UAE-based telecommunications service provider, du, demonstrated e-SIM for the first time in the Middle East, in collaboration with Gemalto, the world leader in digital security. Demonstrated during a roundtable held at the Grand Midwest Hotel in Media City, the e-SIM initiative will enable du's subscribers to activate the e-SIM on any device over the air. This will allow for an enhanced user experience in a new era of technology adoption that supports multi-device usage - such as smart watch, tablet, laptop, other wearable devices or even cars.
Enabling a streamlined journey across multiple touch points, the e-SIM allows customers to flit between devices on-the-go, providing a seamless experience of consumers' key technologies.
A number of commercial launches are anticipated this year by various consumer technology organizations which will support e-SIM in the region. At the Mobile World Congress 2016, Gemalto demonstrated its GSMA-compliant On-Demand Connectivity solution, an end-to-end, interoperable solution which features an e-SIM managing subscription remotely.
Furthermore, the e-SIM is a key driver of IoT and M2M communication, while reducing costs and improving flexibility and efficiency as it drives economies of scale. The e-SIM will accelerate the growth of the IoT/M2M Industry by providing a single de facto standard for remote SIM provisioning. The collaboration intends to avoid market fragmentation and also drives economies of scale for all stakeholders and to support development of a strong e-SIM ecosystem. According to researches the growth will come from connected IoT/M2M devices estimated to be 15 billion devices by 2020 including Connected Healthcare Devices, Connected Automotive Devices and Smart Cities Devices.
Commenting on the demonstration, Benoit Jouffrey, Vice President of On-Demand Connectivity solutions at Gemalto said: ""We are thrilled to work with du on e-SIM technology to create a powerful platform which will provide tangible benefits for du's customers. The On Demand Connectivity solution combined with the e-SIM will dramatically increase business opportunities across IoT verticals such as automotive or consumer electronics that rely on seamless connectivity.""
