUICC is
designed for no data to be transferred between
the channels or profiles. For ensuring the
legitimacy of the data transfer, it requires a
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central authorisation and certificate authority.
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Secure data transport can happen between
installed devices or encryption on all devices
and SIM providers a private APN (access point
name) accessible through a VPN (virtual private
network) to allow a secure tunnel for data to be
transfered. The protocol, 3GPP AKA
(Authentication and Key Agreement) is what allows
IoT SIM cards usable for IoT devices. This
global standard has evolved SIM technology and
solutions to lower the complexity of
provisioning, decreasing device cost and
infrastructure. The Subscription manager data
preparation (SMDP) secure credentials. SM-SR
subscription manager secures routing. This is a
catalyst for SIMs coming from different
providers. This opens up choice to the customer
and MNOs will stipulate either SM-DP for
preparation of a profile. For M2M communications,
data can be aggregated across all connected
devices, allowing all of your devices data usage
that may be underused or overused to be levelled
out and still withdraw data from the same pot.
This makes your data usage and allocation,
efficient and optimized and reduces the chances
of overspending. Customized data plans are
recommended if you are not sure of the fixed
volumes of data you require, a pay as you go
tariff would be better. Excessive data storage
can be a problem for many IoT deployments but
using a SIM Card that uses a low power battery
and storage is a solution. LPWAN (low power wide
area network) offers ultra low latency costs for
5G and cellular connectivity, making this an
attractive investment for many enterprises
looking for scalable and efficient data
processing solutions. The CATM1 comes into its
own when using low battery devices for cellular
connectivity. Industrial SIMs have up to a
17-year-old data retention capability and
increased storage capacity if required. As well
as being super resilient in harsh weather
conditions and withstanding extreme heat
pressures whether thats at -40c or as high as
105c. Traditional SIMs could only ever withstand
heat pressure from 25-85c. 6. SIM Card
Scalability
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With remote management and SIM technology
flexibility, the scalability of your business
can become much more streamlined. Over the last
few years, roaming clauses and network
guidelines have adapted to this new disruptive
way of mobile connectivity. Large-scale M2M
IoT deployments are using eUICC. Adopting this
new type of IoT SIM card requires serious
consideration if youre looking to harness the
potential of what a fully automated and
connected IoT ecosystem can bring to your
business. The technology has come on leaps and
bounds but still in 2020 it has yet reached its
true potential. GSMA v1 and v2 were not very
interoperable between SIM and platforms, which
proved expensive for users and an overall bad
customer experience. Now platforms have to be
certified with GSM and have certified locations
so that the SIMs can work and swap profiles from
different MNOs. The impact of eUICC eUICC has
brought radical change to GSM connectivity over
the last 20 years. The difference between eUICC
and traditional SIMs are the number of profiles
you can host, made possible by the Machine
Identification Module (MIM) available with IoT
SIM Cards. The hardware is also more complex than
the classical SIMs, it requires at least 515kb
of memory to run its operating software compared
to that of single profile SIMs in the range of
64-128kb of memory. Now with eUICC cards, you
can be supported with multiple profiles and have
higher computation complexity. It has done away
with the need to migrate profiles and hos1t
multiple UICCs on a single SIM. For devices that
require global connections or req?uire multiple
service contracts eUICC is the perfect use case.
It has cost effective
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connectivity and if youre looking to connect to
thousands of devices in remote places, across
different borders, eUICC is the
enabler. Switching over 100 SIMs in one go was
once unthinkable at a low cost and its now a
very real case. eUICC total migration process is
undertaken by a single entity in a centralized
location. The outgoing profiles on eUICC SIMs
allow for decommissioning of MNO profiles and
provides customers with the choice to switch an
and when they want, improving the overall IoT
connectivity customer experience. This provides a
number of risks for MNOs who are looking for new
ways to keep customers locked in because of the
fear they can leave at any time. eUICC has many
benefits and one for them is the democratization
of the SIM space, finally putting you in the
drivers seat and incontrol of your connectivity.
More MNOs are opening up to the use of eUICC and
starting to generate incoming provisioning
profiles and having carrier sets on the
devices. The ability to add IoT connectivity to
existing devices that do not have an eSIM
functionality is now possible with eUICC. This
feature can save you in engineer and technical
costs, increase productivity of your workforce
and automate workflow. Let the algorithms within
the operating system do the work for you and
search out the constant low cost carrier
fees. Avoid the risks of implementing
multi-vendor agreements and choose eUICC.
Achieve true automated scalability from your
platform and remotely access 1000s of devices.
The IoT ecosystem will compound with developments
in the next few years with developers building
through APIs and Industry 4.0 will be reaping the
rewards. The supply chain simplicity of this
technology allows for many features and benefits,
not to mention the cost savings. Local
subscription and local market needs can be met
with this solution. A more simple, connected
ecosystem for IoT has been a long time coming,
and now we finally have it with eUICC. With IoT
M2M growing exponentially, eUICC SIM cards are
the future proofing the industry can rely on.
7. Embedded SIMs, eSIMs Cellular
Connectivity Increased demand for cellular
technology is on the rise and according to
Ericsson Mobility Report there will be 25bn IoT
connection by 2020. The ability of eSIMs and
eUICC allow connectivity to be fitted into old
and new devices and appliances, th?us,
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increasing the lifecycle of SIM products and
access to connectivity from the ground up.

• What are Embedded SIMs
• Embedded SIMs are buried within the motherboard
  and not removable. They are reprogrammable chips
  and come in a number of different sizes, they are
  not removable and soldered into devices. The
  remote SIM provisioning allows for a change of
  network providers who beam details to a new SIM
  without the need to swap physical SIMs.
• Embedding SIM circuits into the circuit board and
  configuring remotely is the best for network
  regardless of location, this is hard to argue
  with considering the remote and rural locations
  that devices will be operational. Traditional SIM
  cards are obsolete for IoT now.
• As with traditional SIMs only storing one profile
  there are few options to get around this, where
  erasing and installing a new profile can be done
  remotely with embedded SIMs. A great solution
  for those with limited engineering and technician
  capabilities in remote locations. Embedded SIMs
  have found traction in the automotive,
  wearables, healthcare, and energy sectors.
• The difference with original SIM technology and
  embedded SIMs are
• l. Reduce ordering and manufacturing costs
• Real time subscription changes
• Constant and consistent security L. Reducing in
  running costs
• What are eSIMs
• eSIMs are a wider catalyst for more IoT
  connectivity and embedded SIMs will stimulate
  business innovations, unleashing new
  opportunities and profit. The interoperability
  of networks and providers is still a
  consideration but one that is moving in the
  right direction.
• eSIM allows enterprises to enjoy all the legacy
  SIM services such as roaming services, local
  breakout services and SIM applets with multi
  international IMSI services. The

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eSIMs are a key innovation.
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This technology does have the potential to
increase IoT deployments through speed and
efficiency. Module software embedded SIM
technology is expected to contribute to the
upcoming mass rollout of cellular IoT
connectivity. 8. The Differences in SIMs Size
and type of SIM depends on device purpose,
functionality, and space available to host a SIM
or chip, there are 2 different types of SIM
technology and four form factors. They are l.
Standard SIM (1FF) 85.6mm 53.98mm 0.76 mm
(3.370" x 2.125" x 0.029") 2. Mini SIM (2FF)
25mm x 15mm x 0.76mm (0.984" x 0.590" x
0.029") 3. Micro SIM (3FF) 15mm x 12mm x 0.76mm
(0.590" x 0.472" x 0.029" L. Nano SIM (4FF)
12.3mm 8.8mm 0.67mm (0.484" x 0.346" x
0.026") 5. Chip SIM (MFF2) 6mm 5mm 0.9 mm
(0.236" x 0.196" x 0.035")
What To Do Next The Challenges Changes Ahead
The challenges and pitfalls await for sure but
with proper planning and meticulous articulation
of your software architecture needs, the
potential of IoT SIM Cards can finally be
realized. ?
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