Integrated SIM (iSIM) brings in a new era of flexibility and choice that is also supported by enhanced security for all types of device. By no longer requiring the installation of physical plastic SIM cards and taking away the need to either install SIMs at the point of deployment or to embed market-specific SIMs in factories, costs are reduced and logistics simplified. However, there are complexities to address and new processes to accommodate to make the iSIM vision a mass market reality.

Integrated SIM (iSIM) provides an opportunity for the IoT industry to move beyond plastic SIM cards and adopt embedded SIM (eSIM), iSIM, embedded universal integrated circuit cards (eUICC) and remote SIM provisioning (RSP). The prizes these technologies can deliver include greater flexibility, enhanced supply chain and logistics efficiency, lower overall solution costs and simplified operations if enterprise implementations are completed correctly. Learning how iSIM in particular changes the game, enables simplified device design, manufacturing, deployment and operation is essential in order that the promise of iSIM can be realized.

There are gains to be made throughout the process of bringing IoT devices to market and, once deployed, still more advantages can stack up as optimal connectivity can be accessed and human contact can be avoided for the life of the device. This is in contrast to plastic SIMs which would require replacements if the operator selected changed.

Quectel and Kigen Masterclass focuses on design criteria for iSIM era

The new era demands iSIM systems that can accommodate the massive scale of IoT and Quectel has recently hosted a Masterclass, with its partner Kigen, to explain how iSIM enables economies of scale for IoT devices. In addition to providing an overview of the advantages iSIM, allied to RSP, brings to IoT systems, the Masterclass focused in depth on how to scale global product deployments. Aimed at designers and developers that want to learn about all the available SIM options and their practical applications, the Masterclass explained the complexities that each of these technologies involves and detailed how and when each can be applied to IoT devices and projects to deliver maximum value.

The Masterclass provided an overview of the SIM world, detailing the different form factors and grades of SIM before explaining the latest SIM technologies. These include eSIM, iSIM, the embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) and remote SIM provisioning. As always, the optimum solution depends on the use case and the deployment criteria so this Masterclass is especially valuable in providing a checklist for designers to help identify which SIM route to take for their devices or deployments.

Understanding the differences in the various SIM approaches is essential in order to identify which method to adopt and to ensure that your selection is the best match for your deployments today. The Masterclass also revealed what the future of SIM will resemble by taking a look ahead to where the SIM evolution is heading. View the Masterclass iSIM implementation with Quectel modules and Kigen for more.