May 12, 2020Cellular networks are becoming the communication backbone for billions of mobile devices and machines connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). At the core of this development are embedded subscriber identity modules (eSIMs), which securely connect devices to networks. With that in mind, Infineon Technologies has announced a new eSIM solution for IoT devices and applications.
The OPTIGA Connect eSIM IoT solution comes with pre-integrated, carrier-agnostic cellular coverage for more than 200 countries and territories. Infineon has partnered with Tata Communications to offer its customers a solution leveraging the latter's MOVE mobility and IoT platform.
"With the progressive rise of IoT devices and the pervasiveness of cloud-based platforms and 5G deployment, cellular IoT connectivity will become a leading technology within the next few years," said Lars Wemme, the head of IoT security at Infineon's Digital Security Solutions division, in a prepared statement. "Infineon's comprehensive eSIM portfolio of easy-to-integrate solutions perfectly meets the specific demands of IoT device manufacturers."
According to ABI research, total eSIM shipments for machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, such as asset tracking, energy management and mobile healthcare, are expected to grow with a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent from 101 million units in 2019 to 232 million by 2024. The OPTIGA Connect solution, according to Infineon, enables the deployment and management of cellular-enabled IoT devices at scale. By implementing eSIM, device manufacturers can offer products capable of worldwide use, instead of having to deliver specific versions for particular markets. This, the company explains, can help users simplify product management, as well as reduce time to market.
Infineon's solution is pre-integrated with a bootstrap Tata Communications MOVE eSIM profile, allowing manufacturers to capture, move and manage IoT data reliably and securely across the globe. Because of Tata Communications' relationships with more than 640 mobile network operators worldwide, manufacturers can avoid the complexities of managing potentially hundreds of local connectivity agreements with MNOs in different countries, Infineon says, and can instead connect their devices with a single global connectivity agreement with Tata Communications. Use cases include smart-metering deployment or telematics and fleet-management applications for which devices are deployed across broad geographic areas.
The eSIM conforms to the Remote SIM Provision specification from the GSMA. Connecting a device or a fleet of devices to the internet can be managed remotely via an online portal. This remote activation and configuration of IoT devices over the air enables a more automated, secured approach to bringing large numbers of devices online. Manufacturers can select connectivity providers after the production, shipment and deployment of a device, then change them throughout its lifecycle, thereby increasing ease of use and flexibility regarding selecting MNOs and data plans.
Infineon's SLM97 security controller provides a GSMA eSIM M2M V3.2-compliant operating system, as well as worldwide coverage of 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE-M and NB-IoT. The company's security hardware has been deployed for SIM-enabled IoT applications since 2008, with more than 200 million units in the field to date. The eSIM portfolio comes in different quality grades and form factors.
