Why is the eSIM card application so popular?
In 2011, Apple filed a patent for a virtual SIM card with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Apple said the patent allows users to directly access wireless network services provided by operators without using a SIM card.
In September 2014, Apple introduced the concept of eSIM card (also known as "Apple SIM") to the actual product for the first time when it released the iPad Air 2.
The eSIM card actually embeds the traditional SIM card directly into the device chip, rather than being added as a separate removable component to the device. In addition, the eSIM card can reduce space by up to 90% compared to a physical SIM card because it has been embedded in the device during the manufacturing process and the user can make a remote activation connection. This approach will allow users to more flexibly choose carrier packages, or to change carriers at any time without having to unlock the device or purchase a new device.
However, eSIM cards also bring many challenges to operators: First, the original SIM card procurement system and supply model will change. Second, the SIM card full number resource management will also have some corresponding changes. Third, the basic value-added services to which the SIM card is attached will be lost. Fourth, the competition between operators is more intense. It may need to deploy a lot of remote configuration management systems, resulting in a certain increase in the cost of its operation and maintenance services.
Obviously, the eSIM card will bring a better user experience, but also bring more possibilities to the terminal manufacturers, but it will weaken the operator's control of the users, so eSIM has not been popular.
Three years later, Apple's Apple SIM card suffered a lot of setbacks, only a few operators support, and the vast majority of Chinese consumers have never heard of it. The most contacted by Chinese users is the Meizu-like SoftSIM service, which can only be used for overseas traffic purchases.
However, with the advent of the Internet of Things era and the popularity of wearable devices, eSIM cards that are frustrated in smartphone terminals are ushered in the spring.
eSIM card in the application of the Internet of Vehicles
In fact, the proposed eSIM service is related to the Internet of Vehicles. Wang Yingzhou, Director of Customer Program Sales, G&D (China) Information Technology Co., Ltd. introduced (the public number:) that the eSIM business was first developed and commercialized in the Internet of Vehicles, and its technology was also tested in the field of car networking. But why is it a car network?
First of all, the requirement of communication in the Internet of Vehicles is actually the requirement of security. The embedded card is more secure in terms of security. When the vehicle is in an accident, the vehicle is mainly active with the background when the owner cannot operate. Communication, then eSIM plays a very important role, the traditional plug-in card obviously can not ensure the normal use of this service after the collision, so an embedded card (this card integrated with the car) )is very important.
Secondly, the cross-border of the import and export of vehicles, it requires the service of code number management. From the perspective of the car manufacturer, the cost of a car is very high, and the cost of a patch like eSIM is irrelevant. However, when the car is to be exported to all parts of the world, if it is assumed to be a SIM card with a dead code number, then he needs to talk to the operators of the countries in advance, and produce a code card with the dead code, and then transport the production base, and the production is finished. After exporting to various places in the future, this piece is very cumbersome, so from the perspective of the car manufacturer, it is necessary to reduce the complexity of material management and process. Moreover, if this card is written with a dead code number, then if the export does not sell for a certain period of time, another market will need the same model. It will open those cars and unload the cards inside. Go back and press the local card again. The cost of the entire process is very high and may cost hundreds of euros.
These factors have led many car dealers to be the first to use eSIM's M2M service, which means using a patch card and performing code number management services.
eSIM card in wearable device applications
With the popularity of wearable devices, communication and networking are also becoming a standard feature of these smart hardware. Obviously, compared to cars and smart phones, the internal space of wearable devices is much more precious, especially under the premise that battery technology has not made breakthroughs, so eSIM is obviously a better choice.
It is understood that in March last year, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) GSMA announced the long-awaited specification of remote SIM card (eSIM) remote configuration. This is an important milestone as it represents the first GSMA standardized version of the reprogrammable eSIM standard for consumer electronics devices such as smart watches, fitness equipment and tablets.
At present, Samsung's Gear S2, S3, Huawei's HUAWEI Watch 2, have eSIM card version, but the current domestic operators do not support it, this is also the domestic user has been
The prospect of eSIM card in the field of Internet of Things
Although mobile phone users want to experience eSIM is still in the foreseeable future, domestic operators are actively deploying their own IoT platform using eSIM cards. Because for the operator, the Internet of Things is cost sensitive, with higher security and stability requirements. Traditional SIM is difficult to meet the requirements of IoT devices, while eSIM cards are much more convenient.
In the production process, a white card is embedded directly in the IoT device, which contains the identification of different operators, and the operator's safety certification is completed by a secure remote long-distance air (OTA) method through a single management platform. With the SIM card, you can directly select the carrier network where the device is located and use local tariffs to reduce the cost of cross-border roaming.
According to a related person from China Mobile, China Mobile uses 10 million users as a sample calculation, and each eSIM can save about 4 yuan in cost, which will undoubtedly accelerate the development of the Internet of Things.
However, for the eSIM Internet of Things, in addition to the eSIM card, the SM platform (SubscripTIon Manager) is the focus of operations and the key to managing eSIM and replacing operators. It is reported that China Mobile, China Telecom has completed the construction of the Internet of Things eSIM card platform.
For the Internet of Things private network, since the eSIM card can be managed through remote programming, operators can establish a dedicated network writing card platform for their own Internet of Things private network, implement air writing for all eSIM cards of the Internet of Things, and even write cards across operators. , providing device management solutions for the enterprise.
The layout of domestic and foreign companies
For the Internet of Things market, eSIM cards have broad future prospects, including car networking, wearable devices, smart homes, smart homes, remote smart meter reading, wireless mobile POS machines, location tracking and more. There are predictions that by 2020, there will be a total of 125 million eSIM connections worldwide, with a total value of about $174 billion.
At present, many domestic and foreign companies have laid out eSIM cards. In the past "Second eSIM Technology and Innovation Summit", I was fortunate enough to interview the domestic startup company Guotong and the foreign Giesecke.
According to Wang Yingzhou, the world's first SIM card is made by Giesecke & Devrient, and G&D also provides the world's first commercial eSIM platform. In the future, it will also be optimistic about the application of eSIM card in the field of Internet of Things.
Of course, in addition to large companies, startups have already entered the market, and Guotong Technology in Shanghai has seen the future opportunities of eSIM cards. At the just-concluded MWC2017, China Telecom and Guotong and Longshang Technology exhibited a narrow-band IoT module using the SIM2free technology of Guotong Technology. In addition, Guotong announced that it will also cooperate with China Unicom and NXP to create an eSIM solution.
At present, the main products of Guotong include ezM2M device management platform, SIM2free virtual SIM technology, and ezUICC connection management platform, which are mainly connected terminal manufacturers and operators to provide turnkey solutions.
According to Shi Chengbin, CEO of Guotong Technology, although the market for eSIM cards is still not big enough, and operators are still resisting the application of eSIM cards in mobile phones, they are waiting for opportunities.
According to foreign media reports, ARM recently acquired the Internet of Things security company Simulity Labs for 11.7 million pounds. Simulity Labs is committed to research in the field of SIM/eSIM technology, providing embedded systems and services that enable IoT devices to securely access the network.
After the acquisition of ARM, Sun Yin, founder of Softbank, said that the number of IoT devices will exceed 1 trillion in 20 years. These devices all require communication interconnects, while current IoT connections based on carrier cellular networks account for only 5% to 8%.
In the future, eSIM cards with various advantages are obviously promising.
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