Data SIM management Critical for Mobility and IoT Success
Original Article:https://businesstech.co.za/news/industry-news/309504/data-sim-management-critical-for-mobility-and-iot-success/
Your IoT project is running late and the pressure is on to get your devices into the field and operational.
As technology executive, the last piece of the project puzzle is typically the sourcing, provisioning, installing and testing of data SIM cards for your IoT or mobility devices.
It seems like the simplest piece of the puzzle, but don’t be fooled. Just like with any other aspect of technology, as soon as something is done at scale, it presents new challenges.
“Over the years we have seen many large device deployments being severely negatively affected by inadequate SIM management,” said Kees Snijders, Managing Director at Flickswitch, a provider of device connectivity solutions for Africa. “Some of the most common issues we encounter time and again are massive mobile data bill surprises, technical issues relating to data flow, IP management, APN stability and other mobile network unknowns.”
And he should know, as Snijders has been closely involved in device SIM deployments for over 10 years.
When it comes to deploying large numbers of device SIMs, often into remote locations, the risks start to multiply fast. Flickswitch’s SIMcontrol service helps companies to easily monitor and manage large numbers of deployed SIMs in a quick, easy, and cost-effective way.
“Many SIM management issues can be understood, anticipated or prevented” says Snijders.
Having real-time control and management capability over deployed SIMs becomes a critical success driver for both technical reliability and cost management.
“SIMcontrol is network agnostic and works with all mobile networks in South Africa. We also offer our services in Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ghana,” said Snijders.
The SIMcontrol service is offered on both business prepaid and contract APN SIMs. He says there is no single magic SIM solution that suits every need. “Average data use per device, cost vs reliability considerations and roaming requirements all play a role in deciding which solution is best for a specific use case. We offer the whole basket of alternatives and think with customers about the best solution”.
No matter which connectivity option is used, the issues around spend and risk management, technical network issues and deploying connectivity solutions at scale remain.
As technology leader of an IoT project it is critical to take the time and focus to ensure that SIMs are properly managed. Neglecting this critical aspect could have a severely detrimental project impact, from late or poor delivery to cost overruns.
To find out more, visit the SIMcontrol website:www.simcontrol.co.za
This article was published in partnership with Flickswitch.