The Use M2M SIM Cards in GPS Applications

GPS Points on a map of the world connected with M2M SIM Cards

Introduction

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a transformative force, connecting countless devices to the internet, enabling data exchange, and revolutionizing various industries. Among the groundbreaking applications of IoT, the use of M2M SIM cards in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology stands out as a game-changer. You might only think of GPS applications as tracking vehicle, but there are so many more solutions using GPS. This fusion of connectivity and GPS has opened up new frontiers in tracking, navigation, and location-based services, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.

Understanding M2M SIM Cards

Traditional SIM cards have long been used in mobile phones to connect to cellular networks. However, M2M SIM cards (AKA IoT SIM cards) are specifically designed to cater to the unique requirements of connected devices that fall under the purview of the Internet of Things. These SIM cards offer features like lower power consumption, enhanced security, and the ability to manage data usage efficiently.

Seamless Connectivity for GPS Devices

GPS devices, whether they are in vehicles, wearable gadgets, asset trackers, or environmental sensors, need reliable and continuous connectivity to function effectively. M2M SIM cards provide seamless connectivity across multiple networks, ensuring uninterrupted GPS data transmission. By leveraging these M2M SIM cards, GPS applications can operate without limitations, even in remote or challenging environments.

Real-Time Tracking and Fleet Management

IoT-powered GPS devices enable real-time tracking of vehicles, assets, and personnel. Fleet management becomes more efficient and productive, as businesses can monitor their vehicles’ locations, routes, and driving behavior in real time. This data-driven approach enhances safety, optimizes routes, reduces fuel consumption, and increases overall operational efficiency.

Precision and Accuracy

The integration of SIM cards with GPS applications enhances location accuracy significantly. IoT SIM cards ensure that the GPS devices remain connected to the strongest available network, reducing potential disruptions and enhancing precision. For industries such as agriculture and logistics, where precise location data is critical, this level of accuracy proves to be invaluable.

Geo-Fencing and Location-Based Services

Geo-fencing, a popular feature in GPS applications, allows users to set virtual boundaries around a specific location. When a GPS-equipped device enters or exits these predefined areas, it triggers automated actions or notifications. IoT SIM cards facilitate instant communication between the device and the backend systems, ensuring quick response times and seamless execution of location-based services.

Cost-Effective Data Management

IoT SIM cards offer flexible data plans tailored to the unique data requirements of various GPS devices. This flexibility allows businesses to manage data consumption efficiently, reducing unnecessary costs. Whether it’s occasional location updates or continuous real-time tracking, SIM cards provide cost-effective solutions to suit diverse GPS applications.

Environmental Monitoring and Smart Cities

IoT-enabled GPS devices play a crucial role in environmental monitoring, allowing researchers and authorities to gather data on air quality, weather patterns, and other environmental factors. Additionally, in the context of smart cities, M2M SIM cards are instrumental in supporting connected infrastructure and optimizing urban services like traffic management and waste collection.

Enhanced Security and Anti-Theft Measures

IoT SIM cards offer robust security features, safeguarding the data transmitted between the GPS devices and the backend servers. In case of theft or unauthorized access, these SIM cards enable remote device lock-down or data wipeout, mitigating potential risks and ensuring the protection of sensitive information.

Emergency Response and Personal Safety

GPS applications utilizing IoT SIM cards have proven to be life-saving tools in emergency situations. From locating lost or injured hikers to enabling rapid response during disasters, IoT-powered GPS devices provide critical location information to emergency services, expediting rescue operations and improving personal safety.

Scalability and Future Potential

As the IoT ecosystem expands, the application of SIM cards in GPS technology will continue to evolve. With the growth of 5G networks and advancements in satellite technology, the scope for GPS applications will expand, leading to more sophisticated and innovative use cases in domains such as autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture, and augmented reality.

Conclusion

The integration of M2M SIM cards with GPS applications has ushered in a new era of connectivity, precision, and efficiency. GPS devices can now offer real-time tracking, enhanced security, and cost-effective data management. This is achieved using SIM Card connectivity. This seamless connectivity ensures that GPS applications can thrive in diverse environments. It unlocks a wealth of opportunities across industries, from fleet management and logistics to environmental monitoring and emergency response. As technology continues to advance, the synergy between cellular connectivity and GPS applications will undoubtedly lead to even more innovative solutions and transformative changes in the way we navigate and interact with the world around us.

If you would like to learn more about IoT SIM cards in GPS Applications, please reach out to us. You can request information by filling out our Contact Form. OneSimCard has been working with thousands of GPS application providers and we will be happy to share what we have learned in our over 27 years in Telecoms.

May 16, 2022

IoT SIM Card Deployments in Global AgTech: A Case Study

IoT Sim cardfor AgTech — AgTech IoT SIM card Connectivity

Introduction

As Agricultural Technology grows (pun intended) in popularity around the world, connecting all of these “things” is increasingly more difficult. International implementations face many obstacles. We focus on the issues with IoT SIM card use in worldwide operations. Some of the same complications occur in single country use as well. Streamlining these deployments saves time, money & headaches. This article focuses on one such case. We will discuss a soil moisture sensor company struggling with their multi-national deployments. We will cover their solution, their initial problem, the steps they took to remedy the situation, and the solution they chose.

The Customer’s Description

As a Start-Up, this company needed to grow fast and were sending their moisture sensors all over the world, and they had pilots currently running in 27 different countries. Their solution includes a mesh network of wireless sensors spread over the fields of a grower and all of the data aggregated in a gateway device that sends all of the data back to a server for analysis and reporting on their UI. The gateway device is a standard rugged router. It uses a 3FF global IoT SIM card powering the connection to the back end through cellular networks. The gateway required bi-directional proactive communication because they needed to reach the gateway from time to time on demand. Their sensors test the soil every 3 hours. The total amount of data per gateway averages 72MB per month.

The Problem

They struggled with how they would put together a solution for all of these disparate countries, though. It takes time and resources to find an IoT SIM card provider in each country. Using these various providers further complicates matters because they had to manage multiple SIM management portals, multiple APNs, SKUs for each IoT SIM card provider, and several languages to deal with (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, and German to name a few).

All of this takes time and resources. As a small company, their time really does mean money, because navigating all of the vendors, and programming their routers based on where the devices were being sent took time away from marketing and selling their solution. They estimated it took 47% of their time finding local cellular providers. Also setting up the new vendors’ APN’s and SKUs into their workflow, learning a new portal for SIM card management, etc., etc. That is all time when they could be building a strong sales funnel, meeting with new prospects, working on marketing efforts, and so forth. They estimated if they could focus 47% more time on these tasks, their annual revenue would grow over $1M.

What They Tried

Over the last 6 months they tried to standardize their connectivity providers to a smaller number. They thought this would solve the issues. What they discovered was that it did help, but the benefits were not sufficient. The CTO and COO still had to think about how devices needed to be configured for each country. They also had to manage multiple platforms which takes time to learn and implement different portals and the API’s each portal used (if they supported API’s). They also had different IP ranges to deal with, where a single IP range would be easier to manage because they could used a single VPN with a single IP range.

The OneSimCard IoT Sim Card Solution

We came to the table with our ears open. We heard their problems and developed a solution tailored to their particular needs. What we came up with was a single, Multi-IMSI, eUICC enabled Global IoT SIM card. Our IoT SIM card is used virtually anywhere in the world with a single APN. OneSimCard IoT covers 200+ countries and territories. A single APN means they are able to set-up all of their devices the same, regardless of the device’s destination.

We also provided the client a single private static IP range large enough to support all of their IoT SIM card deployments for the foreseeable future. We recommended an OpenVPN solution for their bidirectional proactive communication to their cellular gateways. Because it only allows one concurrent user, OpenVPN is a low cost alternative to our IPSec VPN solution. It provides the communication this client needed, though.

The client also benefited from the use of our OSCAR SIM management Portal. OSCAR is built in-house from the ground up. When a customer wants to make a change, we make that change quickly. This flexibility helps our clients by catering to their specific requirements without over-complicating the experience. OneSimCard IoT’s portal is cloud based and has mobile apps available on Google Play as well as Apple’s App Store. We also provide a full set of API’s to our Portal. This allowed the client to tie their portal to ours with only one set of API’s.

The Result

The benefit was immediate. Streamlining to a single provider gave the client back their valuable time. They now can concentrate more time and resources on revenue producing activities. In the first month since the change to OneSimCard IoT, they were able to implement 20% more solutions. They also were able to add 25% more new opportunities into their sales funnel. If 5% of these prospects close, this adds $1.5M in annual revenue.

If you have an AgTech solution, or any other IoT solution that needs connectivity, contact us. Our IoT experts will be happy to listen to your requirements and develop a solution just for you. The best way to reach is is by email sales@onesimcard.com. You can also fill out our contact form, and we will be in touch!

July 8, 2020July 29, 2020

The Growth, Benefits, and Future of IoT in AGTECH (Agriculture Tech)

Agriculture Technology

Agricultural Technology has become the most revolutionary and impactful area of modern technology, because of the fundamental need to produce enough nutritional food to nourish a growing global population. With advancements in technology and IoT, modern farms and agricultural operations work incredibility different from past practices. Sensor devices, automated machines, and information technology have taken over the agriculture sector.

The global population will reach over 10 billion by 2050. To fulfill the need of 10 billion people, we need to work hard and smart. We need to double the amount of food we now produce. The latest Agriculture Technology covers almost every aspect from powered machinery (formerly performed by people and animals), to enhanced seed production and planting techniques to agrochemicals, which supports crop growth and protects the plants from destructive weeds and insects.

Today’s agriculture regularly uses different technologies, like robots, moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology. With the evolution of Technology and robotic devices, the agriculture industry is becoming more user friendly. Agriculture technology and its robotic systems allow many businesses to increase profits, become efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly. This advancement in Technology, which connects agriculture with Technology, increases productivity, and reduces human workload.

Climate change is a big challenge. With the development of Technology and to save our natural resources, Agriculture Tech adoption is essential. AGTECH allows farmers to better utilize resources like water and nutrients effectively. Another primary purpose is the enrichment of soil through precision agronomic systems and enhanced seeds, which will produce crops that will be beneficial for human health as well as for the animal husbandry. This will increase the output of meat and produce higher quality products full of proteins like milk and eggs. In short, Agriculture Tech is the new game-changer for the production of more food with less natural resources.

Use of Technology in Agriculture

There are many usages of Technology in Agriculture. Below we have mentioned some uses of Technology in agriculture.

Farm machines

Farm machines lower the cost of labor, harvest in time, plant early, and makes certain that the yield is stored within the right time frame. The use of Technology in agriculture makes sure that the food is grown, harvested and stored within the shortest time possible.

GPS tracking for machines

GPS technology also plays an essential role in the development of autopilot sprayers, & tractors that do not require any driver. Trackers are enabled with the help of IoT Sim Cards. GPS trackers and tracking systems eliminate human errors and save fuel and equipment. Security of the tracking devices can be accomplished with Private IP addresses, coupled with VPN and even private APNs.

Crop sensors

What quantities to give to the plant, what fertilizers work best for different plants, when to apply. These are significant challenges faced in agriculture. Crops sensors make it easier for the farmers to adequately supply the fertilizers and pesticides the crops need in the correct quantity. Such technologies give you an overview and sense of how your plants are feeling.

Use of GPS in field documentation

With the help of GPS, it is becoming easier to determine and document the yields from a given farm and record the application rates. The use of GPS is done with the help of an IoT sim card.

Biotechnology

Genetic engineering and the process of improving the health of the of the given crop at the genetic level continues to evolve. Biotechnology, referred to as genetic engineering, is carried out to increase the resistance to drought, pests and disease of crops worldwide. In short, with biotechnology, farmers can get the idea of whether or not they can plant on areas that were considered dry or deserts. They can also use less pesticides which saves money and is better for the environment. To achieve the goals, farmers must understand the concept of modern farming and the use of Agriculture technology.

Agriculture Technology and Growth

In this tech era, where the Internet is becoming more and more ubiquitous, the Internet of Things (IoT) has disrupted many industries and the Agriculture Industry in the same regard.

IoT technology has brought significant change with smart wearable’s, connected devices, automated machines, driverless cars, and much more. Some recent statistics revealed that the global population would reach over 10 billion by 2050. The agriculture industry needs to ramp up production to feed this massive population. In this case, the best way to fulfill this gap between the food and people is the adoption of IoT internet of things. To deal with climate changes, IoT is eradicating and helping us achieve the demand for more food. Amongst the toughest challenges – weather conditions and environmental impact, IoT must be adopted.

IoT is enabling agriculture to increase agricultural production at a low cost. In the next few years, smart solutions powdered by IoT will improve the agriculture operations. Some recent reports have stated that the IoT device installation will realize a compound annual growth rate of 20% in the agriculture industry. And the number of connected devices (agricultural) will grow from 13 million in 2014 to 225 million by 2024. However, in the less developed regions, the IoT implementations will be a challenging task. Still, OneSimCard M2M for IoT is making it possible to introduce connectivity and using their global cellular networks.

Benefits of Agricultural Technology

Agricultural technology remains a great player in generating revenue and the source of food for people across the globe. In recent years, this sector has faced many changes, adopted many technologies in agriculture, and used different farming approaches.

Below are some of the benefits of Agriculture technologies. This is a glimpse of the importance of modern technology adoption in agriculture.

Modern Technology and Tech machines can reduce the efforts of farmers
Less production time
Higher productivity of crops
Technology is used to supply water to the crops
Connected machines can easily sow the seeds without workforce
Chemical pest control
Less use of water can improve the fertility of the soil
Lower prices, along with significant efficiencies
Reduce the impact on the environment
Ecological impact
Safer foods with safer growing conditions

Future of IoT in AGTECH

Robotic technologies and remote devices enable more reliable monitoring and management of resources. These technologies rely on using data connectivity. Remote devices consist of embedded SIM cards (eSIM) or traditional plastic SIM cards for IoT/M2M communication. Aside from robotic and remote technologies, management of natural resources plays a big part in saving natural resources such as air and better water quality. There are many growth issues in agriculture technology that are interconnected with security measures. These remote technologies give the farmers better control over plant and animal production, processing, distribution, and storage.

AGtech Services and OneSimCard M2M and its roaming services are expanding to the Global level to meet people’s demands and deliver sensitive information about device activities or data sharing activities over networks. OneSimCard IoT has a wide portfolio of solutions to ensure reliable, and secure connectivity across the worldwide.

Agricultural technologies continue to morph, expand and adopt new technology eUICC (Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) Is the next game-changer. Along with eUICC, ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier) is used in the development of Agriculture technology. With the help of IoT technologies, farmers can now quickly determine what is best for their crops, assess the condition of their plants, better understand impending weather interactions and impacts, and produce a right product at a fast pace. To say that IoT is making strides for the farmers to reach the highest of success is an understatement. One day if might be possible, with a single press of a button, to automate the entire farming process.

Share this article with your friends and family, let them know about the next revolution in the AGTECH.

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