SIMcontrol, a platform that simplifies the management of business SIM cards from multiple African countries and networks, has added Telkom to its managed private APN (access point name) service. This enables businesses to use Vodacom, MTN and Telkom SIMs on the same private network and share the same central data pool.
A private APN is a closed mobile network commonly used for secure corporate connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. SIMcontrol enables organisations to consolidate contracts, bills and support for all their connected devices with one provider, rather than needing to manage relationships with multiple networks.
“Businesses today need to manage hundreds or even thousands of connected devices across multiple mobile networks. With the addition of Telkom to our platform, our customers can now manage all three major mobile networks through one private APN, one data pool, one SIM supplier and one online platform – with a single point of contact for technical support,” says Kees Snijders, Managing Director at SIMcontrol.
“Because we do not tie customers into long-term contracts for SIM cards and data, they can scale usage up and down as their needs evolve. Our Telkom SIMs also give customers multi-network coverage across three local networks. If a network fails in an area, the device can use one of the others. This is useful for IoT devices, which are often located in remote areas with patchy coverage or occasional tower downtime.”
Locked down with deep connectivity insights
On a private APN, companies choose which apps and websites their SIMs can reach. This prevents wastage of data on unauthorised apps or websites. It also keeps device traffic off the open public internet. SIMcontrol’s custom firewalling reports on the destinations or apps company SIMs try to access.
The SIMcontrol dashboard provides an end-to-end view of connectivity and device behaviour for IoT devices such as POS devices, GPS trackers, alarm systems or on-board CCTV. This turns each SIM into a part of a fully managed network, giving organisations granular control over spending and usage.
Businesses can see live data sessions and SIM tower locations and can suspend unused SIMs instantly on the online platform. They can avoid SIM abuse with real-time data quota limits and no need to wait for delayed CDR or billing record alerts. The SIMcontrol API allows for easy direct integration into existing company systems.
Companies can add VPN links directly to their corporate networks or connect directly to Amazon or Google cloud services or peering hubs. SIMcontrol manages it all as a service. Each SIM gets a secure fixed private IP address. SIMs can also be locked to a single device through its IMEI, so that a stolen SIM then cannot be used in another device.
Approved companies can test the service first on a free trial.
