Plan X3-EU offers low-cost IoT connectivity across Europe for deployments with higher data requirements.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced a new cellular data plan called Plan X3-EU, designed to provide low-cost coverage across Europe for high data consumption use cases.

Along with market-leading coverage, Plan X3-EU includes access to Soracom’s cloud-native platform services for managing SIMs, reducing data costs, transmitting to public cloud platforms, and accessing deployed devices remotely.

Plan X3-EU offers a range of bundle options to accommodate diverse data consumption requirements. Starting from an annual fee of €4.50, customers can access 25MB of data transmission per SIM per month, with subsequent monthly charges of €0.38 after the first year. Additional options include 100MB, 500MB, 1GB, and 3GB plans, each offering competitive pricing structures designed to scale with evolving IoT needs.

Whilst there is no limit to the IoT use cases that will benefit from Soracom’s new Plan X3-EU, higher data and bandwidth are especially relevant in deployments where large telemetry data sets are sent to the cloud, major firmware updates are carried out over the air, devices transmit image and video data, substantial data points are needed for AI training, and gateways and routers are used to backhaul aggregated device data.

“We know that data costs can escalate dramatically as IoT deployments scale,” said Ken Otsuki, Director of Business Development and Head of Carrier Relations at Soracom.

“By delivering what we believe are some of the best IoT connectivity rates in Europe for high data use cases, Plan X3-EU accelerates IoT projects and supports success at scale”.

Plan X3-EU also includes bundled access to innovative platform services designed to solve common challenges in IoT. Customers can further reduce data costs with Soracom’s innovative protocol conversion, transmit data directly to cloud functions, manage IoT devices remotely, and apply advanced security features.

In a region known for intense competition across a bewildering assortment of providers and plans, Soracom’s Plan X3-EU offers a simple, affordable solution for M2M devices and sensors. For customers ready to stop worrying about connectivity and get back to building, Plan X3-EU brings market-leading value together with reliable connectivity across Europe covering LTE-M, 4G, and NB-IoT where available.

The post Soracom Announces Low-Cost High Data IoT Plans For Europe appeared first on IoT Business News.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced that Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V. has chosen Soracom to add cellular connectivity to MELCloud, a next-generation, cloud-based remote management system for Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning, heating, and heat recovery/ventilation products.

Demand for climate control systems that can maintain comfort while conserving energy is growing in Europe, driven both by recent increases in energy costs and by accelerating decarbonization efforts that go beyond the EU Emissions Trading System to include the introduction of a new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and new approaches to carbon pricing. In particular, demand for heat pump water heating continues to grow rapidly, as users seek an effective and energy-efficient alternative to existing combustion boilers.

MELCloud offers a wide range of new capabilities designed to help optimize the performance and efficiency of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning, heating, and heat recovery/ventilation systems. The MELCloud interface allows for remote operation of air conditioning and heating systems from a PC, tablet, or smartphone, in real time or programmatically with seasonal or weekly timers. Operating data, including detailed system status, energy consumption, temperature, airflow and more, is transmitted to the cloud for analysis and system optimization, with detailed logs and error notifications available.

MELCloud is now available throughout Europe, with nearly 1 million units already registered to the service at the end of 2023. The addition of Soracom cellular connectivity supports seamless performance where dedicated Wi-Fi may not be available, reliable, or accessible, such as multi-unit residential locations like condominiums, apartments, and municipal public housing sites.

Soracom was selected for this project based on extensive evaluation of its coverage in Europe, reliable access to networks with multi-carrier coverage, and powerful connectivity management platform. Worldwide, the Soracom IoT SIM now offers multi-carrier cellular connectivity in more than 180 countries and regions, across over 390 mobile operator networks.

“Soracom’s cloud-native connectivity was designed to support visionary enterprises like Mitsubishi Electric Europe as they deploy at scale,” said Takashi Serizawa, Head of Europe Region for Soracom. “The MELCloud initiative shows how IoT technology and cloud computing are already advancing Europe’s ambitious environmental goals.”

“MELCloud defines the state of the art for cloud-based control of air conditioning and heating systems,” said Donald Daw, Vice LES President for Mitsubishi Electric Europe.

“Adding Soracom’s reliable multi-carrier cellular connectivity gives MELCloud customers across Europe the power to optimize both comfort and energy efficiency at any time, from anywhere.”

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Always On remote management raises the bar for commercial performance, energy efficiency, and customer experience.

Soracom, Inc., today announced that Sollatek, a world leader in Telemetry and IOT solutions for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, has chosen Soracom IoT connectivity to deliver remote monitoring and management capability for its widely-deployed commercial refrigeration and coffee solutions.

Sollatek offers a broad range of products, from refrigeration control to off-grid solar, with an emphasis on power stability, asset tracking, remote monitoring, energy optimization, and operational insight. Sollatek’s flagship suite of commercial refrigeration solutions are designed to monitor and control temperature, energy usage, and geolocation of everything from beverage coolers and refrigerators to display cabinets and ice cream freezers. Sollatek’s Always On solution also offers real-time asset location tracking along with the ability to mark cooler sales based on door openings, monitor cooler misuse, and remotely control cooling system functionality.

By combining this leading-edge connected hardware with an advanced online portal, Sollatek has emerged as a widely acknowledged global leader in Point of Sale (PoS) solutions in the $20 billion FMCG market. Many of the world’s largest beverage producers have already discovered the power of Sollatek’s Always On solution, with more than a million coolers and freezers deployed with Sollatek technology worldwide.

Sollatek selected Soracom for this project based on a demonstrated ability to provide reliable connectivity on a global scale. The Soracom IoT SIM offers multi-carrier cellular connectivity in more than 180 countries and regions, and spans over 380 mobile operator networks, with the ability to switch between networks automatically when signal is weak. Soracom’s included connectivity management platform (CMP) and unified billing system give Sollatek complete control of their IoT network at scale.

“Some of the world’s best-known brands rely on Sollatek to deliver consistently exceptional experiences for their customers,” said Takashi Serizawa, Head of Europe Region for Soracom.

“Soracom’s cloud-native IoT connectivity gives global innovators like Sollatek the quality of service they expect in order to succeed at scale.”

“Our devices offer fleet managers a wealth of data that can be used for real-time data-driven decisions that will maximize their output and keep their systems running efficiently,” said Dimitris Flokos, Head of IoT Solutions for Sollatek. “Providing that service at a global scale is how we stay ahead of the competition.”

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Joint effort will apply advanced IoT technology to develop mobility services as infrastructure for daily life.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, and Suzuki Motor Corporation, which offers products in multiple mobility categories including automobiles, motorcycles, and outboard motors, today announced that they have signed an agreement to pursue applications of advanced IoT technologies in the field of mobility services.

The global automotive industry is changing rapidly, accelerated by broad progress in electrification and automation and by widespread consumer adoption of “connected car” or telematics-based capabilities. Automotive manufacturers now have the opportunity to apply recent advances in hardware, software, and connectivity to create new services and deliver new levels of comfort, convenience, and safety.

Together, Soracom and Suzuki will explore opportunities to collaborate in applying leading-edge IoT technologies to develop new offerings centered around mobility services. Potential focus areas include: electric vehicles (EVs) designed for the global market, modular “base units” and new technologies and services designed to support carbon neutrality.

Both companies will continue to work toward developing new mobility services that can provide the infrastructure for business and life in a sustainable society.

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The combination of generative AI (GenAI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) holds the potential to reshape the future of technology and drive unprecedented innovation.

GenAI promises to revolutionize the IoT ecosystem by enhancing security, personalization, anomaly detection, on-device machine learning, and network management.

As these areas continue to evolve, businesses and individuals are ready to benefit from the innovative applications of GenAI. In this article, we’ll explore the many ways GenAI is beginning to transform the IoT landscape and examine the future possibilities of this powerful alliance.

Creating Synthetic Data for Machine Learning

One of the main challenges in developing machine learning models for IoT devices revolves around collecting and labeling massive amounts of data. However, GenAI solves this problem by creating synthetic data to train these models.

This synthetic data can be used to simulate a variety of scenarios, including machine failures. For example, a manufacturing company can use GenAI to create synthetic data that represents different machine failure scenarios. The company can then use this data to train machine learning models to anticipate potential problems in advance, enabling predictive maintenance.

Crafting Personalized Experiences

GenAI enables IoT devices to deliver personalized experiences to users by leveraging its ability to generate new and original content. Smart home systems can use GenAI algorithms to create personalized lighting and temperature settings for individual users, enhancing comfort and convenience.

And wearable devices can use GenAI to offer tailored workout recommendations based on an individual’s fitness goals and preferences. By leveraging user data from surveys, interactions, and sensor inputs, GenAI can create unique and personalized experiences tailored to the specific needs of each user.

Improving Anomaly Detection

Anomaly detection is key to ensuring the reliability and security of IoT networks. GenAI has the ability to greatly improve anomaly detection by creating synthetic data that accurately simulates normal operating conditions. By training machine learning models on this synthetic data, IoT devices can effectively identify and flag irregular events in real time.

For example, an operator of a power grid can use GenAI to generate synthetic data that mirrors typical power consumption patterns. The power grid operator can then use that data to train a machine learning model that can detect sudden spikes or irregularities in power consumption, enabling the operator to take proactive measures to prevent potential failures or security breaches.

Enabling On-Device Machine Learning

The combination of GenAI and IoT introduces exciting prospects for on-device machine learning. GenAI tackles the issue of limited computing resources in IoT devices by creating smaller and more effective machine learning models.

Anomaly detection models, for instance, can be optimized and implemented directly on IoT devices, enabling real-time analysis and decision-making without depending on cloud resources. This reduces latency as well as strengthens data privacy and security by reducing the need to send data to external servers.

Automating Network Management

Managing large-scale IoT networks requires intelligent automation. GenAI can be instrumental in automating different areas of network management, including configuring devices and optimizing network traffic. With its generative abilities, GenAI can automatically set up new devices as they join the network, simplifying the onboarding process.

Additionally, GenAI can enhance network traffic by intelligently directing data through the most efficient routes, reducing latency and maximizing the use of available bandwidth. This automation lessens the workload of network administrators and boosts the performance and efficiency of the network.

Potential Future IoT Applications

As GenAI continues to evolve, the possibilities for its integration with IoT are endless. Some potential applications include:

Creating New Types of IoT Devices: GenAI can facilitate the development of innovative IoT devices, such as smart assistants with natural language processing capabilities. These devices will be able to understand and respond to human commands and queries, revolutionizing the way we interact with technology.

Enhancing User Interactions: GenAI can enable new ways to interact with IoT devices, including gesture recognition and voice commands. This will make technology more intuitive and accessible, improving the user experience.

Improving Security and Reliability: GenAI can assist in developing advanced security measures for IoT networks, effectively mitigating cyber threats and ensuring data privacy. By generating synthetic data to train anomaly detection models, GenAI can help identify and prevent security breaches in real-time.

Democratizing IoT Access: GenAI has the potential to help bridge the digital divide by making IoT devices more affordable and accessible and allow more people to benefit from the advantages of intelligent connectivity. Democratizing IoT access will allow businesses and individuals to take advantage of IoT technologies for various applications and industries.

Conclusion

The integration of GenAI and IoT has the potential to totally transform how we interact with and benefit from intelligent connectivity. By leveraging GenAI, businesses and individuals can unlock a wide array of applications, ranging from improved anomaly detection and personalized experiences to on-device machine learning and network management automation.

As the field continues to evolve, it’s vital that we embrace the possibilities presented by GenAI and explore its potential to transform IoT. The future of GenAI in IoT is bright, promising a new era of intelligent connectivity and unprecedented opportunities for innovation.

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It’s become common for providers in the IoT industry to claim that they can make deployments easy for their customers. But as we move beyond the inflated expectations of the last decade and into the real work of deploying connected solutions that deliver meaningful value, it’s time to acknowledge what leaders in the space already know: getting IoT right is hard.

As an architect of cloud-native IoT connectivity systems with experience supporting million-scale deployments around the world, I’ve seen this first-hand. Even today, every new deployment uncovers new challenges.

IoT technology holds the potential to transform operations and industries, but unlocking that potential requires expertise, effort, and honesty. Success in IoT demands broad expertise in hardware design, software development, connectivity management, hyperscale platform integration, along with deep ecosystem understanding and strong project management capability. And that only accounts for the whiteboard environment. Deployments take place in the real, physical world and add environmental challenges like extreme heat and cold, dust, vibration, and condensation. Few organizations can claim mastery in more than a handful of these functional areas, and even fewer can add experience with IoT deployment. In this environment, it’s easy to underestimate technical challenges and capital requirements, and to see ROI horizons extend well past initial expectations.

Connectivity stands as one of the foundational technologies underlying today’s IoT, with more providers to choose from than ever before. And IoT MVNOs have served the ecosystem well over the past decade by packaging connectivity in a way that works for IoT. But a reliable connection is only the beginning of the journey. Organizations with IoT experience have learned that attractively-priced mobile data and a coverage map alone won’t address the technical and commercial challenges of a full-scale IoT deployment.

Armed with the lessons learned from previous deployments, experienced organizations are now demanding broad expertise in hardware design, software development, connectivity management, hyper-scale platform integration, ecosystem understanding, and project management capability. These organizations have first-hand experience of the hurdles and challenges that must be overcome to succeed in IoT and have effectively shifted their focus from component cost to total cost of ownership.

As an example, they’ve learned that what works for a few hundred devices may not work as a project scales into the thousands or millions. This is especially true when it comes to the connectivity management portal, which must include not only the necessary tools for granular network management but also the automation capabilities to ensure effective management at scale. For example, if a connectivity provider can offload encryption and authentication protocol overhead to reduce both total data usage and minimum hardware spec, TCO will be lower even if the per-MB cost for data is higher than that of a bare-bones provider.

Scale also plays a huge role when it comes to provisioning devices and integrating data with hyperscale platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure. Assigning credentials manually is easy enough at the prototyping stage, but the move to full production requires a flexible, central approach to device provisioning, with the ability to update credentials remotely if needed. Hard-coded credentials represent not only a manufacturing challenge but a data security risk in the field.

These are just a few examples of the challenges that organizations may encounter as they progress toward a large-scale IoT deployment. When working with partners, companies eager to take advantage of IoT capabilities should be skeptical of any claims to “make it easy.” Instead, they will be well-served to look for partners who know it’s hard and have the experience to look around corners and address issues before they arise. IoT MVNOs in particular will distinguish themselves in a crowded field by demonstrating that their service offering goes well beyond simple device connectivity to help control total project cost and ensure success in the field.

With deployment complexity and total cost of ownership in mind, companies seeking to create value with connected solutions should consider these factors to help identify the technology partners who can truly serve them on their journey:

Adding real value: Commodity providers may offer attention-grabbing rates to bring new customers in, but their service to the customer needs to go deeper. Enterprises should look for solutions beyond connectivity and demand evidence of capability regarding troubleshooting, data collection automation, device operation, and connection management.

Accelerating speed to market: Many deployments get stuck somewhere between the whiteboard, the prototype, and the marketplace, and commodity-level solutions may not be well-equipped to provide value in the present era of IoT. Will a technology provider accelerate testing with automated functions where appropriate? Does the connectivity provider still answer your calls after devices are connected? Can you count on a robust API to help automate management of large-scale deployments, along with full-featured network management capability to keep operations running smoothly? Most organizations don’t have massive teams dedicated to IoT deployments. They should expect to work with partners who can accelerate deployment with active troubleshooting, experienced solutions architecture guidance, and a full set of tools for managing connections, minimizing data use, and integrating with hyperscale cloud platforms.

Supporting success at scale: Is the solutions provider scaling active deployments to meet IoT device connectivity metrics? Some providers boast about how many IoT connections they are adding. A more meaningful metric is how many connections their existing customers are adding. This metric shows that the provider is working with customers to overcome technical challenges. Furthermore, existing customer growth indicates a provider’s willingness to provide more capabilities, experience, and expertise to promote successful deployments.

Delivering strong partnerships: No single provider can address every technical challenge because issues in IoT require different areas of expertise, with technology deployed in devices on the edge, core networks, cloud operations, and in-house IT environments. Credibility within a specialized provider ecosystem gives differentiated vendors access to experts who can solve their customers’ most serious challenges. Does the solutions provider offer relationships with ecosystem partners? Do they have a good track record of completed projects? Can they call on an existing to address use cases that would otherwise require a customer to seek multiple point solutions outside of their normal area of expertise?

Providing expert support: The questions that tend to matter most in IoT are simply beyond the scope of standard tech support. Will a prospective partner offer IoT-first support with the knowledge and experience to answer questions and provide consultative guidance? Do they see the value in protecting your company’s IT investment? Can they anticipate the challenges specific to e.g. securing IoT-connected devices from data breaches? Can they guide your team through advanced techniques to reduce data overhead, offload credentials management, or establish data peering with hyperscaler VPCs?

As we look ahead to 2024, IoT has moved well beyond the hype of the past decade and is now delivering real value across industries and organizations. Acknowledging that the path to value isn’t easy is the first step to Providers differentiate themselves with connectivity and hardware design, software development, connectivity management, hyper-scale platform integration, deep ecosystem understanding, and strong project management. When we look beyond one-dimensional contracts that promise fast and convenient device connectivity, we can see how to truly reduce total cost of ownership. Diving deeper reveals the value of each provider’s entire portfolio of solutions, experience, and ecosystem alliances. Customers can start looking deeply into their organization and determine how a dynamic IoT partner will offer efficient, reliable, and meaningful deployments.

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New plan delivers nationwide coverage and simplified pricing for IoT SIMs and eSIMs.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced that it has partnered with UScellular to offer a new IoT data plan designed to both simplify data costs and ensure future-proof regulatory compliance for IoT use cases that may require a local profile for devices in the United States.

Soracom’s new Plan-US offers nationwide, multicarrier 4G, 5G, LTE-M and NB-IoT data, including major U.S. carriers and regional carriers for maximum coverage density even in remote, rural areas. Affordable monthly data packages make deployment costs clear and predictable, with bundles available from 1MB up to 10GB to support IoT deployments at every stage from prototyping to full deployment. Plan-US also includes the ability to add profiles for global roaming or maximum multicarrier coverage as needed via Soracom Subscription Containers while maintaining bundled pricing.

“Coverage you can count on is everything in IoT, thus we have looked for ways to provide denser coverage for less populated areas in the U.S.,” said Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and co-founder of Soracom.

“For customers with predictable data needs, Soracom Plan-US combines the simplicity of bundled data with the power of cloud-native 5G, LTE-M, and NB-IoT to put IoT projects on a fast track to scale.”

“We’re excited to work with Soracom to provide a seamless wireless experience for our customers with IoT and M2M application needs and help get them connected wherever they are,” said Kim Kerr, senior vice president, enterprise sales and operations for UScellular.

Plan-US is available now and includes Soracom’s industry-leading network management console and API at no added cost and provides access to a wide range of advanced platform services, from data visualization and remote device access to secure private networking.

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Downloadable PlanP2 Delivers Local Profile Without Permanent Roaming Restriction.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced the release of PlanP2, a new data plan that delivers IoT connectivity for Brazil using a local carrier profile to ensure regulatory compliance.

Brazil is a large and growing market for IoT, but regional restrictions on permanent roaming present a compliance challenge for connected devices designed to be used in multiple countries. With PlanP2, customers can use the same Soracom IoT SIM for both global multicarrier connectivity in more than 160 countries and fully-compliant 2G/3G/4G/NB-IoT connection in Brazil.

This approach takes advantage of Soracom’s Subscription Container feature, which allows users to add multiple network profiles to Soracom SIM cards and eSIMs over the air (OTA). PlanP2 is compatible with both card-type and chip-type SIMs (eSIMs) and can even be set to pause network access fees during inactive periods in a product lifecycle, such as transit and storage between manufacture/testing and deployment/retail. This is especially useful for devices that are manufactured and distributed globally, such as consumer electronics, wearables, location-based trackers, and connected healthcare devices.

“Success in IoT depends on a connection you can count on,” said Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and Co-Founder of Soracom.

“Where a local profile is needed, we’re committed to making it easy with a single IoT SIM and on-demand access to the right plan over the air. PlanP2 positions our customers to deliver leading-edge connected experiences in one of the world’s most dynamic IoT markets.”

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Collaboration with Sony Semiconductor Israel, Kigen, Murata and Quectel to Accelerate Deployments.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced an expanded partnership to support commercial deployment of next-generation iSIM (Integrated Subscriber Identity Module) for Soracom customers.

In June 2021, Soracom announced completion of a joint iSIM Proof of Concept in collaboration with Sony Semiconductor Israel (Sony), a leading cellular IoT chipset provider, and Kigen, a global leader in secure authentication for cellular IoT devices. Today’s announcement expands this collaboration to include new iSIM-compatible modules from Quectel and Murata.

iSIM technology offers significant advantages over existing SIM and eSIM technology, including reduced physical size, simplified circuitry, minimal board footprint, improved processing capacity, greater energy savings, higher security, lower cost and simplified commercial distribution. The iSIM standard integrates communication modules, SIM and eSIM functions into a single System-on-Chip (SoC) device and offers a hardware-secured area within the chip for optimal data integrity.

“We are pleased to make iSIM technology available commercially and appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with global technology leaders to help accelerate this development,” said Ken Tamagawa, CEO and Co-founder for Soracom. “iSIM technology matches perfectly with Soracom’s Subscription Containers feature, which lets users download new profiles over the air as needed. iSIM represents the future of SIM technology, and this collaboration puts our customers at the leading edge of IoT development.”

“iSIM technology is a game changer for anyone who wants to secure data originating from connected devices whether it’s for delivering unique customer experiences or for AI solutions,” said Vincent Korstanje, CEO of Kigen. “The commercial availability of iSIM on Soracom’s network is the result of extensive collaborative testing of the Kigen iSIM OS using the market-leading modules and chipsets.”

“We have been at the forefront of the development of iSIM technology, which will greatly contribute to the evolution of cellular IoT devices,” said Dima Feldman, VP of Product Management and Marketing, Sony Semiconductor Israel Ltd. “The combination of Soracom’s LPWA modules and iSIM technology accelerates implementation efforts for customers, allowing them to develop advantages in cost, size, security, and power consumption.”

Customer interest in iSIM-compatible products has increased steadily since 2021 and module vendors have expanded related product offerings. This partnership will allow interested Soracom customers to secure the Quectel BG773 and Murata Type 1SC iSIM-compatible modules for use in IoT deployments.

“Together with leading companies in the cellular IoT industry, we have developed a solution that will let our customers bring a new generation of IoT products to market,” said Akira Sasaki, General Manager, Communication Module Division, Murata Manufacturing Co. “This product is a compact, power-saving, low-cost cellular LPWA module that can be used in a variety of IoT applications.”

“We are very pleased to offer Soracom customers the BG773, an LPWA module with ultra-low power consumption and robust security that supports LTE Cat M1/Cat NB1/NB2,” said Michael Wallon, SVP Sales APAC + ANZ, Quectel Wireless Solutions Co.

“By combining our iSIM-enabled communication modules with the Soracom connectivity platform, customers can easily implement integrated, cost-effective, sustainable and secure IoT solutions at scale, while streamlining their global IoT deployment and paving the way to a smarter world.”

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Collaboration joins Skylo 3GPP NTN connectivity to Soracom’s cloud-native IoT platform.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced a new strategic partnership with Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) service operator Skylo Technologies.

This collaboration promises customers building IoT solutions and M2M devices access to Skylo’s leading direct-to-device 3GPP NTN connectivity, along with the advanced capability of Soracom’s fully-virtualized cellular platform.

The combination of NTN-based NB-IoT connectivity and cloud-based IoT network management represents the next generation of IoT connectivity: highly available, highly affordable, ubiquitous, and deeply integrated with the hyperscale cloud platforms that serve as the backbone of today’s IoT. Soracom’s fully virtualized global platform provides full MVNO capability paired with powerful connectivity management tools.

Since 2021, Soracom has offered unified, “single pane of glass” management for connectivity options from cellular and LPWA to Wi-Fi and satellite. In 2022, Soracom added native support for satellite messaging capability, allowing customers to manage satellite IoT devices and billing directly through the Soracom platform. Skylo’s satellite NTN lets chipsets, modems, modules, and devices designed for terrestrial networks to connect via existing satellites using the global 3GPP Release 17 standard.

While the network is grounded in 3GPP specifications, much of the development of the network operates on what Skylo refers to as the “Standards Plus” approach. Skylo’s engineers add additional technical specifications to improve the functionality, interoperability, and ubiquity of the satellite-based network over and above the 3GPP standards, delivering an exceptional user experience. In combining Soracom protocol conversion and authentication offloading features, the customer can also minimize the amount of data transmitted over the satellite link while maintaining integration with a cloud service of their choice.

“Soracom is committed to a cloud-native future where anything can connect to the cloud from anywhere, without compromising availability, affordability, or capability,” said Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and Co-Founder of Soracom. “Combining breakthrough NTN NB-IoT network, we can enable customers to add satellite coverage to their existing hardware with minimal data overhead for hyperscaler cloud integrations.”

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Soracom, as its expertise aligns with our mission to connect the unconnected,” said Dr. Andrew Nuttall, CTO and Co-Founder of Skylo.

“Together, we are empowering businesses and industries to unlock the full potential of IoT, regardless of their location or infrastructure constraints, enabling real-time data access, monitoring, and control in areas not currently served by cellular connectivity.”

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Three new services expand access to AI-driven insights for IoT.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced three new services designed to help IoT deployments take advantage of the power and promise of generative AI (GenAI).

These new services, named Soracom Query, Soracom Relay, and Soracom Harvest Data Intelligence, can work together or separately to analyze IoT device data on the fly or connect devices to the powerful AI/ML capabilities now available through leading hyperscale platforms.

Soracom Relay lets customers use any existing RTSP/RTP-compatible camera to acquire and securely transmit audio and video data to Soracom’s Harvest Files for storage or to a cloud destination, such as AWS S3 or Amazon Kinesis Video Streams, for computer vision and video analytics. Soracom Query lets customers use SQL queries from BI tools or CLI to mine IoT device data with no need to set up their own servers or storage. This managed data warehouse capability with automatic data loading makes it easy to run complex analytical queries on large IoT datasets and feed the results to machine learning (ML) projects. Both services are now available in technical preview to interested Soracom customers.

Soracom Harvest Data Intelligence, now available in public beta, enhances Soracom’s existing serverless data storage and visualization capability with the ability to apply GenAI to analyze time series data and identify trends, patterns, outliers, and abnormalities. Soracom Harvest Data Intelligence can also use the data provided to perform further analysis. For example, a municipality can use Soracom Relay to monitor road traffic while Harvest Data Intelligence analyzes the data stored and Soracom Query can guide decisions on the best times to schedule road repairs, or to predict how changes in traffic patterns will impact existing infrastructure.

Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and Co-Founder of Soracom, said:

“Applying GenAI to analyze IoT data has the potential to discover insights that are beyond our imagination,”

“As a technology partner to the companies building tomorrow’s connected experiences, we’re committed to delivering leading-edge capabilities that accelerate their innovation and help them to succeed at scale and stay one step ahead in a changing world.”

In keeping with that commitment, Soracom has also established an IoT x GenAI Lab with Matsuo Institute, Inc., which conducts research and development projects in AI sharing the vision of Matsuo Lab, University of Tokyo. The IoT x GenAI Lab will explore the potential to gain new insights from diverse IoT data using Gen AI, develop new products, and provide professional services specializing in the area of Generative AI, including IoT and Large Language Models (LLMs).

The post Soracom Adds Generative AI Capability to IoT Connectivity appeared first on IoT Business News.

“Plan X3-EU” combines advanced IoT connectivity with affordable, predictable billing.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced a new cellular data plan designed to help European startups and SMBs accelerate deployment of connected products and services while keeping data costs low.

Rates for Soracom’s new Plan X3-EU start at €4.50 for a full year of cellular IoT data at 25MB/month, with no hidden fees and options available for 50MB, 100MB, 500MB, 1GB, 5GB or more.

Plan X3-EU also provides access to Soracom’s fully virtualized connectivity management platform, including advanced cloud integrations and secure networking services designed specifically to help IoT projects launch quickly and succeed at scale. In a region known for intense competition across a bewildering assortment of providers and plans, Soracom’s Plan X3-EU offers a simple, affordable solution for M2M devices and sensors. For customers ready to stop worrying about connectivity and get back to building, Plan X3-EU brings market-leading value together with reliable connectivity across Europe covering LTE-M, 4G, 3G and even 2G where available.

“When it comes to IoT connectivity, we know that companies building and scaling connected experiences in Europe face complex choices,” said Ken Otsuki, Director of Business Development and Head of Carrier Relations at Soracom.

“With Plan X3-EU, they no longer have to compromise. Our customers can now get the benefits of broad coverage and transparent, predictable pricing without compromising on technical capability or expert support.”

Plan X3-EU includes Soracom’s industry-leading network management console and API at no added cost and provides access to a wide range of advanced platform services, from data visualization and remote device access to secure private networking.

The post Soracom Announces Low-Cost Bundled IoT Data Plan for Europe appeared first on IoT Business News.

UnaBiz, Massive Internet of Things (IoT) service provider and integrator, signs Global IoT Distribution Agreement with Soracom, a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, to offer cellular connectivity to its customers.

The announcement marks yet another milestone in UnaBiz’s advancement of Technology Convergence, by offering pervasive Global IoT Network Coverage to its customers and partners, from 0G to 5G to enable Massive IoT.

The new global agreement will provide UnaBiz customers access to Soracom’s global cellular networks enabled by 350 mobile carriers across 170 countries, and provide services complementary to the global 0G network powered by Sigfox technology. The cellular connectivity offer brings additional value to UnaBiz’s key verticals; Utilities, Supply Chain and Logistics, Building and Facility Management, and Security, and will open up new segments and a dozen new addressable Critical IoT use cases that require lower latencies, larger data volume, and uninterrupted communication. The agreement will kick off in Singapore, Taiwan, France, Spain and Portugal, with the ultimate objective to be subsequently extended to 70+ 0G Operators worldwide where a cellular connectivity option is required by a customer.

“It is clear that there is no single network technology that can cover all IoT use cases and collaboration is key to enable IoT at scale. By joining forces with Soracom, our customers will gain access to best-of-breed cellular IoT connectivity to help them achieve their business objectives and ESG goals. This distribution model is already tested and proven today by UnaBiz and its 0G Operator partners. Our customers chose us because of the additional IoT expertise and know-how they can access alongside the cellular service, which are not always available from your traditional local telco SIM provider.. This is why we are pleased to strengthen our strategic partnership with Soracom in this new global agreement,” said Henri Bong, CEO and Co-Founder of UnaBiz.

The agreement builds on the long-term strategic partnership between UnaBiz and Soracom that started in 2018 when Soracom led a US$10 Million investment in UnaBiz’s Series A funding round. The synergies created by this combined offering were first established in 2020 when UnaBiz and Soracom partnered to deliver an LTE-M-based smart meter reader for NICIGAS, Japan’s largest LP Gas company, to complement its existing Sigfox-based smart meter reader. The LTE-M connectivity is powered by Soracom’s IoT connectivity platform, which natively supports blended Sigfox and cellular deployments and provides access to advanced cloud capabilities.

Ken Tamagawa, CEO and Founder of Soracom Inc. said:

“Soracom is pleased to support UnaBiz and its 0G Operator partners with IoT connectivity and platform services that connect seamlessly to multiple cellular networks including 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, Cat-M1 and NB-IoT. As a cloud-agnostic, hardware-agnostic platform, we firmly believe in the Technology Convergence movement. We look forward to working with UnaBiz to offer Soracom coverage and cloud-native capabilities in new markets and reinforce UnaBiz’s position as a Massive IoT service provider and integrator.”

Earlier in February this year, Soracom announced the joint global development and launch of an LTE-M-based IoT button with UnaBiz that utilizes Soracom’s eSIM technology and cloud-native smart connectivity platform. Customers located in Singapore, Taiwan, France, Spain and Portugal will be able to purchase Soracom IoT SIM cards from their respective local UnaBiz Operators directly or contact UnaBiz for cellular-based IoT solutions.

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“US-MAX” plan offers multicarrier IoT connectivity across AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced a new cellular data plan designed to maximize network availability and coverage for devices deployed anywhere in the United States.

Soracom’s new plan, “US-MAX,” provides IoT data coverage across the three largest wireless networks in North America: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. US-MAX also includes access to Soracom’s fullyvirtualized cellular platform, including advanced cloud integrations and secure networking services designed specifically to accelerate IoT deployment and ensure success at scale.

In a country known for its wide open spaces, US-MAX offers IoT devices the largest available coverage footprint along with the ability to automatically switch between any of the three leading cellular networks for optimal connection reliability on the move. Soracom’s containerized multi-IMSI capability, which is compatible both eUICC and UICC standards, means that Plan US-MAX is available today as an over-the-air download to any device in North America using Soracom IoT SIMs or eSIMs.

“Oil and gas customers count on TOKU Systems to bring unprecedented remote visibility to tanks, wells, and pipelines across North America,” said Andrew Jarman, Chief Technology Officer at TOKU Systems. “Most of those installations are in remote locations, and we can’t afford to second-guess our connectivity. Soracom Plan US-MAX gives us the coverage our customers need and the ability to connect securely to our preferred endpoints.”

“Hortau empowers high-value crop growers with innovative precision irrigation solutions to optimize crop health and maximize the efficiency of their inputs by seamlessly connecting the soil and the crop growing environment,” said Nicolas Gendron, Director for IoT, Web and Mobile applications. “With Soracom Plan US-MAX, our sensors remain seamlessly connected even in rural areas, while the Soracom platform ensures a secure and direct connection to our AWS VPC. This perfect fusion of availability, reliability, and capability forms the ideal solution for our needs.”

Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and Co-Founder of Soracom, said:

“Coverage is the key in IoT. Soracom serves as a technology partner to IoT innovators across North America, Europe, and Asia, and we know extensive coverage in specific countries can make or break a deployment.”

“For devices deployed across the United States, it’s the right time for a plan you can download over the air to combine the greatest available coverage with the most advanced connectivity platform.”

Like Soracom’s standard global data plan, Plan US-MAX is offered on a shared success model, where customers pay only for the data and services they use, with no long-term commitment required.

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Industrial Grade SIM Cards Connect IoT Devices in Rugged Environments.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, today announced that it has added an industrial grade SIM card to its portfolio of IoT SIM and eSIM solutions.

With this addition, Soracom now offers both standard and industrial-grade eSIMs and SIM cards, as well as iSIM capability.

The Soracom Industrial SIM card is designed for M2M/IoT applications where environmental conditions demand a rugged solution and a card-type SIM is preferred to an eSIM. The Industrial SIM supports Mini, Micro or Nano form factors (2FF, 3FF or 4FF) and offers a special coating as well as enhanced chip characteristics to limit erosion and resist extremes of temperature, humidity, and vibration.

Like all Soracom IoT SIMs, the new Industrial SIM is fully compatible with current GSMA M2M eUICC specifications and provides pay-per-use cellular data including 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, and Cat-M1 coverage where available in more than 160 countries. Access to Soracom’s industry-leading connectivity management platform and API is included at no additional cost, along with a library of cloud-native platform services designed specifically to accelerate IoT deployment and ensure success at scale.

“Feed manufacturers across North America trust BinSentry to monitor thousands of feed bins, automate inventory and improve decision making,” said Nathan Hoel, CTO and Co-Founder of BinSentry. “In these rugged environments our gear faces rapid temperature changes, and constant dust and vibration. We have tried many IoT SIM cards and if it can’t resist failure in these conditions, we can’t use it. Soracom’s industrial SIM delivers a connection we can count on, and Soracom’s smart lifecycle management allows us to optimize our network for performance and cost.”

“Every day, we help customers around the world and across industries offload heavy lifting to the cloud on terms that make sense for IoT,” said Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and Co-Founder of Soracom. “An industrial-grade SIM card with eUICC capabilities complements our industrial IoT eSIM offerings and lets our customers deploy connected solutions seamlessly in challenging environments, ensuring optimal form factors and maximum durability tailored to their use cases.”

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New device expands global strategic partnership, serves dozens of unique IoT use cases.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, and Massive IoT service provider UnaBiz have announced the joint global development and launch of an LTE-M-based IoT button that utilizes Soracom’s eSIM technology and cloud-native smart connectivity platform.

The configurable button, which the companies will brand and sell independently, is the first commercially available product based on technology collaboration between the partners, who have previously worked jointly on proprietary hardware and smart connectivity projects for specific customers.

Connected buttons are sometimes described as “smart buttons,” but what makes the LTE-M IoT button so effective is its simplicity. A single click or press sends an event over the built-in LTE-M connection to the Soracom or UnaBiz platform endpoints, where the real intelligence resides. From there, the possibilities are nearly limitless.

Users can configure the button to trigger serverless functions on popular cloud services such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. After registering the device a user can simply select a cloud service, apply a piece of code and associate a button click to trigger any logic deployed in the cloud. Developers looking to quickly understand and apply Soracom or UnaBiz platform capabilities can use the LTE-M button as a standalone device or with sensors and other devices (like a flood sensor or magnet relay) for more industrial applications.

Based on the code that users choose to deploy to their cloud of choice, the button can be used for any purpose. With the push of a button, users can order products and services (like ride hailing or meal ordering), start or stop a task (as in a home automation context), generate an alert, provide feedback, and more. Industries such as eCommerce, call centers, hospitality, maintenance, transportation can use the IoT button to automate operations, streamline workflows, and improve customer service.

Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and co-founder of Soracom, said:

“The magic of the LTE-M Button is that it’s a very simple device, but its applications are limited only by the user’s imagination. Because it includes both connectivity and cloud integration, users can incorporate it into their own IoT use cases immediately on registration,”

“It’s a very effective reference device for getting started in IoT, but it can also serve more sophisticated use cases, like connecting sensors and relays. Adding Soracom’s powerful platform capabilities lets the LTE-M button serve advanced cloud based IoT systems using serverless cloud functions, data lakes, machine learning services and more.”

UnaBiz, which was appointed as the new owner of Sigfox technology in April, 2022, has deep experience in developing custom design and off-the-shelves Low-Power Wide-Area Network technologies devices and sensors. With Soracom, UnaBiz is now pursuing LTE-M devices that allow enterprises and developers to easily integrate with existing business workflows and systems.

“Building on our deep knowledge of Sigfox-based low-power devices design, it was only natural for UnaBiz to partner with Soracom team expertise in LTE-M integrations,” said Alexis Susset, CTO of UnaBiz. “This collaboration has enabled us to jointly deliver a simple, evolutive and elegant IoT button which will last years on a single battery charge and benefit from the growing LTE-M networks coverage.”

Features of the LTE-M button include Soracom’s eSIM technology, a three-color LED status indicator, FOTA support, replaceable AA batteries, IP54 grade, and a recycled plastic casing. The button is pre-configured to send events to the companies’ cloud endpoints.

Customers located in the United States, UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand will be able to purchase the Soracom LTE-M Button from Mouser Electronics, CalChip Connect, or Soracom.

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Strong uptake in the energy, retail, healthcare, and consumer electronics, among other industries, drives rapid growth.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced that it is now keeping more than 5 million IoT devices connected around the globe.

The rapid growth—up from the 4 million that Soracom announced in January 2022—is being driven by strong uptake of IoT devices in energy/oil & gas, payments/point-of-sale (POS), healthcare, consumer electronics, and agriculture, among other industries.

Soracom delivers robust IoT connectivity solutions to the world’s most innovative developers, SMBs, and SMEs to help them accelerate IoT deployment wherever they need to do business, minimize risk, and ensure successful, scalable IoT rollouts. The company offers commitment-free, pay-per-use connectivity services featuring speed to market, cloud-native integration and secure bootstrapping capabilities.

Soracom announced its first 1 million IoT connections in June 2019. Since then, use of Soracom’s secure, scalable, connectivity platform has expanded dramatically thanks to accelerating adoption across industries and geographies.

“Soracom’s powerful horizontal IoT platform makes IoT accessible to a growing number of partners, industries and applications,” said Kenta Yasukawa, cofounder and CTO, Soracom.

“As a technology and business partner, we help customers in virtually every vertical offload heavy lifting to the cloud on terms that make sense for IoT. As we reach this milestone, we’re truly humbled by the ways Soracom customers and partners around the world are building new connected experiences.”

Soracom’s next-generation IoT connectivity platform is device-, cloud-, and bearer-agnostic. It provides everything the people, teams and organizations building tomorrow’s connected world need. Using Soracom, IoT innovators can connect any number of devices to their preferred cloud easily, affordably, and reliably, with complete network control, anywhere in the world.

One such connected experience is delivered by Pocketalk, an advanced, handheld, two-way translation device featuring a large touchscreen, noise-cancelling microphones, a text-to-translate camera, and the ability to help people connect across 82 different languages. Pocketalk uses Soracom to keep consumer, business, municipal and professional customers connected to the cloud wherever they go.

“With nearly 1 million connected devices sold worldwide, Pocketalk needs much more from a partner than just a connectivity contract,” said Joe Miller, General Manager at Pocketalk. “From our first device to our third generation, Soracom has supported our growth with everything from eSIM provisioning to local breakout capability to IoT architecture consultation. We look forward to working together for a long time to come.”

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Low power bidirectional Satellite IoT embedded into Soracom’s platform, offering connectivity in areas not covered by terrestrial networks (e.g. oceans, rural areas or remote locations such as polar regions).

Astrocast, a leading global nanosatellite IoT network operator, and Soracom, a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, announce today a partnership to embed the Astrocast Satellite IoT (SatIoT) solution into the Soracom platform.

This collaboration enables Soracom to offer integrators and end customers blended IoT connectivity options that comprise satellite and cellular connectivity. Since 85% of the globe has zero cellular coverage, Astrocast’s SatIoT solution will provide a key component to Soracom’s 20,000 plus customers across the world; with devices in areas where cellular coverage does not reach. Organisations can access Astrocast SatIoT by subscribing to the Soracom platform, taking advantage of the seamless, secure integration to a choice of cloud services. They will be able to make use of Soracom’s blended connectivity options or SatIoT alone.

Astrocast’s cost effective global SatIoT will enable Soracom’s customers to derive more value from their IoT investments. An array of organisations and use cases – of all sizes and types – will benefit from SatIoT connectivity. This range includes Smart Agriculture, preventive maintenance and asset tracking.

Satellite IoT Solution Requirements

When Soracom was searching for a satellite IoT provider, several factors were important. Of note, this included global coverage, the cost model, the power efficiency of devices that would connect to the SatIoT network and, very importantly, the ease of operation of the Astrocast SatIoT platform and its integration into the Soracom solution.

• Global coverage: From truly remote locations to goods in transit, SatIoT needs to deliver global connectivity that complements the existing cellular network options.

• Affordability: IoT operations are incredibly cost sensitive. Whether a business is looking to deploy ten devices or hundreds of thousands of devices, tiny differences in cost, performance and lifetime will fundamentally change the return on investment (ROI).

• Power consumption: The efficiency of power consumption has a direct impact on device battery life. With devices typically located in remote and inaccessible locations, it is crucial to maximise battery life, because making replacements or repairs is often impractical and unaffordable. A low power SatIoT solution will radically extend the life of a device – with batteries typically lasting between five and ten years.

• Bidirectional communication: Two-way communication is essential both to underpin innovative IoT applications and enable changes to the way the device operates. For example, a business can send a short message to change a device’s operating parameters – reducing the number of times each day a temperature recording is taken, from once an hour to just twice a day, would reduce power consumption, and extend battery life further.

• Effective integration: To ensure SatIoT’s commercial viability on the Soracom platform requires seamless integration, ensuring organisations can gain transparent access to IoT data irrespective of the underlying network. Astrocast’s proven API ensured a rapid interface development, enabling Soracom to add the SatIoT connectivity option for its customers.

The Astrocast Satellite IoT solution has been embedded into the Soracom platform.

Kenta Yasukawa, CTO of Soracom, says:
“This is only the beginning of our journey with Astrocast. The power of IoT to transform operations is indisputable. What has been achieved to date is compelling; but there is so much more that can be achieved together.”

“With an affordable and accessible IoT platform, Soracom’s addition of Astrocast SatIoT will transform the ease with which integrators and businesses of all sizes can explore the power of SatIoT.”

“We want to work together with Astrocast, and our clients, to accelerate innovation by combining our joint depths of insight, and knowledge of IoT; with the expertise of individuals on the ground that are developing and using IoT for the integrators and customers that we work for. This way, we can ensure the most effective deployment of IoT”, explains Kenta Yasukawa.

Fabien Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder, Astrocast, says:
“With 83% of organisations claiming to have improved efficiency by introducing IoT technology, it is little wonder that IoT solutions have the potential to generate $4-11 trillion in economic value by 2025. This is the first time a well-established communication provider like Soracom is expanding its global reach with satellite connectivity.”

“Furthermore, there is a significant pent up demand across many industries for IoT deployments across the 85% of the globe that currently has zero cellular coverage. The availability of cost effective, low power, bidirectional satellite technology is providing new opportunities for an array of organisations and use cases. The accessibility of the Soracom platform with Satellite IoT will give many integrators and organisations a chance to explore and develop a new dimension to their IoT platform”, explains Fabien Jordan.

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Bigger isn’t always better. In IoT, reduced size can offer significant advantages, and the advent of integrated SIM (iSIM) technology is poised to offer a major advancement.

Embedded SIMs (eSIMs) represent a step forward from card-type SIMs, and allow for the design and manufacture of smaller devices and more capable IoT devices. iSIMs advance the state of the art even further, helping to minimize form factors, enhance performance, and even streamline supply chains. Industry watchers agree the market is hot; according to Counterpoint Research, the number of eSIM and iSIM-capable devices shipped is expected to reach more than 6 billion by 2025.

In traditional cellular applications, a physical hardware communications module lets devices establish a network connection, with a SIM card or eSIM present for identifying and authenticating subscribers. iSIM technology combines these functions into a single, purpose-built system-on-a-chip (SoC) within the communications module, giving it a “zero footprint.” Regardless of whether it is a card or embedded, a SIM is a tiny computer chip that requires power to work. Because an iSIM-enabled device does not need an external chip to supply power to, the iSIM can also reduce power consumption for small-footprint devices.

By eliminating the need for a physical SIM or eSIM, iSIM technology addresses multiple key challenges for IoT innovators, especially in terms of miniaturization. iSIMs make it possible to eliminate entirely the SIM card slots and eSIM sockets that currently take up a large portion of the circuit board footprint in small devices. This also has the benefit of removing manufacturing steps in production and reducing device power requirements.

Industries where every fraction of a millimeter matters – such as wearables, e-textiles and smart trackers – are prime early markets for iSIM technology. But what else can this next-generation technology do for IoT innovation?

• Open potential new markets: iSIM reduces power requirements and removes the footprint for SIMs, opening possibilities for new markets beyond small consumer goods and battery-powered devices that cannot always be connected to the power grid. Industries like smart utilities, smart drones and smart meters could take advantage of iSIM technology simply based on its power consumption.

• Streamline the device and component manufacturing processes. iSIMs remove a step from the manufacturing process and parts to source, helping IoT innovators to accelerate their solutions to market. This has huge impact when it comes to large-scale manufacturing under the supply chain issue we have seen today. In vehicle manufacturing, for example, manufacturers must often wait until every part is available to operate an assembly line. iSIMs remove parts to wait for in the process, helping manufacturers to keep lines in operation with less risk for downtime.

• Disrupt the value chain. iSIMs can require a different sourcing process than traditional SIMs and eSIMs because there is no option to switch connectivity providers by physically replacing a SIM card or an eSIM chip. Because the iSIM is integrated in the connectivity module, manufacturers and product designers need to identify connectivity providers who can offer a smart initial bootstrap profile for iSIMs early in the process. Although this may sound like an additional burden, finding the right connectivity partner is a necessary step that saves time and money in deployment.

These opportunities underline the importance of considering iSIM technology and a connectivity provider at the same time. For example, IoT innovators using iSIM may require connectivity capabilities that deliver full functionality, including unique key information, secure loading of the carrier profile information onto the module, connection to the cellular network, secure bootstrapping capabilities out of the box, and connection to a provider’s advanced platform services. Getting this established at the front of the process means faster time to market.

Democratization of the IoT is moving quickly. As new technologies such as iSIMs pass through the proof-of-concept stage and into production, new partnerships will emerge that make it easier than ever for IoT innovators to not only imagine but enable the next generation of IoT.

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Joint offering pairs IDEMIA’s leading-edge eSIM technology with Soracom’s cloud-native IoT connectivity platform.

Soracom, Inc., today announced a partnership with IDEMIA, to offer innovative SMBs, SMEs and enterprises in North America and Europe expanded embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) capabilities based on IDEMIA’s IoT-optimized DAKOTA SMART eSIM technology.

The offering is the first deployment of DAKOTA SMART in the United States.

This GSMA-certified eSIM is designed to specifically meet the needs of IoT devices, even low-cost devices with highly constrained memory, power and processing capability. IDEMIA’s eSIM technology features advanced low-power capabilities, including Suspend, Resume, and eDRX, making it more power efficient for LTE-M/NB-IoT services while supporting all cellular standards from 2G to 5G where available. It is available in standard MFF2 (5x6mm), ultra-compact plug-in card (2x2mm), and chip scale package (CSP) form factors with commercial- and industrial-grade versions available.

The cloud-native Soracom platform is also intended specifically for the needs of the companies and teams building new experiences around connected devices. Soracom’s global connectivity and industry-leading network management tools help to reduce total cost of ownership, accelerate speed to market, and ensure complete control over every connection in a customer’s IoT fleet.

In addition to the GSMA standard Remote SIM Provisioning capability, DAKOTA SMART is compatible with Soracom’s Subscription Containers multi-IMSI solution, which extends profile management capabilities to any Soracom SIM or eSIM connected with Soracom’s standard global data plan. This allows profile-swapping where multiple profiles are available without interrupting access to Soracom platform services.

“Many potential IoT applications have strict requirements in terms of highly constrained memory, power and processing capabilities,” said Kenta Yasukawa, cofounder and CTO at Soracom.

“Together, Soracom and IDEMIA are removing these barriers to entry, making it simple for companies to build new, leading-edge IoT experiences for their customers around the world.”

“The ever-evolving world of IoT demands and drives innovation to help bring this connected world to life. We are delighted to be part of the Soracom journey as they expand their global reach and technology evolution. Utilizing our flagship eSIM solution, with its full range of connectivity options, form factors and dedicated IoT features, together we will enable new innovative solutions in this diverse ecosystem,” said Jason Rousseau-Hall, Business Director for IoT M2M, Connectivity Services, IDEMIA.

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AI Dynamics brings high-velocity, low-code machine learning solutions to Soracom Partner Space.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced that AI Dynamics, which offers low-code solutions designed to make artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities accessible to organizations of all sizes, has joined the Soracom Partner Space IoT ecosystem.

AI Dynamics’ easy-to-use and highly accurate end-to-end AI platform, called NeoPulse, is simple to implement for every industry, business and device. The company specializes in solving a wide range of business problems using AI, with a focus on healthcare, life sciences and Industry 4.0.

AI Dynamics’ entry into the Soracom Partner Space builds on previous collaboration between the two companies in Japan, where AI Dynamics has provided pre-built, fully trained AI/ML algorithm libraries for use with Soracom’s reference edge computing camera (“S+ camera basic”). These libraries let users rapidly apply AI edge capabilities to a wide range of use cases, from inventory management and industrial process optimization to parking lot capacity tracking, license plate recognition and more.

NeoPulse enables engineers to build deep learning models faster than using off-the-shelf libraries while handling dataset management, model tracking, deployment and monitoring automatically. This proven joint solution effectively gives end users a plug-and-play AI edge camera complete with an AI/ML algorithm that suits the target use case from day one with no custom code required.

Soracom announced the global expansion of the Soracom Partner Space in May 2022. The program now reaches more than 800 best-in-class members throughout the world, including more than 100 certified partners representing hardware, software, solutions and integration services. Soracom Partner Space members help IoT innovators accelerate time to market with as-needed access to complementary, best-in-class solutions and services that are ready to integrate at every level of the IoT stack.

“Running artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms at the edge is a crucial capability for IoT, but very few customers have the tools today to develop ML systems, train models and deploy, manage, or maintain AI edge devices,” said Kenta Yasukawa, co-founder and CTO at Soracom.

“Combining AI Dynamics’ strong algorithm libraries and ML expertise with Soracom’s connectivity and edge device management platform lets IoT innovators offload undifferentiated heavy lifting and focus on bringing new products and services to market quickly and operating efficiently at scale.”

“Our founding belief remains that everyone should have access to the undisputed power of AI,” Rajeev Dutt, Founder and CEO of AI Dynamics, said. “We are extremely pleased with the ongoing partnered work happening in Japan, and we’re looking forward to offering the fruits of that labor to all Soracom customers and Partner Space members.”

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Soracom global IoT connectivity added to SPRESENSE recommended LTE operator list; SPRESENSE microcontroller board available for purchase through Soracom.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced that SPRESENSE from Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (hereafter “SSS”) has joined the Soracom Partner Space ecosystem and SSS identified Soracom as a recommended provider of connectivity for its SPRESENSE microcontrollers.

SSS’s SPRESENSE 6-core microcontroller board is ideal for professional IoT use cases, with a streamlined form factor, ultra-low power consumption, multiple sensor inputs, internal GPS, and edge AI support. The unique combination of solid computing performance and advanced power efficiency makes SPRESENSE suitable for edge computing. SPRESENSE is featured in applications where there is a need for sensor analysis, machine learning, image processing and data filtering in which other microcontroller-based alternatives fall short.

SSS’s SPRESENSE LTE extension board offers an on-board antenna for global LTE Cat-M1 connectivity. Combined with Soracom’s global IoT connectivity, SSS’s SPRESENSE LTE extension board makes it easy to connect almost anywhere in the world, control connections through the Soracom console and API, and access a wide range of services supporting secure private networking, data and protocol management, and integration with leading cloud platforms.

“Collaboration with Soracom enables global connectivity to our IoT SPRESENSE solution, providing an out-of-the-box experience that ensures our customers can be dedicated to driving innovative IoT solutions, especially for Edge AI applications,” said Kenichi Nakano, General Manager, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation.

Supporting more than 4 million connections with global IoT coverage in more than 160 countries, Soracom offers a portfolio of powerful connectivity solutions that help IoT deployments connect securely and easily to leading hyperscaler platforms, reduce data and power requirements, and manage total cost of ownership at scale.

The Soracom Partner Space enables partners to access live opportunities and technical collaborations to provide services to IoT innovators around the world. In turn, customers are able to find trusted partners who will help them bring solutions to market and scale more quickly, create differentiators, and simplify the IoT journey. Soracom Partner Space partners have supported many of the projects behind Soracom’s expansion.

Soracom now offers the SPRESENSE LTE-M IoT Connectivity Kit in its online store. The package also includes the official LTE Extension board for SPRESENSE, a Soracom IoT SIM card, and access to Soracom connectivity and platform services.

“Soracom is committed to partnering with leaders in hardware, software, and services to offer customers a robust global ecosystem that accelerates speed to market and success at scale,” said Kenta Yasukawa, co-founder and CTO, Soracom.

“Sony’s SPRESENSE offers IoT innovators an exceptional platform for creation of new connected experiences that take full advantage of edge and the cloud.”

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Partnership growth helps customers scale, speed time to market.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced the expansion of its Soracom Partner Space program to new members throughout the Americas and Europe.

The program now reaches more than 800 best-in-class members throughout the world, including more than 100 certified partners representing hardware, software, solutions and integration services. The addition of these members will help IoT innovators accelerate time to market with as-needed access to complementary, best-in-class solutions and services that are ready to integrate at every level of the IoT stack.

The Soracom Partner Space enables partners to access live opportunities and technical collaborations to provide services to IoT innovators around the world. In turn, customers are able to find trusted partners who will help them bring solutions to market and scale more quickly, create differentiators, and simplify the IoT journey.

Supporting 4 million connections with global IoT coverage in more than 160 countries, Soracom offers a portfolio of powerful connectivity solutions that help IoT deployments connect securely and easily to leading hyperscaler platforms, reduce data and power requirements, and manage total cost of ownership at scale. Soracom Partner Space partners have supported many of the projects behind Soracom’s expansion.

Alexis Susset, Soracom vice president of global product and EU sales, said:

“Collaborating with industry-leading partners to connect millions of devices worldwide, Soracom understands deeply that success in IoT depends on the specialized tools and expertise that only a complete ecosystem can provide.”

“We are thrilled to expand our global partner program to help more customers bring successful solutions to market and scale quickly across Europe and around the world.”

Today, partners in the Americas and EU include:

• AI Dynamics
• Balena
• BDATA
• CalChip Connect
• Cassia Networks
• Converge IoT
• Esper
• IoThink Solutions
• NeuronicWorks
• Prescient Devices
• Quake Global
• Seeed Studio
• SGS
• SpaceSense Systems
• ST
• Teltonika Networks and Telematics
• Thinxtra
• uHoo
• UnaBiz

“UnaBiz has connected over 1M devices with Soracom and that number is fast-growing,” said Yadia Colindres, deputy CTO at UnaBiz. “With this global partnership, UnaBiz will be sharing its ideation, production, deployment and maintenance experience and services in Massive IoT with the entire Soracom ecosystem, to help IoT solution providers and operators to scale quickly and with confidence.”

“Over 3,000 professionals use IoThink Solutions’ IoT platform, KHEIRON IoT Suite, to monitor and control connected devices, and analyze data all around the world,” said Julien Dalmasso, CEO at IoThink Solutions. “Like Soracom, we believe in open and interoperable platforms to serve customers across various industries, from Smart Building to Smart Industry, Smart Energy or even Smart City. We look forward to working together to assist builders and help integrators design and deploy a new generation of IoT use cases.”

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New service offering makes it fast and cost efficient to deploy IoT products globally.

In keeping with its commitment to provide the most reliable and available connection for IoT devices deployed anywhere in the world, Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced it has entered an agreement with Orange Wholesale France to expand its network for IoT connectivity around the world.

Soracom is delivering a highly competitive bundle of IoT connectivity and advanced network management capabilities. The partnership with Orange also enables Soracom to offer advanced IoT connectivity to innovators as an extension of Orange’s existing strong roaming partnerships across more than 220 destinations and 700 network operators.

Orange Wholesale France is the largest mobile network operator (MNO) in France and a leader in global IoT connectivity. Its unique international footprint, access to the best networks in terms of speed and coverage, and a wide range of connectivity options – including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LPWA and upcoming new radio technologies – make it a strong partner as Soracom continues to grow.

With an expanding platform representing more than 4 million IoT connections around the world, Soracom is firmly committed to ensuring reliable connectivity wherever customer devices are deployed. This commitment extends not only to multiple redundant coverage layers wherever possible, as well as maximum coverage flexibility through support for eSIM, iSIM, and even UICC-compatible multi-IMSI solutions.

“From the very beginning, Soracom has focused on making advanced IoT connectivity accessible to any IoT innovator, anywhere in the world,” said Ken Tamagawa, Soracom CEO and co-founder.

“This partnership with Orange Wholesale France allows us to bring the capability of France’s largest MNO to Soracom customers around the world, helping them accelerate time to market.”

“In the highly competitive European market for IoT connectivity services, providers need to offer more than just a contract for a certain amount of mobile data,” said Alexis Susset, Soracom vice president of global product and EU sales. “As a technology partner, Soracom is committed to delivering both the value and the technical capability that innovators need to succeed in IoT.”

“We are delighted to support Soracom’s international IoT expansion. Orange Wholesale France’s value proposition is all about trusted premium IoT connectivity for leading IoT MVNOs. This partnership with Soracom will bring innovation into the market and accelerate IoT growth on a large scale,” said Bénédicte Javelot, Orange Wholesale France CEO.

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Rapid growth driven by strong uptake in connected consumer electronic devices.

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced that its Soracom Air wireless data service now keeps more than 4 million devices connected around the world.

The growth – up from 3 million announced in June 2021 – is being driven by strong uptake of IoT devices in the consumer electronics sector, among other industries.

Soracom’s connectivity solutions are used by the most innovative developers, SMBs, and SMEs worldwide to help them accelerate IoT deployment, minimize risk, and ensure successful, scalable IoT rollouts. The company’s commitment-free, pay-per-use connectivity services feature built-in private networking, cloud integration and secure bootstrapping capabilities. Soracom announced its first 1 million connections in June of 2019. Since then, use of Soracom’s secure, scalable, connectivity platform has expanded dramatically thanks to accelerating adoption across industries and geographies.

In the consumer electronics industry, for example, personal EV innovator WHILL Inc. uses Soracom connectivity to achieve a 30 percent decrease in power usage for its connected chairs. Meanwhile, consumer products like the Pocketalk personal translator and the Pebblebee Found pet and family tracker use Soracom to deliver consumer experiences that delight end users by taking advantage of leading-edge capabilities like eSIM, LTE-M, and eDRX. And consumer robot company GROOVE-X utilizes Soracom to connect the LOVOT home companion robot.

“Soracom doesn’t just provide reliable global IoT connectivity,” said Noriyuki Matsuda, CEO of SOURCENEXT Corp., maker of the Pocketalk handheld translator. “Their team is clearly committed to our success. Soracom delivers leading-edge eSIM technology, local breakout for fast data turnaround, and advanced lifecycle management tools that let us make sure Pocketalk ‘just works’ for consumers in 132 countries around the world.”

Additional Soracom customers exhibiting and demonstrating at CES 2022 include:

• IoThink Solutions (IoT/M2M Agnostic platform and use cases design) – Booth #60437-7
• Yukai Engineering, Inc. (Consumer Robotics/IoT) – Booth #51127
• Global Mobility Service (FinTech/IoT) – Booth #51127

Soracom’s next-generation IoT connectivity platform is device-, cloud-, and bearer-agnostic. It provides everything the people, teams and organizations building tomorrow’s connected world need to connect any number of devices to their preferred cloud easily, affordably, and reliably, with complete network control, anywhere in the world.

“Consumer electronics represents one of the most promising categories in the fast-growing world of connected devices,” said Kenta Yasukawa, Soracom CTO and co-founder.

“Soracom is committed to supporting the teams creating these new consumer experiences with powerful, flexible connectivity solutions. And advanced capabilities like iSIM, which we recently demonstrated in collaboration with Sony Semiconductor Israel, Ltd. and Kigen, let us support the ever-smaller form factors that CE demands.”

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