Quectel, Giesecke+Devrient and Vodafone IoT are collaborating to drive iSIM adoption.

Quectel is collaborating with companies across the integrated SIM (iSIM) value chain to simplify and accelerate iSIM adoption. Together with Giesecke + Devrient (G+D) and Vodafone IoT, it hopes to streamline iSIM processes, create more tightly integrated market offerings and accelerate iSIM adoption in the manufacturing process.

ISIM offers operational cost and flexibility advantages to organisations and its adoption is significantly increasing. Analyst firm Juniper Research estimates the number of iSIMs installed in connected devices globally will increase from 800,000 in 2024 to more than ten million by 2026. This prediction covers the introductory phase of the technology, with the firm estimating that the number of iSIM connections will grow to 210 million by 2028 when take-up of the technology becomes more widespread.

The iSIM is set to transform IoT by offering a future-proof, tamper-resistant option that is adaptable with new network technologies. Despite its advantages, some device manufacturers have faced challenges integrating iSIMs due to having to contract with multiple network providers to ensure devices are compatible in individual countries and regions.

By combining the capabilities of Quectel, Vodafone and Giesecke+Devrient, the iSIM adoption process is simplified, creating a unified, streamlined iSIM offering that automatically connects in 180 countries worldwide using Vodafone’s global IoT network (iot.vodafone.com). For large scale IoT deployments, this can result in significant cost savings as engineers are not needed to set up or manually configure devices.

“By working together to deliver iSIM, we are breaking down the barriers to mass-scale adoption and helping to smooth the path to iSIM for customers across the globe,” said Dominik Hierl, senior vice president at Quectel Wireless (www.quectel.com). “We see iSIM as a transformative innovation that will reduce costs, accelerate time to market and limit friction and management burdens across IoT. ISIM enablement is a further foundational capability for Quectel as we help customers build a smarter world.”

BeeGek Lim, head of business line digital offerings at G+D, added: “At G+D we recognise the important role iSIM will play and have already been at the forefront of other iSIM firsts in the world of connectivity and IoT. As such we’re always excited to partner with other like-minded experts to take this to the next level.”

Savings can be made by organisations who use iSIMs because they lower the bill-of-materials cost by removing the need for traditional SIM cards. In addition, by adding iSIMs to chipsets or modules, the number of components required can be lowerced, with fewer vendors involved, thereby reducing the overall complexity of production and size of the device.

Founded in 1852, Giesecke+Devrient (www.gi-de.com) is a security-tech company headquartered in Munich, Germany.