SGP.32, GSMA’s newly-minted made-for-IoT SIM management specification, aims to improve flexibility and ease of use for IoT organisations by supporting the SIM profile management needs of IoT devices. The specification is not ideal for every connected device but, for the first time, it provides an IoT-specific framework for managing embedded SIM (eSIM) profiles at mass scale across global markets. The specification builds on the moderate volume SGP.02 and the consumer SGP.22 specifications which IoT organisations have previously force-fitted to their deployments to meet their needs.
The big change with SGP.32 is that it enables remote management of eSIMs in an IoT context, enabling frictionless switching of SIM profiles. This is not to suggest that SGP.32 should be used to enable continuous switching between operators or that it somehow cuts operators out of the equation. It’s not desirable for devices, especially power-constrained ones, to change SIM profiles frequently and operator relationships are still required to enabled connectivity so excessive switching remains counter-productive.
Over-simplification in the market has led to some confusion being created over what SGP.32 can achieve with some hype suggesting that it abstracts away all the complexity of IoT connectivity. The reality is that complexity still remains but SGP.32 provides a way for simpler connectivity to be achieved, utilising eSIMs and supporting technologies such as SGP.32-enabled operating systems, the eSIM IoT Remote Manager (eIM), the embedded IoT profile assistant (IPAe) and the familiar subscription manager data preparation plus (SM-DP+) server from the consumer specification.
The new SGP.32 Buyers Guide has been created by Beecham Research and Wireless Logic to address queries IoT organisations have regarding the specification and highlight when it should be used. Importantly, the Guide also reveals when not to use SGP.32, detailing nine use case scenarios alongside reasons not use the specification. In addition, the Guide features an RFI checklist and answers 53 important questions to be considered in relation to SGP.32.
Intrinsically scalable cellular IoT
“We’re saying that SGP.32 provides a higher level of overall control than has been available before,” explains Robin Duke-Woolley, the Guide author and the chief executive of Beecham Research. “The specification has opened up a management capability to not just remotely provision [connectivity] but also to remotely make changes. SGP.32 moves IoT from the plastic SIM card to a completely different situation with a scalable management solution. We’ve moved cellular IoT from being difficult to scale to something that is intrinsically scalable.”
Approximately four million IoT devices have been shipped with Wireless Logic connectivity and the company manages the ongoing needs of these in addition having deployed around two million SIM profiles over the air to devices which it did not originally provide services to. Those devices are largely utilised to serve remote workforces, lone workers and others in markets across the globe, including challenging connectivity markets such as Brazil, where permanent roaming is not allowed.
“We’ve largely solved the shortcomings of SGP.02 and SGP.22 but we do welcome the SGP.32 specification and, over time, we expect to consolidate around SGP.32,” says Iain Davidson, the head of product marketing at Wireless Logic. “As with the previous specifications, our approach is fully end-to-end from the sourcing of eSIM profiles to the complete lifecycle management of connected devices.”
Hyperscale eSIM orchestration
Davidson sees the need for solutions providers here because of the continuing complexities of managing carrier relationships across the world and the need to enable hyperscale connectivity. “The vast majority of enterprises won’t have the expertise or the appetite to develop our capabilities for themselves,” he confirms. “There will be large or super-large companies who will invest in their own infrastructure and own carrier relationships to have access to their own profiles, but they will need a partner to orchestrate that.”
The Guide also looks ahead to the upcoming SGP.42 specification which will include in-factory profile provisioning (IFPP). This will aid global devices which can ship from the factory with eSIM connectivity embedded regardless of their deployment location, adding further flexibility and simplicity to IoT connectivity.
“That’s all part of the puzzle of managing things at scale remotely,” confirms Duke-Woolley. “With SGP.32 it’s the ability to enable remote management at scale that is of great benefit. It makes the difference in moving cellular IoT forward and without SGP.32 cellular IoT would have found it hard to scale further. It’s an essential part of the cellular IoT marketplace.”
That scalable simplicity will be a critical enabler for large-scale international deployments. “We’ll have an eSIM orchestration function to handle fleet and eSIM profile stock management that enterprises can access via an API,” adds Davidson. “That allows operational profiles to be managed if a device is redeployed or repositioned or if there are changes in network roaming, fees or performance. Drawing on more than ten years of experience we can support customers down to the module AT command level and everything above that. Customers don’t need to get involved in the technical complexities.”
Source: https://www.iot-now.com/