EmbeddedSim
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GSM Association proposes embedded SIM cards with remote activation for 2012
The GSM Association is taking a serious look at embedded SIM cards that can be remotely activated, in both traditional (e.g. phones) and non-traditional devices (e.g. cameras, MP3 players). According to the presser, a task force has been assembled, culled from "leading technical experts" whose home turfs include virtually every major worldwide carrier. An "analysis of market requirements" is due in January 2011, and devices with the new technology are reportedly expected in 2012. If all that sounds familiar, perhaps you'll recall a recent rumor that pegged Apple and SIM gurus Gemalto as privately collaborating on a similar (if not virtually identical) idea. Coincidence? Don't blame us if your Krispy Kreme Android phonelet's nanoSIM doesn't mesh with the iPhone 6.
T-Mobile announces tiny new "embedded SIM" for connected devices
Sure, SIM cards are small, but they're not tiny, and fitting the entire assembly into an embedded device requires a lot of space -- so T-Mobile's new embedded SIM system should make it possible to build even smaller connected devices like hospital monitors and smart energy meters that can report back to a server. The new SIMs are the size of a pinhead and made of silicon instead of plastic, which allows them to be coded at the factory and hard-mounted directly to a device, skipping the provisioning and installation steps that would come with regular SIMs. Devices with the new SIMs are expected to be out and sending data over T-Mo's network in as little as six months -- the first is an energy meter from Echelon that should hit soon.
