eSIMs were an important discussion point at the Mobile World Congress 2022, Barcelona, with the hype around identity protection and authentication tools on the rise. Jimmy JonesOpens a new window , Head Of Security at ZARIOTOpens a new window , shared his take on the matter with us.
Identity authentication is a big concern today. With eSIMS, a lot of the considerations regarding identity security and functionality are met, as opposed to traditional SIMs. However, there are hurdles that the telecom industry, organizations and individuals must overcome to truly unlock the potential of this new technology. Â
Spiceworks: We can see wider adoption of the eSIM within the IoT sector, but IoT adoption itself is facing implementation challenges. How should IoT leaders iron out eSIM implementation challenges in the next few years?
Jimmy Jones: I think we just need to make it easier. We need to hold their hand because it’s not an easy technology to put on the floor, and it’s always different. Everybody’s solution is unique, and that’s utterly different from how we usually think in telecoms. For instance, we had three use cases. You were ringing your mother, you were texting your wife, or you were surfing the internet. That’s completely changed, and we’re now looking at very diverse use cases. So what we need to do is work together and help the enterprise or the IoT owner realize their IoT solution goals. That’s what we need to do. We must cooperate and collaborate to work towards one shared goal. So I think that makes it simpler.
Spiceworks: Although eSIM may seem flawless at a glance, there have been questions about its viability. How can service providers justify the costs and security issues still looming over eSIM’s adoption?
Jimmy Jones: So eSIM consists of several different elements. It consists of the software, the hardware, and the process to deliver it.
The opportunities are there for the MNOs to be very flexible and deliver additional functionality and additional features as life goes on. That’s precisely what we’re doing at ZARIOT. We’re adding features retrospectively to our eSIMs. But that process can be used in the same way to scale.Â
That is important because if we want to hit the hyper scales for IoT and deliver future profits, that’s where we need to be able to look. That’s what eSIM does – it provides that access. It delivers that process, and that’s what you would want in the future from our connectivity.
Spiceworks: Can you talk about the innovations enabled by eSIM technology? Which industries are set to benefit directly from its adoption?
So, as I said, eSIM consists of three different areas – the software, the hardware, and the process. If we think about the hardware, the security and flexibility being pushed into it are very favorable for cars, healthcare, and utilities.Â
If you look at the form factor, it’s 12 times smaller. You don’t have to have a SIM tray to put the device in. So there you’re looking at wearables and smartwatches. It plays into that space, and it makes it seamless. In fact, wearables are completely seamless.
Spiceworks: How can service providers use eSIM to increase their topline?
Jimmy Jones: To increase that topline, they need to let people know what eSIM does and let them know that it’s available. It’s very underutilized and underestimated. If the industry explained what was possible, a lot would change. You can use it as a file system or secure root of trust.
We started having those conversations – rather than talking about security and the overall network, but actual, tangible benefits that can be delivered directly from eSIM. That can be done today. You can deliver it. The software and the processes are actually onto plastic as well.
So everything we can do today will make their lives easier. Look at IoT solutions – they’re being delivered as end-to-end projects. If you can take away some of those pain points along with the project, then actually, what you’re doing is probably more important than when we start talking about mobile edge computing and things like that into the future. It’s available today. It can affect your topline to date, so why not use it?
What are your thoughts on the eSIM implementation process discussed at the MWC, Barcelona this year? Let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We’d love to know your take on this tech!