Operators Sprint and Vodafone have backed Arm’s integrated SIM (iSIM) technology to help the internet-of-things (IoT) market reach scale.
Sprint confirmed it is working with fellow Softbank companies Arm and Packet on its new IoT platform, announced last week. Swedish vendor Ericsson has been handed the work to build the platform, comprising a dedicated core network and operating system for IoT solutions. The platform has been given the name Curiosity.
Sprint revealed at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Americas in Los Angeles at the end of last week the operating system will use Pelion connectivity management and Kigen SIM solutions. Enterprises will be able to manage IoT devices and connectivity over the air across multiple SIM profiles, said Sprint.
The new virtualised and distributed IoT core will use bare metal servers from Packet, it said. The dedicated core will reduce distance between devices generating data and applications processing data from up to 1,000 miles to less than 50 miles, rendering data insights more quickly.
Ivo Rook, senior vice president for IoT and product development at Sprint, said: “On top of our dedicated IoT core and operating system built together with Ericsson, our close collaboration with fellow SoftBank company, Packet enables an advanced distributed core network using bare metal servers at the edge that may be activated in minutes.
“Arm changes the way devices are managed over the air and how data is analyzed, while delivering unparalleled security from the chip to the cloud. Overall, Curiosity IoT reflects our unique approach in creating the absolute best operating and management environment for IoT – from system managers enhancing their increasingly IoT-centric operations to the most demanding applications in the immediate economy.”
Meanwhile, UK-based Vodafone said at MWCA it will also work with Arm to advance its iSIM technology. Vodafone said embedded SIM security tools will be critical to enable scalability and viability of IoT solutions.
Luke Ibbetson, head of R&D and strategy at Vodafone Group, said: “We are excited about the opportunities this will bring. With Arm, we will be able to deliver the next generation of IoT devices that will be faster, cheaper and more secure than ever before. We will be able to accelerate the roll-out of cellular IoT devices, bringing the benefits of a truly connected world to more people, more quickly.”
In the Sprint tie-up, Arm’s Pelion and Kigen solutions provide built-in security, simplified management and over-the-air firmware updates for a wide range of IoT device types deployed on premises or in the cloud, on “any network protocol:” including cellular, satellite or LoRa.
“IoT provides a tremendous opportunity for organisations to obtain actionable insights from their devices and data, but require strong company integrations to manage the vast industry fragmentation and security challenges,” said Hima Mukkamala, senior vice president and general manager at Arm.
“We are working with Sprint from device-to-data and bringing the IoT security and business-critical services that are vital for unlocking value from IoT.”
Arm has a “vision” of a trillion connected devices by 2035, it said, each with a secure identity.
“In our shift to a world of billions of connected devices, many of these will benefit from cellular connectivity, and Arm’s iSIM technology makes it possible to deploy these effectively and at scale, while maintaining strong security,” said Paul Williamson, vice president and general manager for Arm’s IoT device IP business.
