SIM Cards For Enhanced Connectivity On Network Management Platforms
When your business is expanding, your old tools and platforms for keeping your people connected can quickly become outdated. Implementing SIM management services to your current IoT platforms enables enterprises to manage assets and operate more efficiently and effectively remotely.
How Does a SIM Card Work?
SIM cards are integrated circuits that securely store information, allowing organizations to authenticate users on cellular-enabled devices.
SIM cards contain a unique sequence of numbers that authorizes cellular networks to authenticate a device.
The information stored on SIM cards includes phone numbers, security authentication and ciphering, specific user access services, and a personal unblocking key (PUK) to unlock the PIN.
In short, SIM cards securely grant users access to a network. SIM management platforms allow users to view and arrange network connections.
What Is SIM Card Management?
SIM management services offer technological controls (buttons, levers, and knobs), allowing you to control your network's SIM card access.
These applications - called a Connectivity Management Platform (CMP) - empower users to monitor, analyze, provision, and modify cellular deployments by:
- Placing orders for additional SIM cards
- Activating or deactivating SIM cards
- Pausing or terminating SIM cards
- Adjusting data plans
- Assigning and locking a SIM card to a device's International
- Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
Connectivity Management Platforms (CMPs) come in two forms: those created as in-house systems or CMPs as a service. Ericsson's IoT Accelerator is an example of the latter.
Carriers often rely on numerous CMPs to manage SIM card access. At the same time, many use a simple CMP to manage their individual cellular plans.
Integrating Your CMP and Router Network Platform
CMPs play a vital role in SIM management. At the same time, there is a disconnect between SIM management and network management platforms.
CMPs cannot identify a SIM to a router, client, or application. SIM users must be channeled through at least two separate systems to pinpoint their location.
Why is this a problem?
When an issue arises with a SIM, the IT team has no choice but to manually inspect and toggle between the two systems repeatedly to accurately locate the problematic SIM.
For illustration, let's assume that X company's CMP shows that a SIM card is soaking up an excessive amount of data. To figure out if this excessive data usage is the result of failover, a user binge-watching their favorite TV show, or theft, the company's IT department needs to obtain the SIM's IMEI.
This involves first extracting the IMEI associated with the SIM from the CMP, then manually inputting it into the cloud management service for troubleshooting, and finally returning to the CMP once more to resolve the issue.
Yet another issue that arises with the disconnect between CMPs and network management systems involves the inability to place SIM cards at particular routers, which offers a view of SIMs not online.
While such manual toggling might be manageable for a small number of routers, it becomes an arduous and taxing task for IT teams dealing with larger WANs. The inefficiency of this process hampers productivity and consumes valuable time and effort that could be better utilized elsewhere. A more streamlined and integrated communication approach between CMPs and cloud management services is essential to alleviate the burden on IT teams and enhance overall efficiency in managing WANs.
Finding The Right SIM Management Solution
Unlocking the perfect SIM management solution involves the seamless integration of a CMP and cloud management system, sharing data on a unified platform. Embracing an all-in-one SIM management platform yields several valuable benefits, including:
- Streamlined Deployments: Enjoy the convenience of activating SIMs directly through the cloud management system, ensuring they are active and configured with the appropriate data plans.
- Enhanced Visibility: Gain comprehensive insights into cellular data usage, empowering you to monitor and analyze usage patterns, troubleshoot connectivity and data issues, and understand the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of data consumption.
- Efficient Lifecycle Management: Take control of SIMs by deactivating or pausing those that are lost, stolen, misplaced, or no longer in use. This capability ensures optimal utilization of resources.
Cradlepoint NetCloud
Cradlepoint's cutting-edge SIM Management feature, developed in collaboration with Simetric, brings this vision to life by establishing clear communication within a single platform. With this integrated system, IT teams can conveniently access SIM data plans without navigating multiple platforms.
The ability to effortlessly monitor the status of every SIM and troubleshoot issues from one centralized location simplifies SIM management, especially as networks expand and evolve over time. Embrace the power of an all-in-one SIM management platform to unlock greater efficiency and control in your network management endeavors.
This will enable users to:
- Achieve visibility of both the router and SIM status
- Control expenses
- Speed up deployments
- Resolve SIM card issues
- Reduce the time spent on troubleshooting
- Additionally, enterprise customers ordering Cradlepoint's solution package will receive SIM cards pre-provisioned in routers, allowing for zero-touch deployments.
As a preferred vendor of Cradlepoint NetCloud, USAT would be delighted to provide lifecycle details, subscription information, pricing, service and rate plans, and SIM usage details.
About USAT
Our team not only helps you select, provision, and activate devices, we make sure they work in practical applications and real-life situations.
For over 25 years, USAT has provided mobile communications solutions for various retail applications across the USA. With our extensive catalog of world-class routers, gateways, and software designed for remote monitoring and management in even the harshest environments — you can count on us to get and keep you connected.
Better mobile connectivity translates to less manual equipment maintenance, reduced downtime, and an overall increase in your business's ROI. Contact the experts at USAT to learn how our wireless networking solutions can help meet your organization's exacting needs.
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