IoT connectivity platforms: An easy guide to manage SIMs

The struggle to maintain seamless connectivity across an expanding fleet is the single largest pain point for today’s fleet managers, demanding a new approach to IoT management.

With thousands of devices, deployed in multiple countries, running on different local networks, connectivity management becomes technical, logistical, operational, and regulatory issues all at once.

While many network providers include basic SIM management platforms with their SIM offerings, the features can vary widely. Some businesses may opt for third-party software for flexibility, though this often comes with additional costs.

An IoT connectivity management platform (CMP) evolves from a convenient tool to a mission-critical solution for maintaining device visibility, control, and cost-efficiency at any deployment scale. Let’s take a look at how you can find the right connectivity management solution that simplifies overseeing devices and improves operations.

What is an IoT connectivity platform?

An IoT connectivity management platform is a software solution that lets you control and manage device connectivity with relative ease. An IoT CMP integrates directly with network operators to provide comprehensive control over IoT connectivity.

You typically use these platforms to streamline your IoT operations, manage connectivity costs, and ensure reliable device communication globally.

Why use an IoT connectivity management platform?

The key benefit is avoiding the complexity of managing individual SIM cards and carrier relationships manually. An IoT CMP helps you:

• Customize your network coverage.
• Manage all SIM operations from a single dashboard.
• Seamlessly integrate with your preferred system setup.
• Optimize costs through detailed usage monitoring and billing.
• Gain real-time visibility for proactive issue management.
• Access security features to protect IoT devices.

How does an IoT connectivity management platform work?

So how does an IoT CMP actually work from a more technical perspective? The system operates through two main components:

1. The management interface: It provides a centralized interface to control coverage, data usage, and costs across your IoT device fleet.
2. Network infrastructure: This is where actual connectivity, routing, and data transmission are handled.

The specific features and capabilities vary by provider, influenced by factors like network architecture and cost optimization strategies. For example, our platform with core network integrations across 680+ carriers in 180+ countries can offer:

• Network and signaling insights
• Multi-carrier selection and switching
• Security and consumption optimization
• Real-time data performance monitoring

What are the key elements of an IoT CMP?

It ranges from simple SIM management and billing to sophisticated systems handling core network functions, connectivity provisioning, and access to troubleshooting and security tools.

Typical features include:

• SIM management
• Billing overview
• Usage reports
• User management

Here are the top functionalities you can expect in an optimized IoT connectivity management platform:

• Real-time network management: control network access, and switch carriers on the fly based on your changing priorities. This includes having access to various network technologies like 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-M, or NB-IoT.
• Troubleshooting tools: If you run into unexpected device downtime in the field, you can remotely identify the reasons behind the issues.
• API integrations and webhooks: Integrate the platform with your existing IoT systems with APIs or create an automated alert system using webhooks.
• SIM monitoring: See which SIMs are active, inactive, which ones are online and offline, broken down over a period of time.
• Security and consumption optimization: optimize data overheads without compromising security.

How to choose the best connectivity management platform for mobile IoT

Consider your specific needs, technical expertise, and long-term goals when looking for an IoT CMP. Think about:

• Ease of use for organizing and managing distributed SIMs
• Coverage flexibility without having to manage separate SLAs globally
• Visibility into network performance and real-time monitoring
• Integration capabilities
• Built-in security and optimization tools

Comparing IoT connectivity platforms

Here is a comparison of some general categories of connectivity management solutions for IoT and how they compare to Onomondo’s platform.

How to use an IoT connectivity management platform?

1. Log in to the platform

Navigate the interface and familiarize yourself with the main menu options.

On the Onomondo platform, you’ll be taken straight to the main dashboard where you get an overview of all your SIMs and their activities, including the amount of daily active SIMs and their approximate location.

You’ll also be able to review your entire fleet’s data usage, or filter by tags to see the data consumption by groups of SIMs. This allows you to quickly identify abnormal data usage behaviour, so you can swiftly uncover potential problems.

The Fleet Overview provides an instant high-level overview of your fleet by showing how many of your SIMs are currently active, and how many of them have actively transmitted data over the last month.

2. Customize your network coverage

Do you have a group of devices that you only want to connect to networks at a certain price?

You can customize your coverage using Network Lists to suit your solution’s unique needs. This level of flexibility is only possible with Onomondo because:

1. we’ve built deep integrations with all RANs in our network, and;
2. all data packets are routed directly between RANs and Onomondo’s globally distributed core.

You can configure Network Lists at any time directly from the platform or API.
Then, as your solution evolves, whether it’s signal strength, cost-optimisation, or other preferences, freely update your network choices at any time.

3. Set up integrations and alerts

To simplify data management and integration into a system that works for you, we offer webhooks, a comprehensive API, and no-code cloud Connectors.

Webhooks automate usage alerts and data limits with custom logic and dynamic responses, helping control expenses and prevent overages. Our API-first architecture allows full platform control via a secure API, enabling deep integration with your tech stack.

Onomondo Connectors streamline cloud integration by removing device-side cloud SDKs. This reduces data consumption by up to 90%, power consumption by up to 50%, and minimizes attack vectors. Native integrations with AWS IoT and Azure IoT simplify provisioning and data transmission. Connectors offer the simplest device-to-cloud integration, optimizing data and power usage while enhancing security.

4. Manage and monitor SIMs

For SIM management and monitoring, you can navigate to the SIM tab or Usage tab on our platform.

The SIMs tab provides a comprehensive overview of your entire fleet, displaying online/offline and active/inactive status. Easily locate specific SIMs using custom labels or unique IDs. Detailed individual SIM pages offer granular insights for proactive issue detection.

The Usage tab provides a detailed breakdown of data usage and costs, including average and total monthly data usage, enabling quick identification of outliers and cost control. Automated usage alerts and limitations via webhooks further enhance expense management.

5. Troubleshoot issues when they happen

The Insight Tools provide real-time visibility into device and network performance, eliminating the need for costly field visits to investigate device issues.

Because of deep integrations with all the RANs in our network, we’re able to simplify device management and troubleshooting through the Network Logs, Traffic Monitor, and Signaling Logs.

• Network Logs pinpoint connectivity issues, revealing why devices fail to authenticate or attach to networks.
• Traffic Monitor offers a live feed of device data packets, simplifying debugging and readiness assessment.
• Signaling Logs provide deep insights into signaling protocols between local networks and Onomondo, streamlining troubleshooting.

How do you measure success with IoT connectivity management platforms?

By monitoring these indicators, you can ensure your IoT deployment delivers maximum value and identify areas for optimization.

Operational efficiency gains

Monitor how your platform streamlines daily operations and reduces manual workload. Track the time saved when managing SIMs and measure the reduction in manual troubleshooting requirements. Assess cost savings achieved through optimized data usage and evaluate improvements in team productivity.

When scaling, pay particular attention to the speed of device deployment and provisioning, as these directly impact the time-to-market speed.

Coverage and network performance

Network reliability is crucial for IoT success. Monitor real-time connectivity status across your networks and track the ratio of successful to failed network attachments. Analyze data throughput and latency to ensure optimal performance, while documenting any downtime incidents and their resolution times.

Being able to switch networks as needed is also crucial, particularly for devices operating across multiple regions or requiring backup connectivity options.

Device connectivity management

Success in device management can be measured through several key indicators. Monitor device connection success rates and do you have visibility into network and SIM performance?

Evaluate the effectiveness of automated alerts in preventing issues and measure the time required to identify and resolve connectivity problems. Additionally, assess how accurately your platform predicts usage patterns and alerts your team to potential problems before they impact operations.