Nokia takes aim at 5G IoT with iSIM management software

Finland’s finest has launched new software designed to help operators get to grips with cellular IoT device provisioning and subscription management.

Called iSIM Secure Connect, it builds on embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM) technology by linking it to trusted digital identification, enabling telcos to authenticate and manage cellular IoT devices quickly and securely. It is vendor-agnostic, and can be deployed in various network and cloud environments, lending itself to a wide range of IoT use cases and business/operating models.

“As part of Nokia’s Cloud and Network Services product portfolio, iSIM Secure Connect will help our customers both streamline the process of managing millions more device subscriptions and deliver more innovative services quickly and securely,” said Hamdy Farid, head of business applications at Nokia’s Cloud and Network Services unit, in a statement.

Nokia said that according to Counterpoint Research, the market for eSIM and iSIM devices – which includes smartphones, wearables and cellular IoT devices – will be worth more than €6 billion by 2025. Demand will be driven by the growth in IoT services and the convenience and cost reduction that comes with embedded SIMs.

Separately, Nokia also announced that it has won a contract to overhaul the IP and optical network infrastructure of Spanish electricity provider Red Eléctrica de España (REE).

From 800 sites, REE manages a nationwide electricity grid that covers both mainland Spain as well as the Canary and Balearic islands. Under the deal, Nokia will supply an IP/MPLS network and a DWDM optical transport network that will support substation communications and low-latency connections to the various sensors and systems that help REE manage and safeguard the grid.

In addition to providing up to 100 Gbps of bandwidth, the upgrade will also support a new generation of IP-based applications, including IoT-based asset management, and managing distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar, and residential, battery-based power storage.

“REE is a key player in the energy transition and the challenges we face are clear, and we must be able to anticipate them, so we need to have the best tools with which to carry out our mission with the highest possible quality, safety and efficiency,” said Manuel López Cormenzana, REE’s director of transmission infrastructure maintenance. “In this sense, modernising our communications network is vital in order to advance in the digitalisation of our processes and to enable advanced management of transmission assets.”

The new network will be supported by Nokia’s network services platform (NSP).

“We have worked closely with REE for several years to prepare for this migration, culminating in a successful proof of concept in 2019,” said Patrick Langelaan, head of enterprise in Southern Europe at Nokia.

“Our work with European transmission system operators enables us to ensure that REE’s network will interwork seamlessly with continental systems – a key capability in the shift to renewables and our ability to manage intermittency across the region,” he said.