Sunrise Launches Connectivity Platform to Manage IoT SIMs

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.

SK Telecom Upgrades Smart Home Platform for Apartment Buildings

South Korean operator SK Telecom has announced a new smart home service for multi-dwelling residential units. The platform, called Smart Home 3.0, helps building owners manage services such as entry, parking, home deliveries, and public facilities reservations.

SK said the advantage is that all the services are available on the same platform, accessible via an app for residents to use, rather than having different suppliers for different services. Residents can remotely control IoT systems and access useful community services over the app, such as carpooling, kids meet-ups and sharing equipment with neighbors.

The operator’s first smart home services, launched in 2015, allowed customers to remotely control their home installations. In 2016, SK introduced a home network for apartment buildings to control lighting, and it later added heating equipment. The present offering is its third generation of service for apartment complexes. The company said the platform can be rolled out at existing as well as newly constructed buildings.

For MNOs, smart home technology has proved to be one of a number of routes to adding value and relevance in a changing marketplace. It is an IoT application that is potentially of interest to a very wide swath of consumers, given that almost everyone lives in a home and many people would like some degree of automation within the home. Generally speaking, smart home solutions have been targeted at individual homeowners and to some degree renters, though still on an individual basis.

The distinctiveness of SK Telecom’s solution is that it is being offered on a larger scale to real estate companies that own apartment buildings. This way, multiple dwellings can be sold services at once, resulting in a much greater revenue opportunity for the operator. The customer base expands from consumer to SMEs and even large enterprises, greatly enlarging the potential for smart home technology.

It should be noted that the soundness of this idea goes beyond just the fact that an apartment building contains multiple dwellings and therefore multiple sources of simultaneous revenue. The operator has recognized that residents of an apartment building are neighbors and therefore share interests and activities. Providing them with a means to communicate and coordinate with each other should do a great deal to make the system appealing. And if it is appealing enough, it could also serve as advertising for the operator, causing at least some of the residents to become subscribers of the operator’s other services. 

Tarifica’s products and services are powered by large-scale data from the global telecom industry and a deep level of expertise gained from our singular focus. We leverage these core attributes to help our clients understand their markets and answer their most challenging questions. Our team of analysts, software engineers and data scientists deliver real-time dynamic solutions for the telecom industry. Our software and state of the art data extraction techniques enable our clients to make smart decisions in real-time based on insightful, actionable data. 

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Magenta Telekom to Provide IoT for Hapag-Lloyd

Austrian operator Magenta Telekom has signed a deal to provide its IoT infrastructure to monitor the containers of German-based international shipping line Hapag-Lloyd on a global basis. Hapag-Lloyd will implement GPS tracking for its containers in real time and will have access to important information such as the temperature inside the containers. The company recently presented its real-time container monitoring program, called Hapag-Lloyd LIVE.

The company will initially equip its entire fleet of around 10,000 vessels with the monitoring tools. Hapag-Lloyd said that it wants to develop commercial products in close collaboration with its customers in order to further adapt the system.

Magenta Telekom provides its service worldwide, using its IoT hub. In Austria, it operates a NB-IoT network, which is suited for a broad rage of IoT applications in different sectors such as logistics, industrial manufacturing, consumer goods industry and agriculture.

We have written on various occasions recently about the expansion of revenue opportunities for mobile operators in the realm of the IoT. In doing so we have pointed out the diversity of IoT applications, and indeed many of the IoT projects that we have mentioned are small-scale and narrowly focused—which in no way impugns their value. However, this deal between Magenta Telekom (wholly owned by Deutsche Telekom) and Hapag-Lloyd is a massive one with global reach, due to the nature of the shipping titan’s business and the sheer scope of the company.

Magenta Telekom has made an excellent strategic move in agreeing to provide the IoT network capacity for Hapag-Lloyd LIVE. This system involves 10,000 ships, each of which carries hundreds or thousands of containers, each of which requires monitoring for internal temperature, security and, of course, location. With one contract, Magenta wins for itself a tremendous volume of IoT business across the globe—a very efficient way to expand.

While the initial task involves relatively simple monitoring (perhaps requiring only narrowband IoT), Hapag-Lloyd intends to develop the system further to include other IoT products that will accomplish more complex tasks. When that occurs, Magenta will be in position to provide the connectivity, which may require more bandwidth, up to and including 5G. The revenue opportunities for Magenta are just beginning, it would appear. As traditional mobile services become less profitable, IoT is growing fast, and operators should be attuned to all of its possibilities.

Tarifica’s products and services are powered by large-scale data from the global telecom industry and a deep level of expertise gained from our singular focus. We leverage these core attributes to help our clients understand their markets and answer their most challenging questions. Our team of analysts, software engineers and data scientists deliver real-time dynamic solutions for the telecom industry. Our software and state of the art data extraction techniques enable our clients to make smart decisions in real-time based on insightful, actionable data.

We are the telecom plan & pricing experts.

 If you have any questions about this article, feel free to contact our Editor-in-chief John Dorfman at jdorfman@tarifica.com

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Ooredoo Oman Launches data2cloud

Ooredoo Oman has launched data2cloud, a subsidiary that is helping businesses in Oman transform the way they operate, by using the latest cloud computing services. The operator said that data2cloud, which it calls a virtual “office in the sky,” uses its network and infrastructure to give businesses the chance to further elevate their cloud operations with a cost-effective solution and flexible, consumption-based payment plans, backed by service-level agreements. Data2cloud provides a broad set of global cloud-based products including infrastructure, backup, monitoring, security, Cloud drive, IoT, containers and email collaboration.

With three data centers currently operating across the Sultanate, data2cloud plans to open more facilities in the near future, including in Dakhiliya, to cater to increased demand for high-end cloud services in new areas.

With the rapid growth of cloud-based services, there is a major opportunity for telecom operators to enter this sector and derive significant revenue from it, as well as increasing their relevance and enhancing their brands.

There are many entities offering cloud services, so it is a bold move for an operator to enter; by doing so, Ooredoo Oman is getting ownership of a set of popular services that otherwise could piggyback on its network without the operator reaping much profit. Data2cloud leverages Ooredoo’s existing infrastructure while presumably adding functionalities that were developed specifically for this offering.

By providing these services to business customers, the operator is enabling them to keep up with changes in the way business is done, access the latest technology and feel comfortable in terms of  level of support and cybersecurity. Systems such as data2cloud are also good for operators in that they tend to keep business customers within that operator’s ecosystem.

In general, as revenue from traditional telecom service declines, and as competition between operators ramps up, providing value-added, cutting-edge services such as cloud computing for businesses is a very good way for operators to remain relevant and competitive. 

 Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  If you have any questions about this article, feel free to contact our Editor-in-chief John Dorfman at jdorfman@tarifica.com

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Vodafone Romania Starts Selling IoT Products for Businesses

Vodafone Romania has begun offering IoT products aimed at retail businesses in a variety of sectors. The portfolio of IoT smart products includes a wide range of dedicated products, including Vodafone Smart Counting, Vodafone Digital Media Signage & Smart Analytics, Vodafone Heat Map, Vodafone Stock Alert and Vodafone Queue Management.

According to the operator: Smart Counting provides merchants with information about customer traffic in their stores and also enables them to organize their work more efficiently. Digital Media Signage & Smart Analytics allows business owners to deploy digital promotions based on specific market-segmentation criteria. The Heat Map monitors the most frequented routes in a store using smart sensors, furnishing data which merchants can use to better understand customers’ needs and reduce wait times.

The Stock Alert platform offers merchants an improved inventory management system that increases customer satisfaction by making sure that goods remain stocked on shelves. When a shelf reaches a pre-set minimum amount of products, store staff receive an alert and can quickly prepare new products to complement the stock.

Staying ahead of the IoT curve is an excellent strategy for operators, we believe, and this initiative from Vodafone Romania seems to fit the bill admirably. While connectivity for IoT worldwide is going to be an increasingly large source of revenue, only by creating original products can operators expect to realize the full potential of the IoT space. Full participation goes beyond a mere update to the traditional “dumb pipe” role and into real product innovation.

International Vodafone’s IoT Barometer study found that 34 percent of businesses in the world use IoT, up from 29 percent in 2017, and 70 percent of businesses adopting IoT report that they have gone beyond the pilot phase. While there are many consumer applications of IoT (especially for home use) and a vast number of uses in heavy industry, the retail sector is a particularly lively sector—a meeting point for consumer and enterprise needs—and therefore a fertile field for operators. And as because mobile information technology is already intimately involved in tracking movements and monitoring data consumption, the types of IoT uses that retail businesses can benefit from are particularly appropriate areas for mobile operators to develop technology for.

If Vodafone Romania has correctly understood the specific needs of retail enterprises in that country, it should be able to generate significant revenue from selling its suite of products, not to mention the ensuing revenue from running the service. 

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  If you have any questions about this article, feel free to contact our Editor-in-chief John Dorfman at jdorfman@tarifica.com

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Sprint Releases a Wireless Device for Drivers

U.S. operator Sprint has launched Sprint Drive, a new product that allows parents to monitor their teenage children while they are behind the wheel and also gives and businesses a way to monitors their fleets of motor vehicles. Sprint Drive is a small wireless device that plugs into a car’s steering system and keeps drivers connected to their cars while providing real-time information via a smartphone or other mobile browser.

Powered by the HARMAN Ignite automotive cloud platform, Sprint Drive features include real-time vehicle location and monitoring; trip history and aggressive driver alerts such as hard acceleration and braking; 4G/LTE Wi-Fi for in-vehicle productivity and entertainment; roadside assistance; vehicle health notification alerts, and hotline advice from certified mechanics.

Sprint Drive lets parents monitor their teen drivers with real-time tracking, follow the vehicle’s location and send an alert if the child goes beyond set boundaries. Sprint Drive also lets parents review their teen’s driving skills and habits. Sprint Drive lets business owners monitor a fleet of up to 25 vehicles, either from the office or from a mobile device. With the 4G/LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, passengers can work on emails or stay entertained by connecting up to eight devices to Sprint’s 4G/LTE network.

Starting on 21 November, customers can get the Sprint Drive device free for a limited time with a 24-month installment plan and qualifying data plan. Customers can choose either Sprint Drive Unlimited (priced at US $25.00 per month per line with Unlimited Mobile Hotspot) and Sprint Drive 2 GB (priced at US $10.00 per month per line with 2 GB of Mobile Hotspot).

IoT devices, whether consumer or business-oriented, do best when tightly targeted at specific needs. Identifying these needs is, therefore, key to success in this sector. In this case, Sprint has been asking the right questions and listening to the answers. Almost nine out of 10 parents of new drivers throughout the U.S. told the operator that they would like to be able to monitor their child’s driving habits. Sprint Drive fills that need very directly and simply, and while the idea of monitoring someone else’s movements might seem at odds with the privacy that mobile users increasingly demand, when it comes to children and parents, safety concerns come first, and parents are legally in the clear when it comes to monitoring the movements of a vehicle they own.

As for businesses, monitoring and tracking a fleet of company cars or trucks is, of course, very desirable. For both business and consumer users, Sprint is offering the service at a low price and in a way that evidently does not require any complex, bulky or invasive presence of technology in the vehicle.

For an operator to partner with technology developers such as HARMAN Ignite is a savvy move and places that operator in a position to be a player in an automotive IoT space that is occupied by many entities that are not mobile operators. As such, solutions such as Sprint Drive represent a path toward diversifying and increasing relevance. This is also a way to increase an operator’s subscriber base.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Vodafone Romania Partners to Launch Smart Supermarket

Vodafone Romania and Romanian supermarket chain Mega Image have launched what they call the first Smart Supermarket in Romania, located in Bucharest, the capital city. The shop has nine fully-functional IoT retail products that help Mega Image identify customers’ needs and understand their behavior in order to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction and to improve the shopping experience.
 
Vodafone Romania IoT specialists, together with Mega Image, implemented digital smart products which can help the supermarket respond more actively to customers’ needs. The  various products provide customer statistics, stock monitoring, digital media signage for personalized advertising, promotional targeting that displays relevant information to shopper, queue management, Wi-Fi for customers, shoppers feedback system and a customer service assistant. The system uses smart sensors to monitor the routes most frequently used by visitors.
 
As we have written frequently in this space, IoT is growing very aggressively all over the world and promises great utility and revenue opportunities for many kinds of businesses. Fixed and mobile operators, of course, benefit in that they provide the means of connectivity to operate IoT systems. But these companies naturally want to benefit in a richer way than simply to function as providers of connectivity. Partnering with other businesses to create tailor-made, proprietary IoT applications is one way in which this can happen.
 
IoT can enable the remote operation of industrial devices and of smaller-scale devices for consumers within the home. There are huge revenue opportunities in such applications. However, the Mega Image–Vodafone Romania deal points in a different direction. In addition to remote control, the IoT ecosystem in the supermarket has a strong digital advertising component, and this is what makes it particularly interesting to us. Wit IoT applied in this innovative way, not only can the customer experience be improved, thus stimulating sales, but key data can be collected from customers and then dynamically responded to. In this fashion, IoT becomes an active stimulator of revenue.
 
Vodafone, by lending its IoT expertise to Mega Image, not only makes revenue from the project costs but also associates its brand with a popular consumer destination, which helps with loyalty and retention. Further, it burnishes its brand by publicizing the depth of its knowledge of this cutting-edge technology. And finally, it actively participates in the large-scale, ongoing project of developing big consumer data, which can be monetized in in many, often unexpected ways.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Sprint, Ericsson to Demonstrate Virtualized IoT Technology at MWC

U.S. operator Sprint and Swedish technology developer Ericsson have announced that they are creating a distributed and virtualized core network dedicated specifically to IoT services, as well as an IoT operating system. The new platform is expected to create an optimal flow of device data, enabling end-users and enterprises to receive immediate, actionable intelligence, according to the operator. The platform will be presented at a press conference at Mobile World Congress Americas in Los Angeles on 12 September.
 
Sprint has already partnered with Ericsson to roll out an IoT network, and the new system is powered by Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator platform. The core network is designed to provide low latency and the highest availability, and to reduce the distance between the device generating the data and the IoT application processing it. Nodes are distributed right to the user’s premises, if need be, to support specific security, privacy and latency requirements.
 
The new IoT OS provides connectivity and device management, which enables simplified inbound and outbound activity, configuration and updates of firmware and software for each device, and full subscription lifecycle management and monitoring of billing and usage data. Customers also have full control of data management and access to managed services for all IoT elements and enterprise locations, including network operations center monitoring, service resource fulfillment, cloud orchestration management and application management.
 
With IoT usage proliferating globally across user categories, from home-based consumers to large enterprises and governments, the need for larger networks and more sophisticated systems—very much including security—is growing. Technology companies such as Ericsson are rising to meet this demand. However, if mobile operators are to remain relevant and not miss out on major revenue opportunities, they need to get involved directly with the development of the IoT and deliver sophisticated services to their customers. Otherwise, they will certainly remain the proverbial “dumb pipes” with regard to IoT, and they once risked doing with regard to the streaming entertainment content and other value-added mobile services that invaded the market in recent years.
 
Sprint’s initiative with Ericsson is an excellent example of what we are talking about. First, the operator acted fast to create its own IoT network, so customers would not have to go outside its ecosystem to use connected devices. Now, Sprint is working with its technology partner to improve the network by reducing latency (while keeping power usage low) and increasing security. Not only that, but the partners are creating a proprietary IoT OS for Sprint, with full services and support that should prove especially attractive to enterprises.
 
By creating its own OS, Sprint is moving even more forcefully to keep its IoT users within its ecosystem and to make sure that it retains them in the future. It will be able to do that if its IoT OS is dynamic and evolves at or ahead of the pace of the technology generally. We think operators in many markets would be well served by emulating Sprint’s example to the extent possible.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

FreedomPop Launches Low-Data Offering for Small Businesses

U.S. MVNO FreedomPop said that it has launched the first free phone service for small businesses. The plan offers unlimited talk and text, plus 2 GB of shared data for the first two users on the plan. Businesses with more robust data needs can purchase more data starting at US $10.00 per gigabyte. In addition, FreedomPop is also launching what it calls the world’s lowest-cost IoT mobile connectivity platform. IoT devices can now connect to FreedomPop’s global wireless network starting at US $1.00 per month.
 
With the huge proliferation of plans offering more and more data, not to mention unlimited plans (real or in name only), it is somewhat surprising, or at least counter-intuitive, to see an operator offering a minuscule amount of data. Nonetheless, FreedomPop has always defined itself against the crowd, having made its name outdoing the budget MVNOs with packages that are literally free. It makes its revenue from overages and from paid services that it offers as customers upgrade.
 
In this case, FreedomPop is offering a service package tailored to the needs of small businesses whose mobile devices are used much more for voice and texts than for data. The allowance of 1 GB per user per month could be quite appropriate in such situations. If the small businesses change their minds and need more data, they can purchase more through the plan.
 
The IoT platform is also a boon to small businesses, and can be expected to increase in appeal as more and more devices become available. A very low-cost IoT plan through the MVNO could be very attractive to small businesses and afford a seamless way to get involved with these new technologies and discover their potential.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Vodafone Announces Own-Brand Consumer IoT System and Products

London-based multinational operator Vodafone has announced the launch of a new consumer-oriented Internet of Things (IoT) platform called V by Vodafone. The product range already includes a connected car dongle (V-Car), a 4G/LTE security camera (V-Camera), a pet location and activity tracker (V-Pet) and a bag location tracker (V-Bag).
 
The company said it has started shipping a dedicated IoT SIM called V-Sim by Vodafone as standard with IoT-enabled consumer electronics products; the SIM card will also be offered by third-party retailers next year. The corresponding V by Vodafone smartphone app gives a single and intuitive overview of all IoT-enabled products registered to an account, and customers simply need to scan a QR code on a product’s package and add the monthly fee to their existing Vodafone mobile accounts to activate the product.
 
The products come with automatic straight-out-of-the-box connection to the international Vodafone IoT network in any of 32 countries and a single fixed monthly price plan for each item. The company said existing mobile customers in Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. can already purchase any of the launch products in selected Vodafone stores or online. The operator will launch additional IoT categories in 2018, along with a new online product marketplace open to IoT developers with a view to extending the product choice for customers.
 
With IoT coming on fast internationally, we think it is a good move for any mobile operator to get involved, and for a multinational operator with vast reach and resources, such as Vodafone, it is a strong strategy to get heavily involved. Going beyond simply providing the connectivity for IoT, Vodafone is producing its own devices running on its own system, in essence branding and owning a significant slice of this global market. According to the operator, by 2020 there will be more than 370 million consumer electronics and smart home devices in the countries in which it operates, up from around 50 million today.
 
For the moment, at least, it does not appear that Vodafone’s IoT products are unique or transformative; Vodafone customers will be able to find the same or similar products elsewhere and may do so at will. But Vodafone’s strategy of creating a one-stop shop that not only offers the devices for sale in the same place but also integrates them into one control system accessible through an app should make the system very attractive to its customers. Combine that with the fact that Vodafone customers already have a level of trust and familiarity with the operator—and with the fact that the billing is extremely simple and seamless—and the offer becomes very persuasive.
 
In the era of declining ARPU from traditional services, operators of all kinds and sizes have been looking for new revenue sources and new sources of customer relevance. With IoT, a new and very broad area of consumer (and, to some extent, enterprise) revenue opens up. By co-opting it and self-branding it, Vodafone is potentially tapping into a vital stream of revenue, strengthening its brand, and keeping customers within its ecosystem. Other large operators will likely be doing the same.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. 

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com