Mobile network operator group Bridge Alliance is offering the Aeris IoT Watchtower in the Asia-Pacific region.

IoT Watchtower is an agentless and frictionless tool that delivers full visibility into the cyber risk of enterprises’ IoT devices plus the tools to prevent or limit damage from an attack.

Singapore-based Bridge Alliance unites mobile network operators (MNOs) in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. The agreement with Aeris is an extension of an existing partnership through which Aeris provides cellular IoT connectivity management services to participating Bridge Alliance member operators via the Aeris IoT Accelerator (IoTA) platform.

Enterprises face problems in securing their growing cellular IoT deployments as IoT devices are increasingly targeted by cyber attackers looking to penetrate enterprise networks. Recent research by Forrester shows IoT devices within company assets are now the top target for corporate cyber attacks. However, existing IoT connectivity options do not deliver the end-to-end visibility nor control capabilities that enterprises need to detect and mitigate such threats.

At the same time, enterprises in many sectors including automotive and utilities are increasingly taking advantage of cellular IoT to derive new revenue streams and improve operational efficiency. The global number of cellular IoT connections has been growing rapidly and, according to Berg Insights, there are 1.1 billion connected cellular IoT devices globally with an expected 16% CAGR over the next three years. The Asia-Pacific region has also seen impressive growth with the current 170 million connected cellular IoT devices set to almost double by 2030.

Working together, Aeris and Bridge Alliance intend to close the cellular IoT security gap by offering the Aeris IoT Watchtower (www.aeris.com/iot-watchtower) to enterprises in Asia-Pacific. Consisting of two critical components – awareness and enforcement – Watchtower delivers enterprise IoT visibility and control to detect IoT security breaches, reducing the impact of any IoT security event. Furthermore, it delivers regular risk assessments and device insights to improve operational efficiency and ensure regulatory compliance.

Aeris IoT Watchtower is available in the USA and Europe and is being rolled out across Asia-Pacific in partnership with Bridge Alliance.

“The commercial launch of Aeris IoT Watchtower in Asia-Pacific for our BMOs and their customers is a milestone in enhancing security for the IoTA platform, and will boost security and regulatory compliance for enterprise IoT deployments and offer advanced network visibility to meet cyber-security needs,” said Ong Geok Chwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance. “We look forward to extending Watchtower into more Apac markets in the coming months.”

Mark Cratsenburg, chief commercial officer for Aeris’ IoT business unit, added: “Aeris IoT Watchtower offers real-time protection with zero friction. Forget agents, special SIM cards, or complex rerouting. We provide enterprises complete visibility into their cellular IoT security risks and the ability to neutralise threats before they impact operations, all seamlessly built into their existing cellular data path.”

Bridge Alliance (www.bridgealliance.com) celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, and today covers 35 members who serve over a billion customers collectively. Its goal is to build group capabilities and create value for its members by enabling compelling roaming services and experience, offering multi-market enterprise and IoT, and delivering savings and benefits through leveraging group economies.

For more than three decades, Aeris (aeris.com) has been a trusted cellular IoT firm, enabling the IoT programmes and opportunities across automotive, utilities and energy, fleet management and logistics, medical devices and manufacturing. Aeris works with nearly 30 of the top mobile network operators who provide IoT connectivity in more than 190 countries, with 7000 enterprise customers and 90 million IoT devices across the world.