Vodafone Business IoT And Kigen Accelerate Global Enterprise Connectivity With iSim

Vodafone Business IoT announced a collaboration with Kigen to reduce the time and operational burden involved for enterprises in the development of IoT products and services. As a result, the two companies’ iSIM technology is commercially available directly on multiple chipsets, with delivery times faster than any previous generation of SIM. 

This acceleration is possible due to Vodafone’s connectivity being directly integrated into Kigen’s iSIM Secure Package on the customer’s selected chipset or module - making the process of scaling seamless for enterprises. Vodafone’s extensive global connectivity footprint of over 180 countries further adds to the speed at which businesses can manufacture once and ship globally. This optimisation is a direct result of learnings derived from the increasing demand for Kigen’s iSIM and Vodafone Business IoT managed connectivity solutions across numerous industries, such as wearables, smart health devices, asset tracking (i.e. track & trace applications), water monitoring, industrial and commercial metering which require long battery life of around 10 years or more. 

iSIM is major step forward in the evolution of the SIM and is used in IoT devices to connect to the mobile network. iSIM enables the functionality of a SIM card to be securely integrated with the chip and delivers a significant time-to-market advantage for customers looking to build connected devices, as well as allowing devices to be more compact with enhanced tamper-resistance and security. 

Consolidation of chip components inherent to iSIM technology reduces costs associated with sourcing individual components of the SIM, export or import costs and time invested in negotiating individual agreements with suppliers – often, a significant proportion of product development. Streamlining iSIM integration during manufacturing automates connectivity upon deployment, reducing costs associated with manual installation and energy consumption, and helping reduce carbon footprint.

Erik Brenneis, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone IoT, said: “We’re delighted to further our collaboration with Kigen – providing worldwide iSIM connectivity to more customers in more countries, as well as hyperscaling our managed connectivity service. 

“Vodafone Business IoT has built a best-in-class iSIM connectivity service which is especially beneficial for applications – such as smart meters and tracking devices – that use low power, wide area (LPWA) IoT networks. Our integrated SIM can help businesses across almost every industry simplify their production processes, reduce their costs and help them to save on energy costs, as well as giving them access to secure and reliable connectivity wherever they operate across the globe. We look forward to scaling our iSIM service with new emerging technologies.” 

Vincent Korstanje, Chief Executive Officer of Kigen, said: “Enterprises with a global focus are leading the charge for rapid iSIM integration, emphasizing speed to market as a vital factor in their product strategy. With Vodafone Business IoT, Kigen’s innovative iSIM Secure Package empowers manufacturers to distribute devices at scale, eliminating the traditional wait for SIMs - setting a new benchmark in secure IoT.”

As a global leader in IoT, this collaboration is a significant milestone in Vodafone IoT’s iSIM strategy to deliver cutting-edge and secure connectivity solutions to more people in more places. 

Source: Vodafone Business IoT media announcement