This initiative, which involves a consortium of global IoT providers, seeks to remove much of the complexity and technical barriers associated with cellular IoT management, helping to accelerate deployments with a simple single unified solution.
To effectively implement widespread IoT solutions, companies require a rapid, scalable, and efficient deployment supported by cost-effective management systems and energy-efficient hardware that facilitates battery-operated designs. This is especially true for small and medium-sized enterprises, which lack the negotiating power and resources of larger organisations.
In order to operate in more than one region, companies also typically have to manage multiple contracts and SKUs with numerous cellular Connectivity Service Providers (CSPs), on different networks, further increasing the complexity of widespread IoT deployments.
For battery powered IoT solutions such as wearables, smart city infrastructure, utilities meters, industrial sensors, and point of sale equipment, the Alliance will offer the essential elements required for widespread cellular IoT deployment and brings together cloud services, cellular connectivity (including zero-touch connection process to the cloud), eSIMs, and a Connectivity Management Platform (CMP), as well as a “one SKU” cellular module for ubiquitous deployment and faster development.
The Alliance will coordinate an ecosystem of trusted suppliers delivering IoT developers a predefined set of products and services that overcome many existing technical and business challenges. By offering bundled services, the Alliance intends to simplify the development and deployment process for small to medium-volume companies, giving them similar advantages to their larger-volume competitors.
The seamless integration of services, strategic module price, and pre-approved local CSPs allows companies to streamline development and increase operational efficiency by eliminating the need for companies to expend resources to combine the services themselves.
Furthermore, the Alliance will provide support for eSIMs that can be controlled through the unified device CMP. This CMP solution streamlines device and SIM management tasks, allowing for control of all connected hardware in one platform, regardless of its geographical location or CSP.
To connect to cloud services, an IoT device typically uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) certification, transmitting information to secure the connection. This process increases device current consumption, reducing overall battery life and unnecessarily increasing cellular data consumption and, as a result, increasing the cost of deployment. With the Alliance, companies will be provided with secure and efficient connection to a Hyperscaler cloud, which simplifies the connection process as zero-touch. Acting as an intermediary, it reduces the processing and power requirement for the edge IoT devices without compromising cloud connection or security and also saves cellular data consumption.
The Alliance will also coordinate a complete ecosystem of industry-leading suppliers in their fields, including providing IoT developers with a predefined set of products and services that overcomes existing challenges.
Cloud services are provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), while the secure and efficient connection to AWS IoT Core is enabled by Tartabit on the Aeris connectivity platform. Murata will supply the hardware in the form of the Type 1SC – the world’s smallest Cat. M1/NB-IoT module with global certification.
The CMP is built on a single unified core network hosted by Aeris. This sophisticated solution allows for simplified management of globally distributed cellular connected IoT assets with a single pane of glass experience, regardless of their regional location and CSP.
Serving as the point of sale for the solution and providing the cellular network connection are a number of trusted regional CSPs, including Deutsche Telekom IoT, and Ooredoo.
For multi-market IoT deployment Murata has partnered with the Bridge Alliance, which has a membership of 34 mobile operators serving over 1 billion customers collectively. Enterprise customers can leverage Bridge Alliance as their Gateway to Asia, with its multi-domestic IoT solution powered by Aeris that deploys services seamlessly and efficiently across Bridge Alliance's footprint.
Thales provides an advanced eSIM management solution allowing companies to securely manage the lifecycle of cellular subscriptions of IoT devices.
“With the Alliance we are bringing Murata’s cutting-edge connectivity platform together with other leading services to create a combined solution that solves many of the technical challenges our customers are facing,” said Masatomo Hashimoto, Director of Communication Module Division at Murata. “With this solution, small and medium-size enterprises will have a rate of development and operational efficiency that is typically reserved for much larger organizations, helping them to accelerate their IoT deployments and market position.”
