UK firm Arkessa has acquired Dutch IoT connectivity services provider Sim Services.
 
The acquisition will allow Arkessa to strengthen its presence in the Netherlands and will help it reach its goal to future-proof its customers’ connections to the IoT.
 
Sim Services is an independent provider of IoT connectivity services based out of the Netherlands. Together with support, short lines of communication and fast response times, Sim Services has always differentiated its services by providing support for its clients with the goal of making IoT connectivity easier.
 
“Our whole team is so excited by this partnership,” said Rutger Stekelenburg, CEO of Sim Services. “Arkessa is a natural fit for Sim Services culturally, and in enabling us to offer enhanced capabilities and broader services to our growing customer base. Arkessa offers a global footprint for cellular IoT, and their world-leading LPWAN and eUICC capabilities bring a whole new level of flexibility and coverage to the markets we currently serve, as well as opening up exciting new ones. The team is today as focused as ever on delivering great service to our customers, and we are delighted to join forces with such a dynamic and fast-moving team.”
 
Arkessa offers worldwide cellular connectivity services that make it easier to design, deploy and manage IoT devices securely, efficiently and at scale, regardless of application or business model. The company provides global coverage and technical support with a single platform view for users to order, manage and connect their smart devices.
 
With offices in the UK, Europe and the USA, Arkessa serves multiple vertical sectors, both directly and through strategic channel partnerships.
 
“We are delighted to welcome the Sim Services team to the Arkessa Group, and we very much look forward to working together as we continue to fuel our international growth in the IoT market,” said Andrew Orrock, CEO of Arkessa. “Rutger leads an expert team that shares our values and determination to make IoT connectivity easy to deploy across all sectors, and the team has shown particular strength in delivering the highest level of service and tailored solutions throughout Europe. We welcome their dedication, customer focus and drive for excellence.”
 
Arkessa is backed by ECI Partners, a growth-focused mid-market private equity firm, which invested in 2018.
 
“Arkessa is well positioned to capture the considerable global growth projected in IoT managed services, with billions of connected devices being deployed in the coming decade,” said Paul McCreadie, partner at ECI Partners. “ECI is delighted to support Arkessa in making acquisitions which will have a direct positive impact on IoT customers looking for best-in-class connectivity services, anywhere in the world.”
 
Sim Services came into existence in 2009 as a spin-off of E-Office. Within this network organisation, focused on digital workspaces, it became clear that there was a lot of need for a knowledge partner in the field of M2M communications. Sim Services was thus founded as an M2M and IoT specialist that can advise during the early phases of a project, monitor SIM cards and is not dependent on one specific mobile network operator.
 
Since then, Sim Services has grown into an independent provider of IoT SIM cards and service provider in the field of M2M and IoT communications.