With accelerating digitisation within almost every business, there is a need to better manage reliable cellular data connectivity across large numbers of deployed devices.

The use cases for connected company devices include work-from-home routers, cellular IoT devices, point-of-sale and fintech devices, backup site connectivity, handheld mobility devices, smart security devices, agri-tech applications, and many more.

While traditional mobile data contracts and corporate APN offerings haven’t changed much in the last 20 years, the needs of businesses have. Managing company data connectivity across multiple mobile networks on modern networks can be not only administratively and technically complex, but also costly.

APN-as-a-Service

IT managers are embracing modern networking services, and are demanding a new-generation approach to mobile APNs.

Traditional private or corporate APNs expect companies to set up an APN on each mobile network, commit for inflexible 24-month data bundles, activate separate radius, IP and firewalling services, and then rely on delayed data billing records to try and manage bill shock, data consumption and reporting at Sim level.

The SIMcontrol APN-as-a-Service offers the flexibility, reliability and management tools needed for modern mobile connectivity management.

A managed APN service is a private APN fully managed on behalf of enterprise customers that allows for better security, management and control of their mobile data connectivity across multiple mobile networks.

The business case for APN-as-a-Service

Some of the major benefits of APN-as-a-Service include:

Pooled data: The benefit of pooled data is that all APN Sims can consume data from a large data bundle or data pool purchased at the best rate. Upsize or downsize at any time as needed, with no long-term commitments. And they needn’t all be from the same network. A managed APN makes it possible for Sims from multiple mobile networks to share from the same pool of data, with the option to set usage limits so that individual Sims can only consume what is allowed.
Improved security: Businesses can limit mobile data groups to specific destinations or corporate networks, only make subscribers visible to other devices on the same IP ranges, and configure custom firewalls to only allow access to certain business applications and not the general Internet. Providing advanced visibility and an online control platform, the managed APN allows businesses to immediately suspend Sims with one click should a device be lost, stolen or compromised.
Network agnostic: When you’re dealing with large deployments, chances are that you’ll be dealing with various network providers. SIMcontrol allows businesses to manage APN, prepaid, contract or roaming Sims from different networks on one online platform. And because no one can predict the future, this approach frees the business from being committed to a single provider, allowing them to change things up should they find an alternative for a more competitive price.
Online management: With the SIMcontrol managed APN, you have a single online point of control and reporting across various network operators. When usage is tracked in real time, you eliminate the chance of Sim abuse by capping Sim costs so that there is no longer a risk of exceeding your budget. Add or remove Sims as needed, control your data pool, see data session information, and set individual SIM quotas that disconnect a Sim in real time once the usage limit is reached.

Want to find out more about managed APN-as-a-Service? Click here to request a call from one of our experts today.