Ericsson and Aeris Communications sought, somehow, to raise confidence in their conjoined IoT strategy at MWC, following the sale of Ericsson’s loss-making IoT Accelerator business to long-time partner Aeris at the end of last year. In Barcelona, Ericsson hosted Aeris on its stand, and issued a press statement declaring their joint capabilities had “sparked excitement among customers and partners”, notably SoftBank, Telenor Connexion, and Telstra.
Their transaction, for the IoT Accelerator unit, is expected to close this quarter. The pair also announced new security features to their associated IoT solutions. The MWC statement read: “[We] see growing excitement among partners and customers about the joint capabilities of [our] combined companies.” They referenced a “fragmented” IoT market, and said their combination will “create a leader” in it.
The “new security capabilities” on show at MWC, and not much detailed in the press note, are what have drawn, they reckon. They declared: “Aeris’ secure Intelligent IoT Network and value-added services, targeting industry verticals such as transportation, utilities, automotive and healthcare, provide opportunities for [operators] to monetize new services on top of global connectivity offered through Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator platform today.”
SoftBank talked about its long history with Aeris in Japan already, and its membership of Ericsson’s IoT roaming gang. It said: “We are looking forward to the innovation Aeris and Ericsson will together bring to the IoT market and connected vehicle industry.” Telenor Connexion said it is starting out fresh with Aeris, but sounded confident, invariably. “We will unlock new levels of value for our customers… We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and meeting the evolving needs of businesses in today’s fast-paced digital landscape,” it said.
Australian group Telstra stated: “We have a long partnership with Ericsson, and we look forward to continuing that and working with Aeris… With Australia’s largest IoT network, our team of dedicated IoT specialists and as a foundational carrier partner in the IoT Accelerator ecosystem, we’re committed to being a leader in enterprise IoT solutions and partnering with customers to solve their real-world business challenges.”
