Belgian connectivity and global IoT enabler BICS is working with Able Device, a specialist in SIM-based mobile device application technology, to simplify enterprise IoT.

The partnership will add SIMbae – Able Device’s software agent for SIM and eSIMs – to BICS’s ecosystem of IoT services to pave the way for smooth, automated connectivity between private and public networks on a global scale.

This technology will be useful for enterprises as they look to deploy private networks.

Traditionally, devices moving between a private and public network would have to switch networks manually, often causing performance issues for M2M and IoT applications. Instead, SIMbae is an applet that sits on top of a SIM or eSIM and expands its capabilities to include things such as swapping to stronger connections automatically as well as additional security features such as debugging and encryption.

“This partnership is another exciting development in the enterprise IoT space,” said Divya Ghai Wakankar, BICS vice president. “BICS’s IoT already makes device activation and connection effortless for its enterprise customers. Now, the powerful combination with Able Device’s applet software harmonises seamless mobility of next-generation connected devices.”

Historically, SIMs have had limited value by nature of being passive processors that require external input to trigger a predefined function. SIMbae on the other hand represents a new generation of SIM cards, transforming them into active processors in IoT systems that don’t rely on external input. For enterprises, this is a technology that automates the more technical telecommunications aspects of the IoT and private networks, reducing the barriers to implementation.

“We’re very proud to be working with BICS to address the global market for enterprise mobility,” said Roger Dewey, CEO of North Carolina-based Able Device. “Our agreement illustrates the benefits and utility of SIMbae across the connected device value chain.”

BICS’s all-in-one IoT offering helps businesses reduce complexity when deploying global IoT by managing the connection, control and optimisation of the SIM ecosystem through its SIM for Things platform. BICS supports IoT connectivity and roaming with its backbone network across over 200 countries, making it easier for businesses to connect IoT devices anywhere in the world.

As the use of connected devices by enterprises grows increasingly global and complex, BICS and Able Device aim to remove complexity for businesses and improve the performance of IoT applications through intelligent applications and an open global ecosystem for SIM and eSIM technology.