Please can you tell us a bit about Linxens?
Linxens is a manufacturer of hardware and a pioneer in the smartcard ecosystem, delivering billions of products across the globe per year. We work with all the major card makers and the global supply chain.
Why did you join TCA and what do you think is its most important role in today’s connectivity industry?
As a global telecoms supplier for SIM card modules (removable cards), TCA membership is essential. By being TCA members, we can be part of an active forum dedicated to the connectivity ecosystem allowing us to exchange with a large number of stakeholders, see the trends, and exchange data on shipments and forecasts.
What are the key issues facing players in the IoT space and are there any specific roles for specific organization types e.g. MNOs, manufacturers, vendors, standards bodies?
The major issue facing the IoT sector is market fragmentation. There are plenty of highly beneficial IoT use cases, but so far, deployment has been relatively limited. One of the biggest barriers is standardisation. Yet achieving this is a challenge, and it requires one specific platform, which can be a challenge given the growing sector size and diversity. At Linxens, we try to craft tailored hardware solutions for specific use cases, but the ability to realise a tangible ROI in the absence of standardisation limits the wider spread of IoT solutions.
What are the key industry trends and challenges right now?
It seems eSIM technology is going to be much more deployed thanks to the number of handsets equipped. However, the big challenge in this space is widescale adoption by the end-user as they recognize the benefits of eSIM.
In the IoT space, normalisation continues to be a key challenge and trend to support the usage of connected devices to achieve smart cities, smart homes and connected citizens.
How do you think the industry is set to evolve in the future and why will industry collaboration be important?
The last few years have seen a lot of consolidation in the smart card ecosystem, which will continue. This will see us move from SIM cards to eSIM and integrated SIM as the number of M2M compatible devices grows. Defining a standardised approach will be critical, directly shaped by collaboration and will be a critical milestone for the spread of IoT.