The GSMA, the global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem, introduced in January a new industry-level technical specification called SGP.32 v1.2, along with testing, compliance, and security specifications to ensure that eSIM IoT technologies used in IoT products are secure and interoperable when interacting with communications networks and service platforms worldwide.
The GSMA has now included certification of this specification as part of its eUICC Security Certification scheme and eSIM Conformity program, ensuring that IoT eSIM products meet demanding security and interoperability requirements, alongside the already established certification of consumer and machine-to-machine (M2M) eSIM products.
Global eSIM technology provider G+D has thus become the first company to have its Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Board (eUICC) for IoT, and IoT eSIM products, endorsed by the GSMA's eSA scheme and eSIM Conformity program, meaning the company achieved certification in less than two months since the specification's launch.
According to Gloria Trujillo, director of the GSMA's eSIM Group, "By unifying around GSMA specifications and our conformance and certification schemes, the industry can help safeguard the eSIM ecosystem and accelerate innovation in IoT and mobile connectivity." "Giesecke+Devrient's achievement," Trujillo adds, "paves the way for the industry to incorporate security and interoperability into new eSIM IoT services, which will be key to achieving the consumer-driven and IoT-driven digital transformation."
According to Philipp Schulte, CEO of Giesecke+Devrient Mobile Security, “Robust security is fundamental to protecting both customer data and operator services, so we are delighted to be the first to achieve this milestone through the GSMA certification and conformance schemes. The GSMA specification and conformance scheme,” Schulte explains, “mark a significant milestone for the IoT industry, setting new standards in trust, security, and interoperability. Having obtained our certification in less than two months demonstrates the efficiency of the GSMA process and G+D’s dedication to enabling a secure Internet of Things.”
Unified industry standards to accelerate the deployment of eSIM and IoT.
Market analysis firm GSMA Intelligence predicts that by 2030 there could be 6 billion mobile IoT connections globally, with eSIM accounting for more than 40%.
The automotive industry is leading these IoT implementations, and it is expected that in the future smart cities, healthcare, agriculture, and supply chains will also drive demand.
However, GSMA Intelligence also identifies three challenges for companies when implementing IoT solutions that mobile operators and equipment manufacturers must address: the cost of implementation, potential security vulnerabilities, and integration with other technologies.
GSMA Intelligence believes that enhanced eSIM specifications for IoT, such as SGP.32, can help the market address these challenges by ensuring a single approach to global standards and specifications.
The new eSIM IoT specification SGP.32 v1.2, along with the testing specifications, the GSMA's eSA security certification scheme, and the eSIM conformance schemes, ensures a secure and interoperable standardized approach, facilitating the loading, activation, and management of eSIM network subscriptions for IoT applications.
