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Telco operators to play key role in integration of devices [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)](Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dubai GSMA, the trade body which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, is to offer Embedded Subscription Identity Module (eSIM) compliant with the GSMA-embedded SIM specification for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technology as a major step towards greater integration of devices. Leading SIM vendors, suppliers and operators are releasing the eSIM. Telecom operators like AT&T, etisalat, NTT Docomo, Telefonica and Vodafone have joined the bandwagon in the initial stage. "It can play a diverse role in industrial automation, logistics, smart grids, smart cities and health care due to the sporadic growth in mobile phones," Anne Bouverot, director general of GSMA, told Gulf News. For example, a connected car with a built-in eSIM from Germany may be exported to the UAE or any other countries. So, with the new eSIM it can be configured over the air and be connected to etisalat's or any telecom operator's network. According to the GSMA, the use of traditional SIMs require insertion and replacement in M2M devices for transportation, utility metering or other applications can present several challenges. To overcome this, a specific non-removable SIM is embedded into the M2M device at the point of manufacturing with the subscription profile of the operator providing the connectivity. This eliminates the need to intervene or replace the SIM cards over the lifetime of each M2M product, reducing ongoing operational and logistical costs. For this system to work, however, telecoms operators must adhere to a single specification so that devices installed by manufacturers are standardised globally through a variety of operators. "It is going to be the same for all connected M2M devices. This is a new standard and specification, so only few telecom operators have joined the bandwagon and willing to implement it but it is open for all. Many more will be announced at Mobile World Congress 2015," she said. M2M SIMs already provide connectivity to a wide variety of solutions for businesses and communities alike. They are commonly used to manage building climate control systems, enable navigation and tracking systems in vehicles, allow water and electricity providers to monitor usage in real time, offering time based tariffs and better managing the networks. "Automotive manufacturers are now installing embedded SIMs into their vehicles to control in-car navigation, communications and infotainment services. For these advancements to be enabled anywhere in the world, we need to have a unified standard so that a vehicle installed with an embedded SIM in Germany can be shipped to South America, the Middle East and Australia and still have the same functionality," said Khalifa Al Shamsi, chief digital services officer at Etisalat Group. He said that Etisalat had started to work with automotive manufactures as early as 2012 as "we clearly saw the potential of the solution to pave the way for global demand for internet of things and M2M." As the industry moves towards a single, common and interoperable standard, based on the GSMA Embedded SIM specification, many devices will be able to communicate "more effectively and efficiently with each other and with consumers," Al Shamsi, said. The new eSIM will further accelerate the rapidly growing M2M market, which is set to reach 244 million global connections this year, according to GSMA Intelligence. (c) 2014 Al Nisr Publishing LLC . All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |