Arm and Vodafone join forces to simplify IoT deployment

The companies are extending their previous collaboration efforts around integrated SIM (iSIM) tech.

The new initiative will combine Vodafoneโ€™s IoT global platform and connectivity, and Armโ€™s IoT software and services.

The aim is to provide enterprises with a programmable, connected system on-chip making traditional SIMs obsolete so customers can securely deploy, remotely provision and manage massive numbers of IoT devices across global markets at much lower cost and complexity. 

Stefano Gastaut, IoT Director, Vodafone Business. โ€œWith Arm we will combine the strengths of both companies to benefit our customers and break down the barriers, such as cost and complexity, which are hindering the adoption of IoT for many.โ€

Overcoming fragmentation

โ€œFragmentation, security and cost are three limiting factors in IoT, and we believe a strong partner ecosystem is critical in solving these challenges,โ€ said Dipesh Patel, President, IoT Services Group, Arm.

This partnership will enable remote provisioning for devices using Narrow Band-IoT (NB-IoT) and long-term evolution for machines (LTE-M) technologies and provides secure, open, standards-based deployment to any application and service provider across the globe.

Arm claims its Kigen iSIM allows customers to deploy IoT devices globally with a single IoT product that can be shipped and connected anywhere in the world. Vodafoneโ€™s global IoT network means organisations can connect IoT devices across the broadest global footprint through the Vodafone IoT platform or the Pelion IoT platform.

Broadening the range

Arm and Vodafone say they will unleash the potential of IoT by massively broadening the range of objects that can be connected and unlocking business and societal value.

For example, using data from sensors on connected devices to help feed the worldโ€™s growing population by improving yields of agriculture and livestock, and reducing the use of chemical and water. They say this will help utilities to manage scarce resources such as water, gas and electricity and reduce carbon emissions.

Joint solutions from Arm and Vodafone will be available in the first quarter of 2020.