IoT businesses often have to deal with issues like switching between device activity states, keeping track of usage limits, and paying for SIMs that aren’t being used.
When management, engineering, and customer success teams start to plan their days around SIM management, there is a problem.
But what if SIM handling wasn’t so complicated? Imagine how much more productive an organization would be if no one had to worry about whether or not their devices were being used. Many of the problems with SIM management come from commercial greed, while others come from the technical limitations of a platform.
The only real way to simplify SIM management is to take it off the list of things to do, and we’ll tell you why you might want to do that and how Magic Mode on IoT SIMs help.
Table of Contents
Reduce time managing SIM states.
SIM cards from most providers come with a bunch of rules that users need to think about. Such as, does the SIM need to be stopped, put to sleep, made inactive, turned off, or turned on?
Keeping track of SIM card statuses can turn into a full-time job in no time. Sometimes workflows or integrations will change the state of a SIM automatically, but this always adds new work, maintenance overhead, and costs that make it hard to scale.
With Onomondo’s Global IoT SIMs, you don’t have to worry about the different states of SIMs every day. We only sell SIM cards that are always activated.
Magic Mode SIMs are basically an automation that mean that you won’t be charged for SIMs that aren’t being used, no matter what stage your business is in. If you want to take certain devices offline for security or customer concerns, you can do so through the Onomondo platform or our open API, but there are no financial penalties. You run your business and fleet the way you want.
Cut costs on unused devices.
Why should you pay for a SIM if you’re not going to use it? For IoT to solve problems like water shortages and inefficient supply chains around the world, companies need a better way to run their businesses.
Onomondo goes head to head with MNOs and MVNOs by offering a business model that we think should be the standard in the industry: pay-as-you-go data pricing.
Customers of Onomondo only pay for SIM cards that are active and send data in a given month. Period. There are no hidden fees or subscriptions, and you don’t have to worry about keeping track of payments. Customers can buy as many SIMs as they need to meet their quarterly and annual goals without having to worry about the exact date of deployment or shelf lead time.
There are also times when a connectivity provider will automatically turn off a SIM card if it hasn’t sent any data in a certain time frame. We’ve solved this problem by simply allowing you to decide how and when to use your devices and not billing for inactivity.
Nobody else does SIM management quite like we do. We don’t want to give our customers just a billing management platform. Instead, we want to give them a platform that helps them build a more efficient and sustainable business.
Streamline testing and deployment.
When a SIM card is active for a month, it lets the device send and receive data, which will incur expected costs. When a SIM is not being used, a device is not communicating with Radio Access Networks (RANs) and you don’t have to pay for it. It’s that easy. You only pay when your device is creating value. You don’t have to worry about setting up those time-consuming workflows and workarounds like Zapier to save money.
In development, there are often problems that will slow down production and deployment. MVNO/MNO SIM cards that aren’t being used usually cost money every month, which puts more pressure on development teams. This is less of a concern with Onomondo’s always-on SIMs since we don’t believe in penalties for taking the time to make a better product.
Where to go from here?
What features of a connectivity platform make the most sense for your company will depend on the stage and size of your business. But SIMs with Magic Mode will help any business that needs its devices to be connected.
Magic Mode SIM automation could be a good idea for a startup that wants to make devices quickly but is concerned about having to pay a high overhead cost for SIMs and data. Likewise, if you operate an enterprise and want to make your IoT-enabled business or fleet of devices more cost-effective, this SIM automation can help.
The good news is that any IoT company can use Onomondo’s SIM card management model. SIMs with Magic Mode are the best way to achieve your goal of making devices that are more reliable, efficient, and profitable.
Onomondo SIMs vs. MVNO/MNO SIMs.
Magic Mode on SIMs are a relatively new concept to IoT and can take some time to understand the benefits of. Eliminating SIM activation and deactivation is a new way of thinking, and the concept of leaving SIMs “active” at all times requires a mindset shift for IoT solutions.
Check out the table below if you are still in doubt. It makes the comparison between the status quo and Onomondo easier.
| Onomondo | MVNOs / MNOs |
|---|---|
| SIMs are active by default | SIMs come inactive or paused |
| ZERO fees for changing status | Fees for changing activity status |
| ZERO fees for unused SIMs | Fees for unused SIMs |
| SIM cards provide unlimited connectivity | SIMs can deactivate if unused within a specific time frame |
| ZERO time wasted managing SIM states | Full-time job determining SIM activity |
