Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

A shift towards online shopping has driven demand for fulfilment and distribution centres. These new spaces require reliable connectivity. Where no existing fibre is available, MSPs are turning to 4G.

MSPs are quoting online retailers for bespoke 4G connectivity packages that meet their exact requirements. They are offering solutions that can be preconfigured and delivered to multiple locations to meet tight deadlines.

MSPs are turning to Jola for their multinetwork roaming SIMs controlled in Mobile Manager.

MSPs partnering with Jola are offering multinetwork solutions. Data is managed within Mobile Manager, an online management portal for ordering and managing SIM estates globally.

Are you thinking about adding a 4G connectivity solution to your proposition? Are you being asked about it from customers, or are you looking to enhance service or reduce risk for your clients?

4G primary is often called mobile broadband and is used for both temporary and permanent connectivity solutions. Resellers can often provide temporary connectivity until a broadband or Ethernet circuit goes live and can also be used as a 4G failover solution should the primary circuit fail.

4G backup is commonly used to back up primary networks to add an extra layer of resilience; however, managing 4G can be challenging for the reseller and expensive for the client. You need to consider applications that work perfectly well over Ethernet or broadband, which need to work equally well over 4G should the primary network fail. You also need to consider the cost of using 4G data should the primary network fail and the ongoing cost of a 4G solution that no one is using whilst the primary connection is stable.

Need Fixed IP or L2TP?

Many MSPs require one or more Fixed IP addresses on their SIMs. ISPs often require SIMs to be using L2TP so they can control the IP addressing and routing. Jola can supply both.

Pooled data is the ability to have mobile data, that can be shared across more than one associated SIM card. Pooled data plans are popular in both consumer and business markets to help negate overage charges.

What problems does pooled data solve?

Business customers find data usage difficult to predict, especially in phones and tablets, as so many factors can influence excess usage. If usage notifications from the carriers are late or not received, both customers and resellers are unaware of the data overage charge, until the bill is received. This has put many resellers off selling mobile data, as the bill shock caused by overages has upset their customers.

What types of pools are available?

Fixed pools are available for resellers who know how much data they need for their customer. Their monthly data usage is predictable, and the customer wants to pay for an amount of data each month, which can be shared across multiple users.

Aggregated pools are available for resellers whose customer’s SIM estates are growing or shrinking. The pool increases or decreases every time a data SIM is added or removed.

Buffer pools are available to help negate overage charges at an account and network level. You need to buy separate buffer pools for each carrier network, however you can use the buffer to negate any overage charge from that carrier in your estate. It can reduce the data overage cost significantly.

Data Buckets allow you to buy data that can be used over a period of time.

Public sector services in healthcare and blue light services are being encouraged to ‘go digital’ to become more efficient and get the most out of their budgets. MSPs are helping to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions such as;

Smart Devices

Ambulance crews are using tablets containing 4G SIM cards to access online information about medical and traumatic conditions and treatment on the move. They are completing incident forms online and accessing ePCRs and information about healthcare providers and plans.

Police Officers are able to record arrests on body cameras and send content in a live stream to officers nearby for assessment and support.

Smart Communications

Ambulance crews can electronically send details about the patient to the emergency department including appropriate photographs from the scene of the incident e.g. road traffic collision or electrocardiogram readings, to help doctors determine the extent of injury that may have been sustained. This allows staff in the hospital to prepare and be ready to act when the patient arrives.

Mobile forensics

Police are now using mobile fingerprinting systems that allow them to check the identity of an unknown person against a database of 12 million records in less than a minute. Many officers carry hand-held scanners connected to their 4G smartphone, allowing them to scan fingertips. The scans are checked against the database.

Digital interviewing

Many police forces are using digital audio-visual interview equipment and touch screens for custodial interviews. These provide improved access to recording for police, legal representatives and suspects.

Push to Talk Radio

Two-way walkie-talkie radio technology is being upgraded to 4G. This has created an opportunity for partners, who are already familiar with selling 4G data solutions.

There are many reasons MSPs decide to migrate mobile databases. It is often driven by the needs of their end user. Because of the hassle of potentially swapping out thousands of SIMs, the decision is usually not made lightly. However, there are driving forces such as the need to access newer technologies, the need for a better deal and the flexibility to change suppliers and not be tied in.

4G is preferable for M2M and IoT customers because of its speed, but moving to 4G may involve switching thousands of SIM cards deployed globally and upgrading devices, which is an operational headache with a large associated cost.

The ability to manage data estates directly to track usage is also preferable. End users do not want to run the risk of regular data overage charges and need to know that they can upgrade and downgrade their data SIMs to meet their specific requirements.

No one wants to be tied into a long-term contract with fixed pricing. The ability to protect margins and remain competitive is essential to MSPs, and end users require solutions to be flexible.

Mobile data collection solutions deliver a broad range of positive results and are implemented for different reasons. Often, both internal and external pressures can drive business needs, which demand immediate resolution. 

Mobile data collection solutions are often brought in to solve one of the following problems:

1. Inefficient manual processes

Spending too much time and resources gathering and reporting data may affect the supply chain and incur additional costs if teams are being asked to wait around for supplies to be delivered, leading to delays in the construction process.

2. Market forces

With high competition in the market, revenues may be affected, causing a need to streamline the business. Adopting new technologies may increase efficiency and cut costs.

3. Infrastructure limitations

Where fixed-line connectivity is slow or unavailable, mobile data is often the next option. 4G devices can be deployed quickly and are easy to set up and use.

4. Need to leverage existing systems

Data collected on site can be fed into existing systems and analysed in real time allowing further actions to be taken, which can improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. 

5. Need for compliance

As new regulations come in, they need to be implemented and monitored to ensure compliance. 

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

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

CCTV cameras as well as intrusion alarm systems are often used to monitor sites remotely.

Partners who sell solutions to the construction industry are partnering with companies such as Jola for a wide range of 4G data packages and preconfigured 4G routers. Data SIMs with static IP addresses allow users to access their CCTV camera footage when fixed-line connectivity is not available. M2M/IoT SIMs are used in tracking devices.

Many operators have announced dates for closing down their 3G networks.  For some customers this means that they will need to swap out their SIMs.  Of course, this is a huge expense and inconvenience which is causing many of those affected to now research the market for alternative suppliers.

What is the opportunity?

4G is preferable for M2M and IoT customers due to its speed, however moving to 4G may involve switching thousands of SIM cards deployed globally and upgrading devices, which is an operational headache with a large associated cost. Timing is key, especially for tracking and monitoring devices, smart signage, kiosks and ANPR cameras, as they gather data 24/7/365.

End users may take this opportunity to analyse their requirements and may search the market for an alternative. Will they find a Jola Partner? Do you have mobile data packages promoted on your website? It may be worth putting out an email to your customer base to remind them that you can help:

• Review requirements
• Offer a wide range of solutions including multi network SIMs, 5G and NB-IoT
• Help swap out legacy EE SIMs
• Manage SIM estates to avoid overage charges
• Provide a management portal to view data usage

Are you rolling out solutions that require 4G data in multiple locations? Could you benefit from direct control over SIM assets and the ability to aggregate data across sites?

The challenges

Managing multiple carriers, manual processes, the lack of direct control, the high cost of site surveys and monitoring data usage can all be challenging. MSPs will not always know how much 4G data has been used in each location, especially when used as part of a 4G backup solution. Corporate clients often complain about data overage charges they do not expect.

Jola

Jola has a network of just under 1,000 partners, with a 95% approval rating, made up of global MSPs, specialists and resellers. MSPs say they choose Jola for their differentiated and cost-effective product range, management portals and excellent service.

We work with global MSPs with offices in the UK and abroad. Our MSPs service well-known brands in multiple sectors and countries. We provide bespoke solutions that cannot be bought directly from mobile carriers, giving MSPs complete control over their global estates of SIMs and some connected devices.

Our solutions

Jola provides a wide range of data-only M2M/IoT SIM packages including multinetwork roaming SIMs with pooled data options. MSPs only need to contract with one supplier. They have access to an automated management portal and complete visibility and control over their entire SIM estate.

The problem with roaming SIMs is management. They often roam into countries with expensive data rates or use more data than they should. This results in data overage charges. On a single SIM this is bad enough, but for MSPs managing thousands of SIMs in smart devices globally, this is a serious problem.

What MSPs really need is a management portal to see where each SIM is at any time with the ability to set up alerts should any wander into countries with higher data charges. A single supplier and one portal are much easier to manage than multiple suppliers in different languages. The ability to share data across an estate is also useful to avoid overage costs. Real-time data is essential to accurately estimate usage across the estate as well as full automation so that requests for activations, bolt-ons and ceases are implemented directly.

Most importantly, MSPs need reliable, cost-effective mobile data which is fit for purpose and which they can control without needing to go out to site and run surveys.