BearingPoint’s “Connectivity for IoT” (Internet of Things)
approach supports industrial customers launching IoT based
solutions. Our accelerator aims to cut time and to reduce costs
to design and deploy mobile connectivity ecosystems. Our
customers will take advantage of BearingPoint’s cross-boarder
IoT experience.
1. Connectivity
for IoT
A BearingPoint Accelerator
BearingPoint’s “Connectivity for IoT” (Internet of Things)
approach supports industrial customers launching IoT based
solutions. Our accelerator aims to cut time and to reduce costs
to design and deploy mobile connectivity ecosystems. Our
customers will take advantage of BearingPoint’s cross-boarder
IoT experience.
3. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
Competitive
pressure
Complexity Aligning product
live-cycles
Time to marketCompetitive
advantages
Participation in IoT
ecosystem is “a must” for
manufacturers of consumer
and industrial products
nowadays. IoT enables the
use of new categories of
digital products and allows
integration into new
automated workflows like
predictive maintenance.
IoT products combine
communication hardware,
SIM cards and mobile
telecommunication services.
Newcomers to the IoT
market place have seldom
sufficient hands-on
experience with the latest
mobile technology. Regional
regulations and restrictions
are increasing the complexity.
Industrial machines and
some consumer products
(i. e. cars) are being utilized
for a number of years.
Mobile technologies (e. g.
modems, SIM features) are
changing at shorter intervals.
IoT providers need to design
a connectivity approach
which not only works today,
but also tomorrow.
IoT connectivity solutions
that fit only one application
category is potentially (too)
expensive or unsuitable for
a different category.
Choosing the right
connectivity approach
could create a competitive
advantage.
Due to the increasing
competition on the
market, industrial
customers have to cut
time to market.
Accessing external
know-how regarding
connectivity set-up
allows for the reduction
of time for tests and
deployment.
The launching of new IoT based solutions in international environments by industrial customers has met numerous challenges while aiming to
enable cost-effective mobile connectivity tailored to actual needs. Different IoT application classes set specific requirements regarding availability,
bandwidth, latency etc. These requirements have to be mapped onto off-the-shelf solutions by the manufacturers of communication hardware
(routers and modems), SIMs, and mobile network operators (MNOs)
Market Drivers
4. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
IoT applications are usually built for long term use – often 10+ years. Business cases based on the TCO (total cost of ownership) model show that the
connectivity cost – including one-time set-up, monthly recurring fees and usage based charges – is one of the major cost drivers. When calculated over
the entire usage period, communication costs are higher than hardware costs.
Requirements regarding connectivity are different depending on
application area. The amount of data sent by a garbage bin is
smaller than the data generated by a jet engine. Wind turbines
do not require international roaming, while connected cars rely
on it. Safety related systems have additional requirements in
term of service quality, reliability, etc.
These requirements impact connectivity cost significantly. Finding
a suitable solution is a real challenge, especially if a global solution
is needed.
Market Drivers
Cost
Geo-Coverage
Data volumeLatency
Reliability
Requirements for mobile communications by different applications
Garbage bin
Elevator
Jet Engine
Connected Car Self-Driving Car
Industry 4.0
5. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
Customers implementing IoT solutions today expect that connectivity costs will decrease in the future.
That is the reason for the current popularity of flexible or short-term contracts with mobile networks operators.
Connectivity costs
• Low prices for
telecommunication
services
• Flexible tariff models (per
MB, per bucket of flat fee)
• Benefits of decreasing
charges for data and
voice transmission (e. g.
indexed contracts)
Mobile technology
shift
• Older mobile technologies
– 2 and 3 G – are being
already decommissioned
in some countries
• New cost-effective
networks incl. LTE, NB,
LTE, VoLTE are still in the
rollout. Nationwide
connectivity for 4G
networks is not the norm
• Starting in the early
2020s, new 5G networks
will become available
SIM technology
• Customers can choose
between “classic”
(removable), solderable,
or software SIM.
• New SIM technologies
allow migration to a new
MNO (mobile network
operator) using OTA
(over-the-air) services
• SIMs may have one or
more preinstalled MNO
profiles
Quality of Service
• Sufficient quality of
service, tailored to
particular customer needs
• Country-wide coverage
(incl. rural areas) may be
achieved via domestic
roaming (where
applicable)
Additional MNO
services
• Industrial customers are
looking for telcos offers –
“one-stop shopping” and
provisioning of
connectivity services in
areas of interest
• Function-rich service
platforms for device / and
SIM management
Market Drivers
6. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
IoT is the key enabler for the creation of future digital products which will significantly impact our lives in the medium term.
Manufacturers which will not integrate IoT functionality into their products will miss revenue opportunities.
Customer Value Product Optimization
Operations and Service Delivery Optimization Added Value Data
Higher availability
Shorter time to repair
Lower total cost
of ownership
Avoidance of unscheduled
maintenance
Workflow automation
Additional revenue streams
Asset sharing / shared economy
Design to
use pattern
Weak point
analysis
Spare parts
management
Preventive
maintenance
Predictive
maintenance
Workforce
management
Global use
Demand based
pricing
Forecast data
Economic data
Market Drivers
7. Vision preparation:
• New digital products
based on customer
core competencies
• Evolution of existing
business model
• Focus on existing
customers
Analysis of following
areas:
• Geographical
coverage
• Communication
requirements – data
volumes,
communication
frequency
• Additional services
(SMS, voice, etc)
• Technical restrictions
(power consumption,
size, antenna
requirements)
• Service level
agreements
• Financial restrictions
• Logistics
requirements
Analysis of potential
options:
• Selection of suitable
communication
technologies
• Modem /
communication
module consideration
• SIM strategy (plugin
vs. embedded –
single- vs.
multi-profile SIM)
• Recommendation for
single / multiply
vendor (MNO)
strategy
• Business case
preparation
Preparation of the
“future” solution:
• Specification of
selected products /
services
• Fit-gap analysis for
the commercial
off-the-shelf products
• Selection of potential
suppliers
• Decision single /
multi-vendor strategy
• Proof of concept
• RfP documentation
RfP evaluation:
• RfP execution
• Evaluation of RfP
responses
• Final business case
preparation
Roll-out
• Roll-strategy
• SLA monitoring
1. Need
indentification
2. Needs
analysis
3. Design
options
4. Solution
design
5. Vendor
selection
6. Implementation
support
Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
RfP evaluation:
BearingPoint’s approach can support customers in establishing connectivity for new IoT products and services, which can be tailored for particular needs.
Our approach aims to reduce the time to market and to benefit from the suitable combination of current offers of hardware manufacturers, SIM providers
and telcos. BearingPoint’s approach consists of the following six phases:
8. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
Matching service level requirements resulting from digital products characteristics with SLA offered by telco has significant impact on the total
cost of operation. If the expected SLAs (e. g. availability) are too high, customers are paying for services which are not really needed. If the SLAs
are insufficient, the quality of the digital product is at risk.
Service cost
SLA insufficient SLA fulfilled SLA overdelivered
SLA
(e.g. availability)
9. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
BearingPoint’s approach aims to free up time of our customers so they focus on the core functionality of the future IoT solution, without having to
acquire telco-specific knowledge. Connectivity, which usually does not belong to the customer's core business, can be tailored in a way which allows
to select communication services that fit the actual requirements profile.
Requirement set by
the IoT solution for
connectivity
Plans for functional
and geographical
enhancements
Cost reduction
Shorter time to market
Reduced individual
development
Reduction of number of
involved parties
Higher SLA
Unique sales proposition
10. Connectivity for IoT | A BearingPoint Accelerator
Leading automobile manufacturer
Challenges
• Introduction of new services in the area of
connected car and mobile entertainment in
a mixed 3/4G environment
• Rollout of a global (cross-market) solution
• Preparation of customer friendly processes
• Implementation of multiply data / voice
plans (different plan owners) on a single SIM
Our approach
• Definition of data / voice plans for new
services
• Vendor selection for customized SIMs and
MNOs
• Definition of processes: in-factory, in PoS
and for end-customers
• Vendor selection for customized SIMs and
MNOs
• Amendments of IT systems to integrate
SIM management into vehicle
manufacturing processes
Client benefits
• End-customer friendly SIM management
processes – all products and services are
demonstrable during the entire sale process
• Higher customer satisfaction
• Error reduction though new in-factory
processes and IT support
Consumer goods manufacturer
Challenges
• Preparation of a global connectivity
platform for data and voice services
• High variance in the volume of transferred
data and frequency of communication
events
• Very high SLAs
• Inclusion of “difficult” markets
Our approach
• Data protocol improvements to minimize
the volume of transferred data
• Requirement definition for hardware and
SIM manufacturers, requirement
definition for MNOs
• Vendor selection
• Inclusion of VoIP technology for cost
reduction
Client benefits
• Cost reduction through reduction of data
volume
• IoT connectivity available for numerous
markets and different network technologies
• Smartphone app for IoT device installation
and optimization of data communication
under difficult conditions
References