Empower IoT Connectivity Management With APN-as-a-Service Technology

A businesses functionality and productivity is centred around the Internet of Things (IoT) devices from machines, laptops, mobiles, tablets etc.  Managing the growing number of IoT devices, their data use, and connectivity efficiently is often a challenge for businesses.

Adapt IT’s APN-as-a-Service technology has been used to develop IoT connectivity management solutions, simplifying this process for businesses. We deep dive into the need for IoT connectivity management and the solutions available in more detail below. 

What is IoT Connectivity Management, and why are these solutions necessary for businesses? 

IoT connects devices, things, and software to share information, enable communication, and allow action and interaction through automation and machine learning. It is an impressive network made up of hardware, software, and applications that interact and connect with one another using the internet and cloud technology to form an IoT ecosystem. 

In a business sense, this IoT ecosystem will allow you to connect all your organisation’s mobile devices, laptops, machines, desktops, etc, to your company network and allow employees to connect from anywhere and anytime.  With this added connectivity comes a need for businesses to manage elements related to data, monitoring and tracking assets, and ensuring secure and safe network access. If not managed effectively, these elements can negatively impact productivity and efficiency, which ultimately affects profitability. This becomes a relevant challenge across industry verticals from agriculture, oil and gas, transportation and logistics, telecommunications, and more. This is where IoT connectivity management solutions come in. 

IoT connectivity management software allows you to streamline, monitor, analyse, provision and manage your IoT devices, including Machine-to-Machine (M2M) elements and SIM cards, from one centralised platform. For businesses, this translates into: 

• Cost savings, as you can track and manage data spend and use 
• Reduction in downtime, as you can provision data, devices etc., from anywhere and at anytime
• Enhanced productivity by ensuring reliable connectivity to the network
• Analytics and insights that increase visibility  
• Automated processes that enhance efficiency 
• Risk reduction so that there are no surprise data bills at the end of the month 

IoT connectivity management solutions enhance a business’s agility and flexibility, allowing them to adapt and move with whatever opportunities or challenges may come their way. 

IoT Connectivity Management key features: 

From the above, it is clear that an IoT connectivity management solution is essential in managing your business’s IoT ecosystem. But there are some key features necessary for the solution to be effective. These include:  

• Security – with so many different devices connected to your IoT ecosystem, you want to ensure that your network and business data is safe and secure. This often requires the use of APN technology which allows you to control, manage and track who is connecting to your network. You can also authorise and secure devices and SIMs remotely from IoT platforms to prevent unauthorised access. 
• Customisation and scalability –  are two critical features that need to be considered when looking for an IoT connectivity management solution. You will want a solution that enables you to customise the services and features based on your unique business needs. The solution should also be scalable, allowing the platform to grow as your business grows. 
• Data and analytics – an effective IoT connectivity management platform will enable you to access real-time data and analytics on IoT sim card usage, data usage, spend, errors, etc. This will provide you with invaluable insight and alert you to opportunities or problems, which can be quickly and efficiently rectified.  
• Remote Maintenance and Access – these solutions often offer a self-service platform that allows you to order SIMs in bulk, set restrictions, provide access, data, connectivity, and more. Through this portal, you will gain more control over the provisioning, tracking, and monitoring of the IoT devices connected to your network. This gives you added agility and flexibility. 

How IoT Connectivity Management Empowers Businesses 

With the different features related to IoT connectivity management solutions come many additional benefits for businesses. These include: 

• Cost savings and a time-to-market acceleration – this solution allows for the automated provisioning and management of processes related to IoT devices and IoT deployments. This allows you to quickly deliver services and bulk orders to customers, accelerating your time to market, thereby improving your customer experience and giving you a competitive edge. 
• Secure device on and off-boarding – from the platform’s centralised interface, you can register, provision, lock or wipe devices. This becomes important in the case of loss or theft of a company device and makes it easier to manage and provision new employee devices. 
• Streamline monitoring and troubleshooting – through this software solution, you can access the status, location, maintenance/upgrade schedules, and other information related to your company assets in real-time. This offers visibility and will give you a birds-eye view of your company devices, data usage, and spend. 
• Mitigate security risks – an effective IoT connectivity management solution will provide safe and secure access to your business networks and application portals. 

An IoT connectivity management platform enhances the efficiency, flexibility, and agility of managing your company’s IoT devices, connectivity, data usage, and coverage. 

How APN-as-a-Service Technology empowers IoT Connectivity Management

The growth of IoT in the business world has accelerated the need for IoT connectivity management solutions. Telcos are in a fantastic position to utilise this to their advantage and provide services and offerings that talk directly to this need. One way of doing this is by utilising Adapt IT’s APN-as-a-Service technology, which empowers IoT connectivity management.

This technology will assist Mobile Operators, Mobile Network Operators, Mobile Virtual Network Operators, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in offering and monetising data management services to their end-user customers. This is done without having to manage any complex setups, configuration, or integration into the primary network. 

A use case of the implementation of these IoT applications is described by Integra Group who partnered with Adapt IT and are using their APN-as-a-Service technology.

“We at the Integra Group are privileged to have partnered with Adapt IT and are using their APN Management product.  Being a Channel Partner for the SAAS product range has not only grown our business by adding to our solutions basket, but also allowed us to build bespoke solutions for our customers that would otherwise not have been possible. Thanks for the great service. Keep it up!”. 

From the above, it is clear that this type of technology opens up a new revenue stream for Telcos to provide value-added services that facilitate connectivity, data management, and IoT device management. By catering to their customers’ needs and providing these value-added services and products, Telcos will gain a competitive edge, enhance customer service and customer retention, all of which drive profitability. 

Conclusion 

As more and more businesses move towards digitisation and accelerate the move toward incorporating more IoT devices in their business, their IoT ecosystems expand. When this expansion happens, managing the IoT ecosystem, cellular connectivity, data usage, and devices become complex. A solution to simplify this complexity is the implementation of an IoT connectivity management platform.  

Adapt IT’s APN-as-a-Service technology is the basis for this type of  IoT connectivity management solution. This software enables businesses across industries and verticals to track, monitor, and provision access to its network and connected devices. It also allows businesses to manage data use. With the global IoT market expected to be worth $900 billion in revenue by 2025, this market offers Telcos immense potential to drive revenue. IoT solutions like these are innovative and are set to make their mark in the industry over the next few years, especially with the enhanced network performance and low latency expected from 5G.