SIMcontrol, a leading mobile data connectivity platform for enterprises in Africa, has announced the launch of a fully managed mobile APN product that connects company data Sim cards via a private and secure virtual network.

The new “APN as a service” enables pooled data across multiple mobile networks. This allows businesses to better manage deployed mobile data Sims at scale.

With the rapid acceleration in digitisation and increased deployment of connected devices, many companies are finding that traditional corporate mobile APN services are not delivering the controls and flexibility needed for today’s digital organisations.

SIMcontrol’s Managed APN service provides end-to-end connectivity for a range of mobile data and Internet of things (IoT) devices. Deployed data Sims can reach their private networks securely with a range of cloud networking capabilities. Advanced features include shared pooled data across both Vodacom and MTN, real-time Sim-level quota management as well as customised firewalling and Sim IP options.

What is an APN? APN stands for “access point name” — it’s the gateway that connects the mobile network with the Internet. It tells a mobile device which network to connect to. The connectivity management platform then assigns the device an IP address and the corresponding encryption method.

The SIMcontrol service is offered by Flickswitch, a telecommunications technology company with its roots in Cape Town, delivering mobile Sim management services in over seven African countries.

Solid experience

“SIMcontrol has been offering data Sim management to business customers for over 10 years. We listened to our customers and improved our APN product offering with pooled data across multiple networks and customisable networking options all built on our existing online Sim management platform”, says Flickswitch MD Kees Snijders.

“Companies are deploying more and more connected devices — to manage all these becomes tricky. We are seeing high growth in the fintech, point-of-sale and the IoT sectors, particularly security technology and smart agriculture,” he says.

Network agnostic

Being network agnostic means data Sim cards from various mobile networks can be managed in one place, including APN, contract, prepaid and global roaming Sims. It also supports new-generation NB-IoT in addition to standard 2G, 3G and LTE.

Control and flexibility

SIMcontrol’s Managed APN allows organisations to know exactly how much they are spending on data and to scale pooled data sizes up or down without the hassle of long-term APN contracts. Sim quotas ensure individual Sims only consume what they are allowed to. The see-what-you-spend approach eliminates the risk of Sim abuse and reduces data connectivity costs.

This makes data Sim deployment and management quick and easy. “Companies can set up a SIMcontrol account and start using our Managed APN product. It’s quick and easy,” says Snijders. “There are no APN contracts, and you only pay for what you use.”

Reliable connectivity

SIMcontrol is built on core mobile network infrastructure to ensure maximum reliability. Unique features include network location services, data session history, device setup SMSes, Sim profile lookups, an advanced API for integration with customer systems and a technical support team that understands IoT device connectivity issues.

Speak to a consultant to learn more about how SIMcontrol gives you affordable and efficient enterprise connectivity, or sign up for a trial account.

About Flickswitch
Flickswitch has for over 10 years assisted companies deploy connected devices at scale. Flickswitch manages connected device SIMs for hundreds of companies ranging from machine to machine, IoT, fintech and point of sale, security, agritech, retail, and many other mobile data applications. Flickswitch was founded in 2007 and offers services in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania and the Netherlands.