Swiss operator Sunrise said that it has introduced a Connectivity Management Platform (CMP) that allows customers to autonomously activate and manage SIM cards for IoT applications.
Existing applications can be integrated through an application programming interface (API). Sunrise’s basic IoT service includes data access with real-time data analytics, customized rate plans for SIM cards, standard reports and a transparent display of connection details. Personalized reporting is offered as an additional option.
The IoT solution can be tailored to individual needs at any time, using Sunrise IoT Connect, a managed service with a round-the-clock help desk and service to monitor the network. The platform is hosted in Swiss data centers. In order to run Sunrise IoT Connect, Sunrise works with an ecosystem of partners in the fields of sensors, device management and data analysis, as well as IT and business process integration.
The vast and rapid increase in the use of IoT applications has brought about a tremendous proliferation of SIMs issued for the purposes of moving data for such applications. Sunrise’s basic IoT offering includes, beyond the basic connectivity itself, various ancillary features such as data analytics. However, it appears that there was room for a new level of support which is now being offered through the Connectivity Management Platform.
By making it easier for businesses to keep track of their IoT SIMs, Sunrise’s CMP should have the effect of encouraging the uptake of more SIMs for IoT applications. Mobile operators would do well not only to focus on enabling more and more complex functionalities to take place over these IoT connections, but also on helping customers monitor their connections in a user-friendly and seamless manner. By enabling them to manage a relatively large number of connections all at once, an operator such as Sunrise promotes the purchase of more lines and, thereby, the channeling of more revenue.
Transparency with regard to data consumption is particularly important in this regard, because if a business customer is going to subscribe to multiple IoT SIMs, it will need to be particularly conscious of costs and efficiency. If the operator is perceived as prioritizing those goals, that will strengthen its position with subscribers, with the reward being loyalty and long-term retention and growth. The round-the-clock help desk with direct human contact should also go a long way toward building consumer confidence, boosting the operator’s ability to maximize its sale of IoT SIMs.
Mobile operator Tele2 Russia said that customers who are not able to return to Russia due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic will get free access to messaging services while abroad, through 30 April. The option will also be available for those prepaid customers with a zero balance for their devices.
The option will be available in Europe, Asia, Australia and the U.S. The messaging apps included in the deal will be WhatsApp, Viber and TamTam.
We have recently reviewed a number of initiatives that MNOs have taken to provide support to their subscribers during the coronavirus pandemic. This one from Tele2 Russia is noteworthy in that it not provides some relief for those affected by the situation but also involves a very valid self-preservation strategy for the operator.
As mobile customers find themselves in new and disadvantageous circumstances due to the disease itself and also to the economic impact of the restrictions on travel and movement, operators can be in danger of losing some of those customers, or at least losing some of the revenue from them, if those customers are no longer able to pay as much as before.
In this case, Tele2 Russia is addressing the issue of subscribers who are trapped outside their home country. Ordinarily, they would need to continue to pay international roaming charges or purchase special roaming packages for the duration. However, the operator, by zero-rating some popular messaging apps, is making it possible for these clients to stay in touch with family and associates in Russia while they must remain abroad for longer than anticipated.
Absent such a measure, Tele2 might find itself in the position of losing subscribers. Faced with long-term, higher-than-expected charges, they could possibly have no choice but to terminate service. And if contracts lapse, even if during a time of extraordinary pressures, they may not be renewed again when the crisis is over. So by throwing what is in essence a mobile lifeline to subscribers, the operator is making it possible for them to remain in its ecosystem, albeit through the medium of third-party OTT messaging apps. Then, when they can return home, they will be able to remain there, and happy to do so.
Tarifica is a global SaaS company that is the market leader in the real-time collection, analysis and delivery of telecom plan and pricing data worldwide. Through a mix of AI, modeling and market expertise, Tarifica tracks hundreds of thousands of plan and pricing data points daily. No other company tracks more. Tarifica's mission is to continuously convert data into the dynamic intelligence that fuels opportunities for its clients, the world's leading operators, regulators and consultants. Learn more about Tarifica at www.tarifica.com.
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