Companies that rely on IoT services need mobile data connections that can handle very large volumes of data to unlock these services. These lines must also be extremely reliable and be able to roam abroad cheaply. The ‘ordinary’ business mobile data bundles from operators fall short in this respect. ITchannelPRO speaks with Datasim Solutions, which is a specialist in this type of mobile IoT connections.
IoT is a booming trend as more and more companies want to connect their systems to their infrastructure on a mobile basis. Trucks and containers with perishable cargo, shipping, management containers on construction sites, major events, the media and the offshore industry are some examples of industries that need broadband data connections. Existing mobile operators can provide this type of connection on their own but are generally insufficiently prepared for customers who use very large volumes per month, and certainly not in combination with roaming abroad.
For director Sjaak Kramer, these are exactly the market segments that Datasim Solutions focuses on. “As a Service Provider, we have a contract with a large European mobile operator that supplies us with raw capacity. It concerns volumes of hundreds of Terabytes per month,” says Sjaak. “With these volumes, our partners can deliver the desired customization to their customers. We offer the white label, so that each partner can build its own tailor-made services. Think of your own branded portal, your own invoicing, white label APN or even your own APN.”
Large volumes
For companies and organizations that use a lot of mobile data, ‘regular’ subscriptions that companies or consumers purchase from an operator are not an option. The volumes required by the customers of Datasim Solutions are simply too large for the bundles of mobile operators. In addition, although Europe has transparent data roaming rates, regulations prohibit consumer SIMs from being used permanently for roaming. “These limitations of traditional mobile connections give us a specific opportunity,” says Sjaak. “Volumes are never a limitation in our contracts. We can deliver any desired volume and use two modes: varied bundles or pay-per-use. The rates for both forms differ. Pay-per-use is a bit more expensive per unit, but you never buy too much.”
Opportunities for partners
With a bundle, a partner commits to a volume per month. The price is competitive, and the risk of too large bundles lies with the partner and/or end customer. But here lies an opportunity for the partner. If a partner purchases a bundle that exceeds the actual consumption, he has actually paid too much. But if a partner purchases on a pay-per-use basis and uses it to create and sell their own bundles, this offers two advantages. First of all, at Datasim, the partner only pays for the actual consumption. And secondly, the benefit of any unused data in sold bundles now lies with that partner. In this way, Datasim offers its partners a more interesting revenue model than just reselling bundles.
Datasim Solutions has its point of presence (PoP) in the Equinix data center in Amsterdam. Just like the mobile operator they use, with short lines and low latency as an advantage. Datasim Solutions provide their partners with a high-performance IoT portal where they can configure the services for their customers. This applies to, among other things, the countries and/or networks in which roaming is possible, the desired APN for a corporate connection, a publicly routable IP address, an IP VPN and other customer-specific wishes. “The partner therefore always delivers tailor-made solutions,” says Sjaak. “The volumes that customers purchase vary from tens of Gigabytes to several Terabytes per month. Only depending on the application. All connections have permanent roaming as standard and can therefore be used continuously abroad. Thanks to our flexibility and commitment to very large volumes, we have a special offer that gives us the opportunity to become the market leader.”
Want to know more about Datasim Solutions? Please contact Sjaak Kramer via sjaakkramer@datasimsolutions.com or call 06 53 100100.
