Connectivity Service Providers, Are You Ready for 2024 Connectivity?

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the old methods of providing IoT connectivity are no longer effective. As IoT customers are growing more sophisticated and complex in their demands and global connectivity becomes more regulated and difficult to obtain, it is on the Connectivity Service Provider (CSP) to adapt. 

Recently, analyst firm Kaleido Intelligence conducted a survey of global CSPs and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) supporting key verticals exploring some of the challenges and opportunities in providing IoT connectivity in a complex ecosystem. 

An interesting finding from the survey is that less than 30 percent of respondents stated that they provide full visibility and access into the network so customers can understand the status of every SIM in real-time. 

SIMs Operating in the Dark

The ideal scenario is that each SIM can be monitored from anywhere in the world in order for the organization to have appropriate information on the SIM behavior. This impacts many touchpoints, including security, privacy, and performance. 

Let’s paint a scenario in which you, the CSP or MVNO, have a customer that sells IoT devices in utilities. This digital water meter is deployed across the United States and uses three different carrier profiles. All of a sudden, 5 percent of the devices start behaving strangely and start sending large packets of data. Your customer does not have the visibility to know why the devices are behaving this way, their costs have gone up – which is not realized until the end of the billing cycle –  and there is a potential cybersecurity threat. If this is just an inherent risk of doing business with you, not providing your customers with visibility into devices.

But they need it. 

The Right Connectivity Management Platform

A connectivity management platform (CMP) is table stakes for IoT and it is the expectation – no CSP is going to operate without one; it’s impossible. Organizations need to deliver IoT solutions that work and are secure. The days of deploying hundreds or thousands of devices and hoping that they’ll perform appropriately are over. Applications in IoT are becoming too mission critical, and the world of IoT is becoming increasingly regulated. It is a great advancement for IoT, but the infrastructure absolutely must catch up. 

What many don’t understand, however, is that the comprehensive features that MVNOs and enterprises need are not typically provided through MNO CMPs, such as real-time information, online charging, and other control functions. 

It’s a burdensome process not meant for the sophisticated demands of the time, but the infrastructure is changing for the better. A holistic CMP provides in-depth visibility with access to a dedicated web portal that allows your customers to see all SIMs and the real-time status of devices. Devices can be enabled, disabled or modified to the customers’ exact business specifications.

This allows you, or your customers, to solve issues right away with no bottlenecks, no clunky integrations, and no blind spots. 

floLIVE has created a global infrastructure that comprises distributed core networks, real-time management of billing, SIMs, remote SIM provisioning, and connectivity management that provides granular visibility to take your business into the new generation of IoT and support your customers like you never have before. 

floLIVE and Kaleido Intelligence Webinar on Next-Gen Connectivity

I’ll be joining Kaleido Intelligence Chief of Research Steffen Sorrell in a webinar on February 14 at 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET to discuss IoT connectivity in 2024. We will not only be discussing connectivity management in greater detail, but we’ll also discuss survey responses to eUICC, Multi-IMSI, roaming and global connectivity, and much more. It’s an exciting time to deliver IoT connectivity, and more solutions are coming to the market to make it simpler for you. I’m excited to have you join the conversation in this data-filled webinar, which you can register for here.