Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

Demand

With technologies being switched off (PSTN, ISDN, 3G) and the current economic climate, demand for cost-effective, managed mobile data solutions from the channel, has never been so high. We are seeing an exponential rise in demand for SIMs not only for use in 5G/4G routers, pre-Ethernet connectivity and Ethernet back-up but also for digital signage, monitoring and smart devices.  Resellers, manufacturers and service companies are finding new uses for mobile data daily and, as we accelerate towards 5G, this is unlikely to slow down.

Opportunities

Public Sector

The NHS has rolled out iPads to ambulance crews all over the UK recently. The iPads will help them access medical records to help inform their course of action.

MSPs who help ambulance trusts roll out technology and who previously worked with mobile networks directly have found that partnering with aggregators offering multi-network services and a management portal gives them so much more control and removes the headache of dealing with multiple carriers and manual requests for changes.

Digital signage

AV Specialists are ordering complete, secure connectivity packages for digital signage, to arrive plug-and-play to each site, and consisting of an intelligent 4G router, a SIM and some clever configurations to prevent hackers from accessing the signs. Devices arrived pre-configured with an app, allowing auto-configuration, saving time and money.

Buses and Coaches

Specialists are novating SIMs on various tariffs and price plans with their Private APN for bus and coach companies for cashless ticketing systems and WiFi. End-users can manage data usage directly on their own management portal.

Car Parks

IT Resellers provide both voice and data and data-only SIMs for car parks.  They can use aggregated data SIMs and voice and data SIMs, which means they can share data across sites to avoid data overage charges and use a Private APN for their CCTV cameras.

Monitoring

MSPs are helping property owners and developers to monitor carbon levels. They have created solutions to monitor energy consumption across many different devices within the home. Their devices need 4G to report usage information and for general maintenance of the equipment.

General

Most telecommunications resellers use SIMs for short-term internet connectivity, 4G backup and as part of PSTN replacement solutions where fixed-line connectivity is not practical.

The opportunity for the channel is massive. The challenge is finding the opportunities each partner can win. Suppliers that can help resellers target opportunities they can win are crucial. Solutions need to be easy to sell, roll out and manage.

Key Trends

A key trend driving the as-a-service model is the move to IP and the imminent PSTN switch-off. There are millions of single-call PSTN lines in the UK that are soon to be end-of-life. Upgrading to broadband is expensive and capital costs of converters and 4G routers soon mount up. Device-as-a-service models have solved this problem with no up-front hardware costs and low monthly charges, plus the added benefit of ‘advance replacement’ and free returns for faulty routers.

Look for a channel-only supplier with

• A real-time, fully automated, API-enabled, white-label portal that connects to every mobile network in the world
• A network and internal systems protected from DDOS attacks
• Global eSIM networks
• OPEX and CAPEX financial models on hardware
• Financial stability and demonstrable growth
• A wide range of SIM options across a number of different networks
• Cost-effective SIP-enabled 4G/5G PSTN replacement products
• Routers with proprietary auto-configuration and management software built-in
• A programme to help you identify opportunities you can win

Jola was shortlisted for two awards and won Best Wireless Connectivity Provider at the Comms Business Awards in London on Thursday night. The judges found Jola’s entry to be the most compelling because of its use of case examples.

Andrew Dickinson, CEO Jola, commented, “We were delighted to win this award. We continue to grow and to invest in people, products, platforms and processes. We have a talented team here at Jola who are dedicated to supporting our growing partner base. It is great to see so many Jola partners building profitable revenue streams from our unique mobile data solutions. We would like to thank all our staff, partners and suppliers for all their support.”

5G

4G/5G routers are in demand across the channel and in almost every vertical market our partners operate in.  As intelligent mobile data becomes faster, more reliable and more widespread, end-users are choosing it over fixed-line connectivity solutions for its operational and commercial advantages. A good example of this is the PSTN switch-off. There are millions of end-points across the UK that will use 4G/5G connectivity over more expensive SOGEA connections. 3G sunsetting is also driving demand for 4G/5G services.  There are still millions of devices connected to 3G networks in the UK which need to move to 4G/5G or the services will simply stop working.

Value Add

It is important that resellers and MSPs include hardware that adds value to their proposition.  As an example, we provide a range of routers and gateways that Jola has developed layers of automation and management into. All of our devices are provisioned and managed within our real-time portal Mobile Manager®.  Our partners can view usage, signal strength, and uptime statistics. They can reboot devices and pair routers with SIMs directly.  We have also added a Device-as-a-Service model (DaaS) to our offering, which provides a CAPEX-free commercial model with the added benefit of in-term upgrades and advance replacements that add considerable value over upfront purchases.    

Best Vendors

It's important to work with a vendor that allows you to differentiate your offering and helps you to find and win profitable deals.  Selling solutions as opposed to box shifting will give you the edge when you’re in a competitive bid situation. Jola’s routers are suitable for mobile broadband and large-scale IoT rollouts. Devices are pre-configured with the Jola App, allowing auto-configuration. As a result, there was no need for manual configuration on-site; routers are delivered to site, ready to install, saving valuable time and set-up costs. To bolster security, Jola preconfigures security measures into the devices, to prevent third parties from accessing the routers. Routers are managed in our real-time management portal – Mobile Manager®.

Apart from our Macs, Jola owns no infrastructure. Everything we use and sell resides in the cloud, utilising both Azure and AWS. This is a good place to start for MSPs looking to sell cloud-based products to their customers because they can act as true alpha testers for everything. The key to building a scalable cloud business and a competitive advantage is enabling software, and APIs in particular. If potential suppliers don’t have well-developed APIs we don’t buy from them. 

By cascading responsibility for provisioning to their customers, MSPs give them control, whilst at the same time minimising human error and saving on staff costs. We have experimented with outsourcing offshore development teams but what we gained in lower costs, we lost in flexibility. An agile methodology is essential these days and the days of detailed technical specifications before coding begins are gone. Software development teams need to be able to switch between projects and even drop them completely depending on the needs of the business and the demands of end customers. We operate an in-house team that understands our channel-only model and is aligned with our overall strategy.

Importantly the provisioning portal extended to end customers has to integrate with every other part of the business. This includes billing, finance, CRM and support. Security is critical both at a device and network level. Jola uses the Cloudflare network for global speed and security. Whilst this seems expensive it isn’t when spread across hundreds of thousands of SIMs and when you consider the real and reputational cost of a successful DDOS attack or data security breach.

Demand for faster, more reliable internet connectivity has never been higher for business users. Companies are turning to mobile data solutions for both interim and longer-term solutions, as they can provide faster speeds and be installed very quickly. This provides opportunities for trusted suppliers.

Jola partners differentiate themselves by offering bespoke solutions for different vertical markets such as secure, intelligent 4G and 5G solutions for digital signage. They are plug-and-play, will work anywhere with an electrical socket and are protected from hackers.

MSPs save money on surveys, as they use un-steered multi-network SIMs which will connect to the strongest mobile signal. They can be rapidly deployed to multiple sites globally and 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.

With technologies being switched off (PSTN, ISDN, 3G) and the current economic climate, demand for cost-effective, managed mobile data solutions from the channel, has never been so high. There are solutions such as lift lines and alarm lines where fixed line connectivity is impractical and 4G/5G is much faster and cheaper to deploy.

Hotels and care homes are replacing single phone lines with managed 4G and 5G solutions and other single PSTN applications like lifts, alarm lines and door entry systems are following suit. There is a need for temporary WiFi for construction sites and fixed IP SIMs for CCTV cameras. Multi-Net SIMs are required for ANPR cameras, wearables and tracking devices. 3G SIMs in thousands of devices from fixed line backup to street signs need to be replaced. The list goes on, and the opportunity for the channel is massive. 

There is huge demand from businesses for unlimited SIMs for mobile phones, tablets, routers and smart devices. Jola’s Three Business Unlimited SIMs combine the UK’s best 5G network with price points which allow resellers to make substantial recurring margins.

Jola, the channel’s leading mobile data specialist, has partnered with Three Business to develop and launch a range of competitive unlimited SIMs to meet the specific needs of resellers. Jola has a strong channel reach with over 1300 partners and has a Mobile-data Revenue Generator™ programme, designed to help partners find and close mobile data opportunities. They also have advanced automation and comprehensive portals giving partners control over provisioning, support and margins. Three UK provides the UK’s Fastest 5G Network (Ookla Speedtest), reach, reliability and great value pricing.

Jola, the leading mobile data specialist in the channel, has teamed up with Three Business UK to develop and launch Unlimited SIMs specifically designed for resellers. Jola is offering a range of competitive Unlimited SIMs on the UK’s fastest 5G network.

There is huge demand from businesses for unlimited SIMs for mobile phones, tablets, routers and smart devices at competitive rates. Resellers have struggled to compete with Mobile Network Operators directly until now. Jola’s Three Business Unlimited SIMs combine the UK’s best 5G network with price points which allow resellers to make substantial recurring margins.

Lee Broxson, Jola’s CSO commented, “Our channel partners have been asking for competitive, unlimited SIMs for phones, tablets and routers for some time and the Three Business Unlimited SIMs meet the requirement. Being on the UK’s fastest 5G data network, with 99% UK 3G/4G coverage means they will work anywhere and will access the UK’s fastest 5G speeds at no extra cost.”

In a recent partner satisfaction survey, Jola scored a Net Promoter Score of 63, which categorises the company as ‘great’, with 43% of Jola partners giving them 10/10 and 93% scoring them 7 or higher. In the comments section, Jola partners praised Jola products, pricing, portals and people.

Andrew Dickinson, Jola CEO, commented, ‘I am delighted with our NPS. We now have over 1300 resellers and MSPs choosing Jola as their mobile data and intelligent connectivity partner. Our relentless product development continues with a long list of new products designed to help partners differentiate their offerings and win bigger deals. We have a fully redundant highly scalable IP edge network with DDoS protection from Cloudflare, and we continue to grow and invest in people, products, platforms and processes. We have a fantastic team here at Jola who are dedicated to supporting our growing partner base and it was great to see so many of them named in the survey by partners.”

Mobile data opportunities in construction are plentiful, as companies look to improve their waste management, reduce their construction costs and improve employee safety.

All construction sites need temporary telephony and WiFi for site offices. Jola partners operating in construction are also providing mobile data solutions for tracking and monitoring equipment and for security solutions such as IP CCTV cameras and alarm systems to help construction sites improve security and reduce costs.

Tool Handling

On a construction site, an array of tools are used by trained operatives to complete jobs at each stage of the project. Cranes, for example, need to be fitted with data loggers to record key operational parameters so lifting operations can be reviewed and monitored.

Equipment Monitoring

Asset-tracking devices can now be glued to almost any construction tool. Bluetooth technology combined with an app on a smartphone allows for a near-real-time tracking of location. It also records where the device was last seen should it go missing. 

Worker Safety

Push-to-talk radios, monitoring and recording devices all help improve communications and support safe systems of work.

Site Monitoring

Construction sites are often targeted by criminals so tracking assets and investing in CCTV is a must for sites however long they are operational.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges construction companies face is managing their IT requirements in multiple sites on short-term contracts. Channel partners can help by offering short-term contracts and devices on a DaaS model with no upfront costs. SIMs can be carefully monitored in Mobile Manager and pooled data allows usage to be shared. Companies like Jola are helping partners operating in vertical markets such as construction and manufacturing, to understand the needs of their end-users and provide case studies of similar solutions used with excellent pricing to help win the deals.

Mobile data is helping businesses innovate within the service and maintenance industry. Jola partners offer solutions using smart devices and multi-network roaming SIMs to help them service vehicle fleets. It is much more accurate and efficient than engineers completing manual paperwork and office staff retyping this information into relevant systems. Private APNs are used to ensure secure data transfer.

Jola resellers help property owners and developers to monitor carbon levels. They have created solutions to monitor energy consumption across many different devices within the home. Their devices need 4G to report usage information and for general maintenance of the equipment.

We support resellers working on predictive maintenance within commercial ovens. The devices monitor the health of the ovens, predicting in advance, when the ovens will need to be serviced.

Jola MSPs offer managed solutions on a pay-per-month basis. SIMs are being used in smart sensors to measure air quality, as well as in smart fire and burglar alarms. Smart routers that are pre-configured and arrive plug-and-play help reduce installation costs and multi-network SIMs negate the need for engineer visits.