Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

Demand for Machine to Machine (M2M) and (IoT) SIMs is growing, as well as multi-network and Low Power SIMs (LP-WAN). Channel partners are building a pipeline of big deals in key vertical markets, generating high-margin recurring revenue from 4G data.

Transport

There are many experienced providers offering end-to-end solutions to the transport industry, involving 4G routers and cameras. Trams, buses and trains are tracked, and arrival times accurately estimated and advertised, factoring in potential delays. These devices need 4G data SIMs, often with a fixed IP or delivered via a secure Private APN. On average there are seven SIMs per bus, for logging into the cameras to download relevant footage, Wi-Fi, secure card payments, passenger trackers, applications tracking hours worked, engine telemetry and miles travelled.

Utilities

Businesses are managing their energy flows through smart energy grids and smart meters, allowing for more accurate bills. There is a focus on improving energy efficiency and resolving outages more effectively, with remote site monitoring. These devices often require LP-WAN SIMs for longevity and don’t use much data.

Health

Smart devices offer important patient benefits, like connected ambulances. Ambulance crews have access to high-bandwidth internet capabilities, and tablets holding patient records. This means that information can be sent to hospitals in real-time. Tablets require data-only SIMs with data packages to meet requirements.

Security

Commercial security is getting smarter. CCTV and alarms can be monitored securely and footage can be stored remotely. Security devices typically require M2M data SIMs or Fixed IP SIMs.

Retail

Stores are using technology to differentiate themselves by enhancing their in-store experience. They are allowing customers to beat the queues with connected handheld smart devices. From personalised billboards to tailored signage, retailers are evolving to meet changing market conditions. For digital signage, Intelligent 4G routers and multi-network M2M SIMs allow retailers to plug signs in anywhere in the UK and not worry about signal strengths, blackspots or hackers trying to edit their content.

eSIM is a standard set by the GSMA, the association representing mobile network operators worldwide. It can hold multiple mobile profiles simultaneously and can be re-configured ‘over the air’ (OTA) with profile selection rules. 

What are the key features of eSIM?

• Network providers can be changed without swapping out the SIMs.
• You can pick the tariff required based on the amount of data the customer needs and the country (or countries) that the SIM will operate in to reduce roaming costs.
• There is no faster way to gain access to 5G, LTE-M and NB-IoT across multiple networks, than by using eSIM due to its inherent ability to be reprogrammed to support new networks and new technologies.

Fixed IP eSIMs

GSMA-compliant fixed IP eSIMs offer un-steered roaming coverage across multiple networks and negate the need for static private IP or NAT. Network-agnostic fixed IP eSIMs are a cheaper alternative to most single-network static IP SIMs, whilst also providing an insurance policy against switching-cost lock-in.

L2TP eSIMs

ISPs have used wholesale L2TP tunnels since the launch of ADSL broadband in the UK. Wholesale mobile access from eSIMs is available via L2TP. You can cross-connect at layer 2 directly into a resilient eSIM MVNO platform.

Jola

Jola is a global IoT MVNO, providing the UK’s first multi-network eSIM built for the channel. e-SIMs give partners ultimate choice and control, whilst solving the biggest mobile data problem facing their end users – how to automatically connect any device to any network, anywhere in the world.

GSMA-compliant eSIMs give Jola partners a truly un-steered, multi-network roaming connection. Network-agnostic eSIMs offer an alternative to MNO contract lock-ins and save customers the pain and expense of swapping out SIMs.

Jola has deployed a UK-based, resilient MVNO mobile core network, with global connectivity to over 450 networks in nearly 200 countries, and local connectivity with all four UK mobile networks. UK-based interconnects and breakout ensure the traffic stays in the UK.

Mobile Manager

Mobile Manager is our online management portal for ordering and managing estates of eSIMs. This white label portal communicates in real-time with 4G and 5G networks and can be used by both resellers and their end users. Mobile Manager handles eSIM activations, ceases, suspensions, reports, alerts and bolt-ons.

What are the main differences between social selling and social marketing? What strategies can we adopt to win more business?

Social marketing

There are various definitions, but in my mind, social marketing is part of the marketing strategy. Its purpose is to help us, as a company, build up brand awareness online and to let our partners and prospects know who we are and what problems we can uniquely solve. The objective of social marketing is to build up connections with prospects and educate them, so when they have a need, they know who to come to for a solution. It is about building up trust and putting out regular and accurate content that your partners and prospects value. It goes hand in hand with PR, helping you to drip-feed information to build your company’s reputation as a thought leader and a ‘go-to’ company for specific expertise.

The problem that most marketers have with social marketing is that it is difficult to measure success as the endgame is not direct leads and orders but a well-known and trusted brand name. This also takes years to build and can be destroyed in seconds online.

Social selling

Social selling focusses on prospecting online. You need to maintain visibility of your brand, but the endgame is leads and orders. The challenge that most people have with this is that it is a slow game that takes months of identifying the next ideal prospect, researching the company and all major contacts, connecting with them, and sending them relevant and useful information that will result in a successful sale.

It is not advisable to go straight in with who you work for and what you are selling. You need to think about what you can send them that will make them think of you as an expert in your field and someone they can go to with a problem that you can uniquely solve.

It takes lots of activity and time, which most salespeople do not have when there are much more direct routes to hitting their targets. Many people invest in software to help shortcut the process and identify key posts to comment on or like and set up alerts to respond to; others are fed by their marketing departments.

Each approach needs to be targeted; for example, when you are trying to sell something to me, you need to understand what my challenges may be right now. To do this, you may start with our website, blogs, and social posts and then look at what my colleagues and peers are posting and sharing. You need to put yourself in my position and send me something that I would find interesting and relevant, which may provoke a question, leading to a conversation, a demo, and maybe even a sale. You also need to time your approach right.

The endgame is always to get the right messaging to the right person at the right time.

With the current COVID restrictions still in place, many organisations have turned to online recruitment with varied results. What can employers do to ensure successful recruitment processes online?

Defining a strategy is a good place to start. What are your objectives? What is your strategy to achieve them, and how can this be measured? Preparation is key, and adapting your strategy to the new technology is essential.

Initial contact with candidates is often done over the phone, so this first step is easy to conduct over Teams. Second interviews are often more in-depth and so may be more challenging but not impossible if you adapt your tasks to work in a Team’s environment. Using case studies and role plays can help both behavioural and capability testing. Consistent and clear scoring is key to reduce the risk of unconscious bias influencing your decision.

Clear communication plan

Having a clearly defined candidate communication plan helps all parties gain a more consistent experience of the employer brand, encouraging more people to accept roles plus building a positive employer brand. Designing and shaping assessment messages not only offers reassurance and clarity but also mitigates business risks. 

Consistent measurement

Having the right measurements in place is key to ensure accurate assessment of candidates. It’s wise to trial and validate, just as in a traditional face-to-face assessment process.

Recording the process

The great benefit of online recruitment is the ability to easily record interviews to help compare candidates and involve additional parties for an independent view or second opinion.

Feedback

Sending feedback to candidates is an important part of the recruitment process. Successful candidates know exactly where they are in the process, and unsuccessful candidates can gain valuable feedback.

According to the United Nations, 55% of the world’s population live in cities and they predict this will grow to 68% by 2050. County councils are investing in technology to help reduce pollution, reduce the cost of street lighting and increase traffic throughput. 5G is an enabling technology for IoT.

5G

5G is designed to be high data-rate and low-latency, which allows for the fast real-time transfer of data between two or more points.

Internet of Things (IoT) refers to smart, web-enabled devices that have more of a fixed functionality, than general purpose smartphones, tablets or computers. Examples of IoT devices include ANPR cameras, IP-CCTV cameras.

Connectivity will enable maintenance of the infrastructure and manufacturing systems, as well as flow control. Adjustment and fine tuning of operating parameters will respond to real time fluctuations in the environment and processes.

MSPs are turning to Jola for their 5G requirements when rolling out solutions for smart cities. Jola provides a wide range of cost-effective 5G and 4G data SIM packages which are managed and monitored in Mobile Manager to avoid bill shock from monthly data overage charges.

Smart transport networks offer significant benefits to passengers, operators and local authorities, enabling urban services to become more efficient, effective and safe. Cities from London to Singapore are already building them. Madrid is leading the way, with a central control room that receives and integrates data from 40 urban control rooms. They cover over 100 bus routes, 300 railway lines and 200,000 cameras, delivering end-to-end surveillance and security solutions.

There are many experienced providers offering end-to-end solutions to the transport industry, involving 4G routers and cameras. Trams, buses and trains are tracked, and arrival times accurately estimated and advertised, factoring in potential delays. These devices need 4G data SIMs, often with a fixed IP or delivered via a secure Private APN. On average there are seven SIMs per bus, for logging into the cameras to download relevant footage, Wi-Fi, secure card payments, passenger trackers, applications tracking hours worked, engine telemetry and miles travelled.

Challenges

Service providers face a few challenges with 4G. Some networks are stronger than others in specific locations requiring relationships with multiple network providers. Secondly, they have no way of tracking data usage and if devices use more than their allocated monthly allowance, they get high data overage charges. Thirdly, they need a secure channel for transmitting financial data.

Unlimited data SIM cards have been available for a while. They are great for users who don’t want to worry about how much data they are consuming each month. MSPs prefer to buy wholesale packages fit for purpose, they can control.

Jola supplies unlimited data packages, fit for purpose on 30-day, 12-month and 24-month contracts that will work on 5G, where available. They are keenly priced and designed to work in routers and M2M devices.

Jola also offers a range of intelligent 4G routers which provide high speed connectivity for M2M and IoT applications. They are all IoT gateways, with built-in intelligence. Our models are competitively priced and available to order via Mobile Manager. They are delivered to site pre-configured with a Jola SIM and are suitable for mobile broadband and large scale IoT roll outs.

In Demand

Demand for unlimited data SIMs is high, as is demand for intelligent 4G routers. MSPs partnering with Jola and selling unlimited data packages enjoy an uplift in revenue and margin.

Layer 2 tunnelling protocol (L2TP) mobile solutions are not widely available. Few suppliers offer a 4G L2TP solution, and even fewer offer reliable roaming.

Internet service providers (ISPs) use mobile data for primary internet connectivity until a leased line circuit can be made live and also as a backup for when primary circuits fail. The challenge they face is finding the strongest signal in each location. To do this effectively, they send engineers to run site surveys, which is expensive and time consuming. Once they have installed the best 4G network at the required location, it can be very costly to operate. If used as a backup solution, most of the time the service is unused, and when it is used during an outage on a primary circuit, it may consume a lot of data, generating overage charges. A cost-effective monthly L2TP mobile data package that can add large bolt-ons when required may be the solution ISPs are looking for.

The Jola management team used to run Griffin Internet. We understand the challenges ISPs face when managing traffic and MPLS networks. We offer multinetwork data SIM packages that roam across UK mobile networks and across hundreds globally. We can scale solutions easily and offer diverse routing.

ISPs have built their services for decades by consuming L2TP connections from wholesale suppliers. Jola delivers mobile broadband via L2TP. We have designed the service to be easily consumed by any ISP with the infrastructure in place to terminate L2TP wholesale broadband.

The channel is well-placed to help customers adopt new technologies such as 5G. Resellers will know which of their customers are in an area with 5G coverage and also what their requirements are. Many resellers may already be using 4G to address their customers’ Internet access issues in areas with poorly performing fixed-line services, so 5G is a great opportunity to upsell to new 5G hardware and SIMs.

Now is the time to build offerings that use 5G, as they present the opportunity to provide 5G-ready solutions. 5G routers also support LTE Advanced, which is already available in more areas in the country than 5G. So by selling a 5G-ready SIM and router, the customer could get a big performance boost even before 5G actually arrives. 

In the mobile voice space, the latest handsets from all the main manufacturers are already 5G-ready, so any handset replacement project would likely have 5G readiness as a requirement. In the mobile router space, though there are very few 5G options available, we expect that to change this year now that the major chipset and modem module manufacturers are now producing 5G components in volume.

Jola offers the widest range of mobile data SIMs from multiple suppliers, which are easy to order and manage via Mobile Manager.  

Mobile Manager

Mobile Manager is our online management portal for ordering and managing estates of SIMs. This white-label portal communicates in real time with mobile networks and can be used by both resellers and their end users. Mobile Manager handles SIM activations, ceases, suspensions, reports, alerts and bolt-ons.

As water management systems age and infrastructures are updated, utilities companies consider long-range remote meter systems. By connecting water meters, utility companies eliminate the need for on-site meter readings, saving time and often improving customer satisfaction.

Dispatching staff to manually read water meters is both time-consuming and a logistical challenge. Reductions in manpower, fuel and vehicle maintenance costs add up to significant savings for utility companies switching to smart water meters.

Nonconnected water meters take point-in-time readings on a periodic basis, therefore providing a fairly limited amount of data about water usage patterns. Smart water meters give companies access to a continuous stream of real-time information about water consumption.

Smart water meters also give utility companies real-time alerts regarding outages, pipeline failures and leaks. This additional information allows companies to engage in early or preventative maintenance, detecting problems before they worsen and become more costly. Water management information can be stored in the cloud, accessible via web-based dashboards, making data gathering and analysis simple and efficient.

Specialists rolling out smart meters need reliable cellular connectivity they can manage, which will continue to perform as long as the devices are deployed.

Jola offers the widest range of mobile data SIMs from multiple suppliers, including LP-WAN, which are easy to order and manage via Mobile Manager.