How to Recognise an M2M SIM
More and more industries are beginning to see the potential benefits of machine to machine services. These services, normally known as M2M GSM services, are growing in popularity at an astonishing rate. Some experts predict that over the next 10 years there will be as many as 20 billion connected devices. That means 20 billion devices or more exchanging information over the satellite, radio or cellular network.
Typically M2M services run over the cellular network using what is usually referred to as a data SIM card. This is a normal GSM SIM card, just like the one found in any cell phone that has been optimised to transport data instead of voice traffic. Instead of putting a SIM card in a phone to transmit voice, in M2M systems, the card resides in a device and is used to transmit data. This can be any sort of data and the potential applications are limitless.
An M2M SIM looks exactly the same as a standard SIM card but differs in a number of critical ways. Firstly an M2M SIM is a card that’s been designed specifically to transmit data. Unlike standard cards, an M2M SIM is not designed to transmit voice so can’t be used in a mobile handset to make voice calls. Many M2M SIM cards are configured only for one-way services so will either transmit or receive data but not both.
Unlike traditional SIM cards, an M2M or data SIM does not normally sit in a mobile handset. Instead, they are designed to be used in a device or terminal. This can vary depending on the M2M application and the service required and the number of different uses is very large. The SIM may sit in some data logging equipment on a wind farm for example. Or it may be built into pipeline monitoring equipment in the oil and gas industry.
The real difference however is in the type of service that you get from an M2M SIM. Unlike many traditional SIMs, M2M SIMs tend to be used on a contract, not a “pay as you go” basis. M2M SIMs tend to be provided by specialist M2M service providers who create a data package that’s designed specifically to meet the needs of individual users. These needs can be very specific. An application may, for example, be required to dial out, or send an SMS once every hour or once every week. An M2M SIM service is designed to cater to this kind of very detailed requirement and will be configured to provide precise amounts of data.
An M2M SIM looks exactly like a standard SIM but does a very different job and as more and more industries see the benefits of M2M communications their use will begin to rise significantly.
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