Getting started with eUICC for your devices

Your IoT device’s success hinges on reliable connectivity. And it should be simple to set up, too. So how do you optimize your IoT device setup for eUICC?

eUICC (embedded universal integrated circuit card) technology is the best way to future-proof your IoT device. eUICC enables your device to always connect reliably and seamlessly, no matter where it gets deployed. That’s because eUICC-enabled eSIM cards can house multiple carrier profiles on the same card, giving you the flexibility to switch carriers as needed. (Learn more about eUICC.)

Older UICC technology limited you to a single carrier profile, installed on the SIM card at manufacture. If you wanted to connect with a new carrier, you had to physically change out the SIM card. That swap could be time consuming, or nearly impossible for devices in remote or hazardous environments. So if your carrier’s reliability slipped or data costs grew, you were stuck.

eUICC-enabled SIMs have more memory, plus an eUICC OS that controls the downloading, configuration, and management of multiple profiles. That helps your IoT device compete in a crowded market. With eUICC, you can:

Future-proof your connectivity. No matter where your device goes, it will be able to connect to a constantly evolving carrier landscape.

Optimize costs and coverage. Switch carriers as your needs (or regulations) change. If reliability becomes an issue or data costs skyrocket, you can easily connect a new carrier — without touching the actual device.

Simplify your supply chain and scale globally. eUICC lets you skip the headache of managing which SIM SKU goes where. Insert the same SIM in every device you manufacture and connect with carriers around the globe.

Plus, eUICC can simplify your entire setup and development process.

Simplify device setup with eUICC

eUICC’s single-SIM simplicity makes it easier than ever to set up and configure your device. With previous technologies, your initial setup hinged on where the device was going. You had to manage different SIM cards for each intended destination and count on your customer to accurately report which one they needed.

eUICC eliminates that messy sorting process.

You don’t need to shuffle piles of SIM cards and maintain massive spreadsheets that track IMEI numbers, SIM cards, carriers, and physical locations. Instead, eUICC lets you insert the same SIM card into every device you manufacture. (And since you will never need to swap out the physical SIM card, you can seal the device against water, dust, and debris — extending its life. eUICC-enabled SIM cards are also smaller, which can help shrink the device footprint while holding down costs.)

Hologram Hyper, our eUICC-enabled SIM platform, ships with a pre-installed bootstrap profile. This profile contains a small amount of data for testing, then “sleeps” (without using any data) until reaching its final destination. When it powers on, it connects to the Hologram server, which then installs and configures the right SIM profile through the Hologram Dashboard.

How to set up your eUICC-enabled SIM card

So how do you actually go about setting up and optimizing your eUICC-enabled SIM card?

1. Install the eUICC-enabled eSIM into your device. You can solder it directly to the board to minimize your device’s footprint.
2. Ship your device to your end customers, no matter where in the world they are.
3. Use the Hologram IoT Dashboard for remote SIM provisioning (RSP) to download, update, and enable the necessary profile.
4. Confirm the new profile has been successfully enabled.
5. Focus on your other priorities and delight your customers as your device enjoys seamless, reliable connectivity with the local carrier.
6. Select another carrier via the Hologram Dashboard if your device needs to be deployed elsewhere or your needs change.

4 tips to optimize your eUICC deployment

You can streamline your eUICC deployment even further if you follow a few key best practices.

Brainstorm all your potential use cases

Before you reach the manufacturing stage, invest some time thinking through your device’s use cases: What will your device do? Where will it be deployed? What is its intended lifespan?

Then, think creatively about how your customers might deploy that device in new places or ways. Try to anticipate their needs and requests. Talk to early adopters or beta testers to brainstorm what else they might want.

If there is a possibility that your device will be shipped to multiple countries from a single supply line, choose eUICC technology to simplify your design, testing, and manufacturing processes.

Test connectivity by conducting a pilot

Thoroughly test your device to ensure it can support eUICC connectivity. Essentially, you need to confirm that your device will maintain a connection for long enough to download or update eUICC profiles. Most M2M devices can — but some CAT-M devices that prioritize battery efficiency may not remain “on” long enough for eUICC profile updates.

Hologram can guide you through this process and provide a batch of pilot SIM cards so you can road test your connectivity.

Use the Dashboard to gain insights that improve your device or processes

The beauty of eUICC is that you can optimize your devices remotely and immediately, whether as part of planned upgrades or to resolve a customer’s support issue. You can even batch update your entire fleet through the Hologram Dashboard. And since everything happens over the air, there’s no need to deploy technicians to swap out physical SIM cards.

But the Hologram Dashboard also provides valuable insights about how your devices are being used. These fleet-wide metrics can alert you to trends or trouble, and help you anticipate changing needs so you can iterate your device or processes.

Work with a partner with the expertise you need

The best way to optimize your device setup is to work with an experienced partner. Rather than trying to sort out the intricacies of connectivity, working with a partner like Hologram can take the burden off your plate — so you can focus on making the best possible device.