Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

The UK Physical Security System Services market consists of 2,203 businesses, employing over ten thousand employees, generating £1.4bn in revenue and with an annual growth of 11.8%.

The impending ISDN/PSTN switch-off is an especially compelling event in this sector because it effects almost every monitored device in the UK. Anyone involved in physical security is planning to upgrade to IP, either via a fixed connection or mobile data. Mobile data features disproportionately in this sector because for millions of devices an upgrade to a fixed connection represents a significant increase in cost.

Thousands of resellers and MSPs still don’t have a mobile data proposition and are therefore unable to offer a one-stop solution to their customers in the security sector, amongst others. Early-movers who have partnered with a mobile data aggregator have been surprised at the margins achievable. This is because independent channel-only aggregators are able to provide differentiated products, like un-steered multinet SIMs and preconfigured specialist hardware, that the MNOs don’t offer. They have also found the products relatively easy to sell, deliver and support and, with book-to-bill times of only a few days sometimes, revenues flow quickly.

Andrew Dickinson, CEO Jola commented, “There is high demand for mobile data from customers in the security sector. For resellers it is an easy product to sell, provision, support and bill and if you get it right, you will quickly generate high-margin recurring revenue. Financial markets attribute higher EBITDA multiples to IoT/M2M so including it in your portfolio, increases the overall value of your enterprise. Jola partners have beaten the MNOs directly to win very large SIM deals from well-known logos in the security market. We have unique solutions with both network and device security built-in, protecting users from both DDOS attacks and hackers.”

The advertising world has changed dramatically in the last 20 years with social media platforms competing directly with traditional media companies, forcing them to innovate to survive. One of the biggest transformations is in digital signage, which is now one of the fastest growing media markets in the world.

However digital signage has its own challenges. Interactive signs need to be updated remotely with software and messages but often connecting them to a fixed internet connection is impractical and expensive. Where they use 4G/5G, the network has to prevent anyone hacking into the devices as well as protect them from DDOS attacks, which would take them offline.

The routers containing the SIMs must be robust, secure and capable of being provisioned and reconfigured remotely.

Jola’s Solution

We invented an intelligent 4G solution for digital signage, which arrives ‘plug-and-play’ at the customer’s site. It will work anywhere with an electrical socket, can be managed remotely via a portal and is protected from threats at both device and network levels.

Un-steered multi-network SIMs negate the need for expensive site surveys as they connect to the strongest signal and switch automatically if the primary network becomes unavailable.

 The Opportunity

• Connectivity for digital advertising boards in the UK
• Scalability, reliability and ability to deploy rapidly across the country
• Control and ease of connectivity management

 The Solution 

• Robustel R1510, preconfigured with device security
• Aggregated 2GB MultiNet SIMs

 The Outcome

• Dramatically reduced operational overheads
• Great support from Jola development team in building the bespoke configuration
• Reduced costs, increased revenue, improved margin
• Complete control over the SIM estate via Mobile Manager®

100% SLAs backed by compensation SLGs are a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive fibre Ethernet market. However, ISPs offering a fixed line backup run the risk of a cable cut or exchange failure taking both primary and secondary routes. Until recently 4G/5G failover was expensive, slow, and only a partial solution but Jola has solved this problem with a multi-network Layer 2 product costing only a few pounds a site.

The Jola management team ran Griffin Internet so we understand the challenges facing ISPs and we have the technical expertise to design and manage solutions. Connecting at Layer 2 means that all services failover seamlessly and multi-network ensures against coverage issues and mobile mast/network failures. This is not a hybrid VPN solution so there are no speed or routing problems.

ISPs cross-connect at Layer 2 directly into the Jola platform and, although a fairly new innovation, some of the world’s largest ISPs are using it, so it is tried and tested. ISPs control every SIM through Jola’s real-time, automated white-label portal, Mobile Manager®️.

4G/5G L2TP is inexpensive, reliable and easy to set-up and it gives ISPs full control over routing and IP addressing.

Who will be affected?

All residential customers and businesses in the UK will need to find a replacement for their PSTN lines. Many will need to replace or upgrade their existing internet connectivity and consider VoIP applications.

There are millions of PSTN lines that won’t be able to use a SoGEA or FTTP type replacement, due to costs, incompatibility, or logistical challenges. Mobile data will be a requirement for many customers replacing PSTN.

There are a significant number of phone boxes in hospitals, supermarkets, and hotels. These allow you to book a taxi or receive information for free. All these call points need to be upgraded, as they will no longer work after the PSTN Switch-off.

How are Jola partners getting prepared?

Jola’s PSTN replacement packages are the perfect solution for MSPs, ISPs and resellers looking for a slick wholesale solution, managed end-to-end via a real-time fully API integrated portal. Millions of telephone lines will take time to migrate and we are already seeing massive projects kicking off as companies wake up to the challenges and choices ahead. This is a great opportunity for Jola partners to become first-mover experts in what is going to be the hottest sector in telecommunications over the next few years.

Partners are helping end-users to understand when their phone lines will be switched off and pro-actively suggesting alternative solutions such as a range of fixed-line or mobile broadband connectivity options with a VoIP solution designed to meet their needs.

Where it is not practical to replace PSTN lines with fixed-line connectivity, Jola has helped partners to productise mobile data solutions. We offer Robustel routers with an Analogue Telephone Adaptor (ATA) SIP Overlay service and calls over IP with a MultiNet SIM and pooled data across multiple sites.

All our solutions are easy to provision, support and bill. Our award-winning portals give partners complete control over their solutions from ordering through to provisioning and management.

According to McKinsey, revenues from mobile data are set to increase dramatically over the next five years. Factors driving growth are the availability, speed and reliability of 4G, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT). The opportunity for the channel is significant, but many partners do not know where to start.

Jola has over 1000 partners successfully selling mobile data. We have productised our unique process and called it The Mobile-Data Revenue Generator (The MRG). The process helps partners to identify low-hanging fruit and win their first significant mobile data opportunity.

Step 1 – are you ready to sell mobile data?

Taking the time to answer these questions will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Ask yourself:

• What do you sell most of?
• Who do you sell to? (How many customers do you have, how big are they, what sectors do they work in?)
• How many salespeople do you have?
• Do they sell recurring revenue products?
• Can you bill CDRs?
• Can you support mobile data?
• Do you currently sell mobile data?
• Why? / Why not?
• Why now?
• Who do you buy from?
• What do you like about them?
• Why did you choose them?

Step 2 – what do you need to get ready for mobile data?

Think about

• Choosing a trusted channel supplier
• Pricing, Ordering, Provisioning, Management, Billing, Support
• Commission plans for salespeople
• Help with materials, productisation
• Training

Step 3 – who am I selling mobile data to?

Knowing your target audience is key here. Adding a product to your website and hoping for leads is not going to cut it in today’s competitive market. You need to know where the deals are you can win. Where do you have the advantage? Start with your existing customer base. What do they buy most of from you?  What else could they be buying from you? Ask the questions:

• Do you currently buy mobile data?
• Who from?
• What do you use mobile data for?
• How many SIMs do you buy?
• How much data do you use?
• How do you manage SIM estates?
• Why/how did you select your current supplier?
• Do you have any issues?

Where do you start?

There are a few strategies to consider:

Work through your customer list from

• highest to lowest spend
• by highest to lowest employees
• by market vertical

When you set out to win new business, marketing often gets involved. Directors are looking to grow the business, and sales are looking for some leads to convert.

How do we win new business?

It costs five times as much to attract a new customer than it does to retain and grow an existing one. If your clients trust you to deliver internet connectivity they are just as likely to buy a hosted phone system or mobile data solutions from you if you can meet their requirements and are a trusted supplier.

Cross-sell/Up-sell

Cross-sell/upsell campaigns are usually easier to implement if you already have a successful comms strategy in place with existing clients. Sales and marketing can work together to deliver complementary services to customers by updating existing sales and marketing materials. Suppliers can help by delivering white label materials that can easily be slotted into newsletters, websites, flyers and proposals to make existing customers aware of new solutions and a customer offer (better price for existing customers, 3 months free etc.) can really help to move the buyer from the consideration phase into purchase/decision phase. Case studies are really powerful as they can reflect back on pain points customers are having, explain the benefits of their unique solution and provide a reference.

Where to start?

What do you sell most of to whom? If you sell internet connectivity is there a demand for 4G back-up or 4G solutions for homeworkers? Is there demand in your base for mobile data? The easiest way to find this out is to give your sales team a list of questions to ask their clients or ask your marketing team to create a survey.

What to ask?

• What do you buy most of?
• Do you buy mobile data? (We don’t mean mobile handsets but the data SIM cards)
• Who do you buy from?
• What do you use them for?
• Why did you choose them as a supplier?
• Are you happy with your current supplier?

Demand for M2M and IoT is a focus for Jola and our partners, as end-users need more than the MNOs can offer them directly. It is a great opportunity for companies like Jola to innovate with solutions managed in a real-time portal, designed to meet specific needs of M2M and IoT solutions in multiple vertical markets globally.

There are already a great many vertical market opportunities in this space where we are helping partners to win. Jola SIMs are being used in tablets, routers, CCTV cameras, lifts, cranes, wind turbines, push-to-talk radios, body-worn cameras, monitoring devices, streetlights, ANPR cameras, yachts, digital signs, personal alarms, door entry systems, smart gates, cameras, buses, coaches and trains.

Mobile data is a critical part of the PSTN/ISDN replacement portfolio. Resellers cannot 100% address the needs of their customers without a channel-only mobile data aggregator and we hope they will choose Jola.

Our internet connectivity and SIP solutions are used by well-known large corporates and SMEs. We help partners to win new business and increase ARPU in their current base to reduce churn.

Jola is an award-winning, channel-only supplier of business communications specialising in mobile data SIMs controlled in our management portal. We offer a wide range of mobile data products and Intelligent 4G/5G solutions, which offer MSPs good margin, which you cannot buy from anyone else.

Jola’s ability to innovate is one of our success stories. We continually innovate to help partners win. On average we launch a new product/product extension every month.

We were first to market with a real-time automated portal and we continue to lead and innovate in this important area. Partners bidding to win mobile data opportunities for M2M and IoT solutions such as 4G SIMs in tablets in the public sector or Multinet SIMs in smart water meters are being asked very specific questions about their portal. End-users want to know how real-time the data is and how automated the portal is.

End users do not want multiple supplier portals to deal with, they want the ability to order a wide range of technologies from multiple network operators in a single portal. They want direct access to activate SIMs, add bolt-ons and share data across accounts. They need access for their end users to be able to monitor usage in real-time. Suppliers who can offer real-time, automated portals are better placed to win the deals.

We invented an intelligent 4G/5G solution for digital signage, which arrives plug-and-play, will work anywhere with an electrical socket, can be managed remotely via a portal and prevents hackers from gaining access to the digital content.

MSPs save money on site surveys, as we use un-steered multi-network SIMs which will connect to the strongest mobile signal anywhere. They can be rapidly deployed to multiple sites globally, will arrive pre-configured with the Jola App, allowing auto-configuration. There is no need for manual configuration on site, saving valuable time and set-up costs.

Apart from innovative Layer 2 LTE offerings for ISPs and unique big data tariffs, Jola recently built a new, fully redundant, highly scalable IP edge network specifically designed to deliver high performance and secure mobile data services. Jola Partners’ critical services now enjoy protection from DDoS attacks and super-high speeds globally via the Cloudflare network. Cloudflare’s 121 Tbps worldwide network blocks an average of 86 billion threats per day.

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 mobile data.

Transport

There are many experienced providers offering end-to-end solutions to the transport industry, involving 4G/5G routers and cameras. Trams, buses and trains are tracked, and arrival times accurately estimated and advertised, factoring in potential delays. These devices need 4G/5G 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/5G 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.

Retailers, such as fast-food restaurants, have invested in self-service kiosks to allow customers to order their own meals in-store and have them delivered to their seats. Connected kiosks require gateways, routers and data SIMs. Stores typically have multiple connected devices, which are becoming more complex and expensive to manage.

Self-service kiosks in hotels allow guests to check in and out. They are really useful at peak times to reduce waiting times and improve customer experience. Automating processes help reduce costs for the hotel, which no longer needs to pay employees a premium to work unsociable hours on the front desk. Kiosks are also used to promote upgrades and extras, generating additional revenues.

MSPs installing self-service kiosks in multiple locations must consider electricity points, the availability of connectivity as well as the management of an increasingly complex IT network at each location.

Connected kiosks often require gateways and routers in addition to mobile data. Managing multiple connected kiosks in different locations can be costly and complex to manage. Site surveys are often required to establish the strongest mobile signal in each location.

Jola partners offer a unique solution with their Intelligent 4G/5G routers. Our routers are smart and negate the need for a gateway. Jola SIMs are all managed within one easy portal. MSPs can easily manage and monitor data usage across sites. We offer multinetwork roaming data across all four major mobile networks, and our routers arrive preconfigured. 

Suitable for mobile broadband and large-scale IoT rollouts, our routers run a unique operating system allowing apps to be installed alongside the core routing software.