eSim solution for multinational IoT applications

The challenge with multinational IoT applications lies not in solution development, but in the implementation: local network coverage, roaming costs for high volumes or regulatory issues. Swisscom is now offering its Swiss customers with multinational IoT applications a convenient eSim/eUICC-based solution to facilitate the realisation of such applications. The solution is already being used by Schaerer and WMF in their global professional coffee machine business.

By Armin Schädeli

Global IoT applications often fall down in ensuring the reliable connectivity and standard management of machines, devices and sensors in different regions of the world – without local intervention.

According to Julian Dömer, Head of IoT at Swisscom: “Global IoT needs to be simpler, which is why we have developed an additional component for Business IoT. A Swiss machine manufacturer installs our eSIM. In the destination country, the machine is connected to and integrated with all other Swiss IoT services from Swisscom via the local mobile network operator.”

The solution functions similarly to codeshare in the aviation industry: a connected machine logs into a selected local provider’s network in the destination country with a local SIM profile. At the same time, this is visible in Switzerland as a Swisscom SIM. As a result, the global IoT applications of a Swiss company are all uniformly run on the Swisscom Connectivity Management Platform.

Swisscom is working with local network partners to deliver this solution. Use of the codeshare principle means that network roaming is no longer an obstacle to high data volumes.

Focus on coffee

The new service is already in use for Schaerer and WMF coffee machines. As Jochen Bauer, Digital Solutions Product Manager at WMF Group GmbH, explains: “Our professional coffee machines have been network-connected for years to facilitate product optimisation on the basis of operating and usage data. Our aim is to offer our customers the best coffee machines and integrated solutions to optimise their coffee business, without concerning ourselves with local networking solutions or coming up against regulatory issues.” The major challenge for Schaerer and WMF was local networking. Roaming was already possible, but in certain countries such as Brazil and China, regulatory restrictions prohibit continuous roaming. Jochen Bauer is delighted with the new solution: “Business IoT from Swisscom has solved all our problems: the local networking and regulatory issues. When switched on in China, the United States or Brazil, the coffee machine registers as online in Zuchwil or Geislingen, and we can then use the data.”

The solution is based on eSIM (eUICC). Unlike a conventional SIM card, the eSIM can be activated with the SIM profile of the respective local provider – without requiring local intervention. The machine itself, however, is managed consistently on the Swisscom Connectivity Management Platform, combining the benefits of a local provider in the destination country with those of an established IoT service provider.

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