Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

Many MSPs and resellers think that they need to buy direct to get the best prices, however in the mobile data market, this is usually not the case. There are also additional downsides such as lack of flexibility and control.

How flexible is your carrier?

Can they deliver a tariff that exactly meets the needs of your customers, or are you making do with an off-the-shelf package?

How easy are the carriers to do business with?

How do you find dealing with multiple in-country carriers? Are you struggling with paper ordering? How do you manage the time differences? Are processes manual?

How much control do you have over your SIM estate?

How do you manage SIM changes within your estate? Can you monitor and manage data usage per site? How do you manage data overage charges?

According to a recent IDC survey, nearly 80% of Communications Providers expect 5G to generate more revenue opportunities. And 35% say they would be able to grow revenue by 5-10% within the first two years.

What are the likely opportunities?

European operators expect early 5G deployments to enhance existing services, such as unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN).

There is an opportunity for Communications Providers to replace fixed line communications with mobile services. Once 5G is deployed it is predicted to make operational savings of over 10%.

Key sectors to target are healthcare, government and public sector services as well as automotive and manufacturing industries.

How important will choosing the right supplier be?

Choosing the right supplier will be critical to ensure Communications Providers win business in these sectors. Choose a partner who has a wide range of wholesale 5G services, managed within self-service portals, to retain control of 5G assets and monitor and manage data usage. Partners with experience delivering solutions to key vertical markets with a competitive 5G proposition will succeed.

Smart Vending machines are allowing businesses to receive real-time information on sales, stock, turnover and condition, directly from their vending machines in real-time. Vending machines are becoming ever more present and Jola partners are realising the benefits of providing purpose built M2M packages, monitored and managed within Mobile Manager.

Businesses choosing smart vending machines are seeing improved margins from real-time stock updates, allowing vendors to refill and fix machines at the most appropriate times.

Partners are choosing Jola for mobile data as they offer the widest range of M2M data packages, at the lowest price points with a unique management portal. The Jola portal allows partners to place orders from multiple network operators and multi-network SIMs, manage SIMs, usage and alerts. Private APNs are also available for an additional layer of security.

4G security cameras are increasing in popularity in remote areas where there is no easy access to power or WiFi, with a strong 4G signal.

4G security cameras, also called 4G LTE security cameras, are mobile monitoring cameras that use the 4G LTE network to deliver live viewing and send instant alerts. Mobile data consumption varies, depending on how many times live streaming is viewed and motion detection alarms are received.

Wireless 4G cameras are now battery and solar powered so are easy to install and move, inexpensive to buy and are easily scalable. Night vision coverage offers clear images during the night.

IT and Security specialists are partnering with key suppliers to put together affordable CCTV packages for rural customers on farms and construction sites to monitor livestock and equipment.

Jola

Jola provides partners with customers in rural areas a wide range of M2M 4G data SIM packages, including cost-effective multi-network roaming packages, controlled within Mobile Manager. Our multi-network SIMs roam to the strongest signal in each area. Our white label management portal allows partners to place orders, manage SIMs, usage and alerts. Data buckets allow partners to price solutions competitively. Private APNs can add an extra layer of security.

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) will invest more than £3 million to enhance its Electronic Patient Care Records (ePCR) during the next two years and they are not alone. Ambulance Services across the UK and internationally are being encouraged to ‘go digital’ to improve the care and treatment received by patients and to get the very most out of their budgets. They are turning to MSPs with experience in upgrading software, networks and communications.

MSPs who previously worked with the mobile networks directly have found partnering with companies that can offer multi-network services and a management portal, give them so much more control and remove the headache of dealing with multiple carriers and manual requests for changes.

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.

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. 

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. However, suppliers are finding identifying the strongest 4G signal for each device challenging.

The Government’s £1 billion Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) was developed to enable Britain to become a world leader in Emergency Services communications, and a 4G pioneer. EE was selected by the Home Office back in 2015 to provide Britain’s Emergency Services with a resilient national mobile network, giving 300,000 critical emergency workers access to 4G voice and data for the first time.  

UK police forces are using technology to become more productive, efficient and visible. The digital policing vision aims to improve investigations and make it easier for the public and police to communicate. Forces are collaborating with EE and their partners, generating mobile data opportunities for scenarios such as; mobile forensics, digital interviewing, and smart services.

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, which provide improved access to recording for police, legal representatives and suspects.

Smart devices

4G smart devices such as mobiles, tablets and cameras are being used to complete reports much more efficiently. Police Officers are able to record arrests on body cameras and send content in a live stream to officers nearby for assessment and support.

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. However, suppliers are finding identifying the strongest 4G signal for each device challenging.

Are you winning clients who need private networks to carry financial transactions over IP with 4G back-up? Have you ever struggled with the 4G element? Do you manage multiple in-country suppliers, with multiple manual ordering processes? Do you ever get frustrated with the lack of visibility across your customers’ SIM estates? Would you benefit from direct control over the SIM assets and the ability to aggregate data across countries?

Jola provides a range of data-only SIM packages including multi-network roaming SIMs with pooled data options. Partners 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.

They don’t need to survey each site to establish the best signal. Our multi-network SIMs connect to the strongest available signal in the EU. Having all the networks isolates issues to the device rather than the network.

Partners are able to order new SIMs and pools, add SIMs to pools, set up alerts and monitor the pool. If any site fails, they have a data pool to draw from and a buffer. They can even set up and manage private APNs.

We partner with some of the world’s largest MSPs, managing private networks for blue chip companies globally. We position ourselves as a viable alternative to partnering with multiple in-country mobile network operators.

M2M (Machine to Machine) is how machines use a network to connect to each other, without the need for human intervention. M2M involves connecting devices to the cloud, managing devices and collecting data. M2M is about connecting and communicating with a machine that can send and receive data such as a device or sensor.

IoT is the network of connected devices. Things connecting with systems, people and applications.

Simply put M2M provides the connectivity that offers capability to IoT.

How much is this market worth?

Forbes estimate that the global IoT market will be worth £352bn by the end of 2020. According to GrowthEnabler & Markets and Markets analysis, the global IoT market share will be dominated by three sub-sectors; Smart Cities (26%), Industrial IoT (24%) and Connected Health (20%). Followed by Smart Homes (14%), Connected Cars (7%), Smart Utilities (4%) and Wearables (3%).

How does this growth affect MSPs?

The potential for new recurring revenue is significant. Experienced providers, set up to manage complex solutions, have the opportunity to establish themselves as M2M/IoT authorities, winning multi-national opportunities from within their existing base and from competitors.

As solutions go live, data needs to be collected and analysed in meaningful ways to the business. Many will use third parties for systems and data analytics to interpret data, to be used to process changes and launch new products and services.

Security is a major concern for many MSPs, particularly when processing sensitive data such as financial transactions. MSPs who already deliver managed security services, or can partner with third party data security companies, will have an advantage.

Which industries will benefit the most from IoT/M2M technology and why?

Advertising

Connected devices such as wearables and smart devices have given marketers granular data on buying habits, allowing them to target consumers with their preferences. You may have noticed that adverts within social media and pop-ups within online apps are much more targeted, based on information gathered from online searches and online buying habits.

In some countries, smart advertising boards are changing content to target passers-by more accurately and smart drink bottles exist, where customised content can be received by scanning the bottle with a smartphone.

More commonly, sensors are being used in public spaces to track traffic and even happiness based on the number of Wi-Fi connections from hand-held devices such as mobile phones.

Construction

IoT applications will help grow margins for building developers and enable more efficient building operations, enhanced tenant relationships and new revenue generation opportunities. Smart buildings will deliver unprecedented energy and cost savings alongside new levels of occupant comfort.

In addition to helping reduce costs, smart buildings are also positioned to significantly improve physical security. Through the incorporation of IoT connected facial-recognition cameras, organisations can now protect their offices in real-time, taking account of risk factors and the long-term costs / reputational damage that could be involved in a potential security breach.

The channel is uncovering opportunities from customers wanting 4G data SIMs for M2M/IoT solutions, however they face two challenges; how to manage SIMs remotely and how to avoid bill shock.

The opportunities

Slow fixed line connectivity replacement                                                                

90% of all UK premises (almost 26 million) can access up to 24Mb/s fixed line broadband, however there are at least 190,000 premises that can’t get 2Mb/s and 2.2 million premises that can’t get 10Mb/s. Where the LTE signal is strong, 4G data is a great solution.

Temporary connectivity

Leased lines have traditionally long lead times, so what do you do for internet connectivity whilst you are waiting? 4G can provide a fast, reliable, temporary solution. 

Back-up

Catastrophic failure often effects multiple services going into a building, so a fixed line back-up to a primary internet connection is not guaranteed to provide business continuity. With the introduction of 4G management portals for fixed IP SIMs and unique overage protection, 4G becomes a cost-effective alternative. Customers pay a small monthly fee for the back-up service and when the data fails-over, they pay for the additional usage, only for the period it was used.

M2M

There is a wide range of devices that need an internet connection and 4G data SIMs fit the bill. Opportunities are flooding in via partners, from electricians, wind farms, vets, farmers, festival organisers, bus and taxi companies to CCTV installers, all with different requirements. Some need IP addresses, others need multi-network SIMs, but all need the ability to monitor and manage usage remotely.

How to manage SIMs remotely?

Mobile Manager communicates in real-time with multiple mobile network operators. It handles SIM activations, ceases, suspensions, reports, alerts and bolt-ons and can be used by resellers and their end users to manage large estates of data SIMs in multiple devices worldwide.