This company solved 3 major IoT roadblocks with a Managed APN
About 5 months ago, our team came across a business in the industrial sector battling with multiple connectivity problems, including overspending on data, massive resource wastage and poor asset visibility. This is the story of how this B2B company turned things around simply by using a managed APN.
Background
Company X invested in an IoT application to expand its B2B service from asset tracking to asset monitoring. With asset monitoring in place, Company X was able to provide its customers with valuable data pulled from machinery, which in turn could be used to analyse data trends, predict maintenance schedules and reduce downtime.
However, it wasn’t long until Company X hit 3 major roadblocks:
Problem 1 | Overspending on Data
Company X had 1232 prepaid SIMs functioning in the field. These SIMs were responsible for transmitting critical data to the management portal via a cellular network. The SIMs, on prepaid bundle packages, realistically only used 5MB of data each month to transmit sporadic packets of data to their management portal (like asset status or if a machine exceeded a threshold of some kind). However, on prepaid bundles, Company X was only able to purchase the minimum amount of 50MB at 10c per MB.
Quick Calculation
Data Needed:
1232 SIMs x 5MB = 6 160MB
Cost at 10c per MB: 6160MB x 10c = R616
Data Bought:
1232 SIMs x 50MB = 61 600MB
Cost at 10c per 50MB bundle: 6160MB x 10c = R6 160
Total Wastage: R5544
Solution
To solve these problems, we advised Company X to take one simple step: Invest in a managed APN. They took our advice, and have since reported the following immediate measurable and impactful benefits.
Saving on Data Costs
Company X now deals with a single account, instead of manually managing separate contracts for thousands of SIMs. Additionally, it’s no longer necessary to buy data bundles for each and every SIM, since an APN allows Company X to use one bundle for all SIMs. The added advantage of this is that even if a SIM uses 70MB, it won’t lose connectivity as long as the overall APN account remains active.
Security
The new APN provides an access point for SIMs to transfer data securely over a private IP network. Those with access to the APN are privy to the closed circuit of information and data belonging to Company X.
Theft Prevention (Trinity IoT Special Feature) To eradicate the problem of SIMs being removed from devices, Company X has opted to bind certain individual SIMs or groups of SIMs to specific devices. If a SIM has been linked to a device, it can only be used in that specific device. The device can also only be used with its linked SIM or group of SIMs.
Remote Access
All SIMs active on Company X’s APN can be viewed, monitored and controlled remotely via the Trinity IoT cloud portal. Powerful tools allow users to create, configure or suspend SIMs individually or in bulk, while live dashboards provide a real-time view of every APN or SIM’s balance and status. Now, if a SIM or a device goes offline, it takes 2 minutes to troubleshoot and solve the problem, instead of two hours.
The platform also allows users to create rules-based alerts and notifications so that they can take action the moment something goes wrong. This has led to a significant increase in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Always-On Connectivity
The APN provides "always-on" connectivity for Company X SIMs, consistently providing network-agnostic access. No more inconsistent connection, and complete visibility of SIM usage.
