Latest data from BICS reveals the need for services related to international IoT roaming
The COVID-19 pandemic has served to emphasize the need for accelerated digital transformation among global enterprises. Kaleido Intelligence estimates that the ‘COVID-19 effect’ could result in there being as many as one billion cellular IoT connections worldwide by 2025. Why? Businesses are seeking to accelerate and increase revenues, enable better safeguarding and allow for greater transparency and efficiencies. These trends apply across sectors as diverse as automotive, healthcare, logistics and many more.
So, what are the implications from a connectivity perspective?
IoT connectivity will need specialized service providers
Cellular connectivity for IoT projects has until today been provided by operators and mobile virtual network operators. There will be a significant increase in the number of players who support this sector over the next five years, with many needing specialist support in areas such as device, routing and application management. These new players will include enterprises seeking to control and provide consistent service across large global deployments. Automotive is expected to lead the charge, followed by global enterprises in several other sectors, who will each have extremely diverse requirements and service needs.
Whether enterprise or operator, these new players in the IoT roaming space are likely to adopt a mobile virtual network operator-like model so that they can cut time to market and lower upfront capital investment: crucial for IoT traction and success. A service provider that can provide reliable global cellular connectivity in an agile manner, giving them autonomy and control, is an essential partner for their success.
BICS’ highly reliable, secure virtualized network infrastructure that supports dynamic, multi-country service provisioning, alongside the ability to offer flexible pricing models, makes us an ideal enabler and partner in this regard.
M2M roaming traffic needs better monetization enabled by greater insight into traffic
The IoT at scale business model is fundamentally dependent on ROI, which is enhanced by eliminating complexity, increasing operational insights or cross-/upselling services. Cellular connectivity and roaming service providers addressing this market must be able to provide reduced complexity at lower costs, and transparent business models to enterprises. Whether it is a price per-unit, a flat rate or local breakout, there is a range of business models that can be used and tailored to meet specific business requirements.
To identify the right model to use, organizations need visibility, insight and control over their connected devices. With 360-degree visibility of device and network performance, live subscriber tracking and sophisticated reporting, BICS SMART Webvision has been specifically developed to provide IoT enterprises with the capabilities to identify, investigate and resolve issues in a light-touch and low-cost model.
Conclusion
A sustainable and easy-to-use IoT roaming business model is a prerequisite for the success of large global IoT deployments, and we can expect significant innovation in business models, value-added services and more in the coming years. By partnering with an IoT roaming specialist like BICS, both operators and enterprises can reap the benefits of transparency in pricing, wholesale business models and advanced analytics tools.
To find out more about our platform and fully virtualized international mobile network designed for IoT, supported by a self-serve management portal and user-friendly dashboard, visit https://bics-iot.com/.