By Sachin Arora
With all the technological advancements occurring at a rapid pace, we are getting used to things being faster, without delays or disruptions. The expectations have increased, and businesses as well as consumers constantly seek better ways to stay connected and stay up-to-date.
As a result, a multitude of devices, such as wearable gadgets, telematics, and smartphones, are emerging in the market and undergoing constant transformations to cater to the needs of their users. However, these devices need to perform a multitude of functions while requiring a high processing capacity and built-in standalone cellular connectivity. This is where IoT-enhanced mobile eSIM plays a critical role. So, let us delve deeper into eSIM, its capabilities, and potential benefits.
Exploring eSIM and its capabilities
eSIM, has emerged as a technology that allows reprogramming of SIMs that can be embedded in devices. As a result, consumers can choose any service provider without the need for a physical SIM. According to Juniper Research, 94% of all eSIM installations worldwide are expected to occur in the consumer sector by 2025.
In terms of M2M (machine-to-machine) devices, reliable connectivity has always been a crucial aspect. M2M eSIM is intended for IoT sensors, metres, trackers, and devices that frequently run with minimal onsite human intervention and are resource-constrained at times. By using a remote command from the subscription management platform, the profile is “pushed” to the device. This allows for mass profile management in IoT setups with many geographically distributed endpoints. These extensive abilities of eSIM yield several advantages.
Unveiling the advantages of eSIM
eSIM plays a critical role in moving from IoT to IDoT by providing unique identities (the identity of things ) , enhancing security, supporting interoperability, and simplifying the management of devices
- Unique Identity: The eSIM gives each device its unique identity, which is crucial in an IDoT environment. This allows for easier management and tracking of individual devices in a network.
- Enhanced Security: eSIMs enhance the security of IoT devices by providing secure credentials that can be updated remotely. This makes it harder for unauthorized users to gain access to the device or the network.
- Interoperability: eSIMs support interoperability, meaning they can work with different service providers. This is important for IDoT as devices from different manufacturers and service providers need to work together seamlessly.
- Scalability: eSIMs make it easier to add or remove devices from a network, making them ideal for large-scale IDoT environments.
- Efficient Management: eSIMs simplify the management of IoT devices, reducing the complexity associated with physical SIM cards, which is particularly beneficial in an IDoT context.
- Remote Provisioning: eSIMs can be remotely provisioned, meaning they can be programmed to connect to a network without the need for physical access. This is particularly important for IDoT where devices may be spread across different locations.
One of the major benefits of eSIM is that it allows for multiple connections per device. eSIM allows flexible connectivity, which is secure and independent of any service provider . It further enables a hassle-free switch between the networks while providing the provision of saving space, allowing for sleeker device designs.
Integrating IoT connectivity and eSIM
IoT connectivity makes it possible for machines to communicate with each other, which facilitates more collaboration between humans and machines too. But it produces an enormous amount of data, which makes it difficult to work on with merely IoT. At the heart of IoT, it is all about sensors that are implemented and provide data streams via connectivity, where eSIM will play a larger role in IoT cellular connectivity. The eSIM can authenticate the device when it is turned on; therefore, there is no need to provision initial credentials if an IoT project employs the eSIM as an authentication token. If the eSIM provider includes unique authentication in the service, then the device can be uniquely authenticated even in the absence of an authentication backend. In a bid to enhance the full potential of eSIM with IoT, its further amalgamation with artificial intelligence (AI) will play a crucial role.
Way ahead for AI & IoT Connectivity
Esim Is the enabler of seamless , secure and interoperable connectivity to IoT devices and further AI & IoT holds significant potential for transforming various industries and our daily lives. Here are some key trends and developments to look out in AI and IoT space :
Greater Integration: IoT and AI often referred as AIoT ,will gradually be integrated more tightly.AI can process the massive amounts of data generated by IoT devices and enabling more informed decision-making with limited human intervention.
Edge AI: Edge computing, where AI algorithms run on IoT devices or at the network’s edge, will become more prevalent.
Improved Automation & Predictive Maintenance : AI will enable greater automation in IoT systems and predictive maintenance in Industrial segments. Sensors and AI can predict when machines or equipment are likely to fail, helping to prevent costly downtime.
Healthcare and Wearables: IoT devices, including wearable health trackers, will be enhanced with AI to provide more accurate health monitoring and early disease detection.
To summarize the future of eSIM enabled IoT and AI holds great promise, with more integration, automation, and improved decision-making across various domains. With continuous evolving of regulations, specification and integration of various industries altogether, we will see further unleashing of potential of IoT & AI together.
The author is head of mobile security division, Giesecke + Devrient MS India Pvt Ltd
