The arrival of the eSIM has already created new connectivity ecosystems, especially in the consumer segment. New eSIM-ready devices regularly come on to the market (such as wearables, tablets, laptops and smartphones) pushed by OEM devices. Hence the most recent survey from ABI Research published in May 2018 shows that overall eSIM shipments for the consumer market will reach more than 357 million units in 2022.
Consequently, mobile operators will have to fully transform their mobile connectivity lifecycle management policy to fully enjoy eSIM benefits.
Digital eSIM Manager allows mobile operators to create a smooth digital user experience for eSIM-ready consumer devices by combining Thales' eSIM subscription management solution with Amdocs’s BSS-orchestration expertise.
4 barriers hindering the massive adoption of consumer eSIM
- Complex device & customer onboarding
Thanks to the universal nature of the eSIM, more and more new kinds of eSIM-capable consumer electronic products from new OEM players continuously come on the market: smart glasses, cameras, personal healthcare devices, sports and fitness trackers, headphones and hearable devices, smart clothing, connected toys, portable speakers, gaming consoles… The challenge for operators stands in quickly and seamlessly onboarding this diversity of devices in order to ensure a full integration and compatibility with their device certification, BSS set-up and provisioning processes (e.g. eligibility device check before the eSIM profile download). In addition, compliancy with new regulations about people and ID document verification can be also requested.
- Multiple purchase channels
Telecom operators have engaged a race to eSIM omnichannelization to offer as many sales touch points as possible to their mobile subscribers, by leveraging their own sales channels (in-store, web portal…) and/or OEM device digital portal. Of course it has to work for all types of devices, whatever the device OS and including vanilla open market devices (i.e. sold independently from a mobile subscription). Operators must ensure that their consumer users can enjoy a similar digital experience across all interfaces, independently from device platform differences.
- Cumbersome subscription activation
The eSIM activation process is still in its infancy. Integrating the different steps (e.g. subscription addition to BSS, device pairing, QR code scanning, secure eSIM profile download) with their existing BSS system can be longer and more painful than expected. Different modes of consumer eSIM device activation co-exist (e.g. eSIM activation thanks to QR code e-voucher, GSMA’s Root Discovery Service, carrier app...), and need to be addressed.
- Limited customer lifecycle management
So far operators’ back-ends don’t monitor eSIM-related events (poor –or even none– integration with Customer Service Record and support teams). Consequently operators poorly support routine activities (such as subscription upgrade, swap, lost phone…). Additionally no proactive support to these customer is possible. Overall it ends up with limited support capabilities from both user and call center operators points of views.
Streamlining the digital user experience of eSIM-ready devices
Digital eSIM Manager allows operators to provide a best-in-class digital experience to their eSIM-ready device users, through a smoother activation, easier device onboarding and replacement, and customer monitoring support.
This solution relies on the integrated combination of Thales' eSIM remote subscription management and Amdocs’s eSIM Orchestrator solutions. As a single point of integration, it aims at interfacing with the operator’s back end and front end systems:
- Mobile operator’s IT (ordering, customer care, Point of Sales, billing, Network Operations Center, Provisioning, and inventory).
- eSIM vendors.
- User touch points (mobile operators’ web and mobile app interfaces / device interfaces). It fully supports all GSMA specifications for remote SIM provisioning in consumer market and SIM alliance specifications.
Benefits for mobile operators
- Simplify, even remove the complexity of integrating the Subscription Management system to the billing system.
- Automate and digitalize the entire service delivery process.
- Can apply to existing operators’ consumer eSIM-ready device launches, such as wearable devices.
- Provide assurance of full compliance with any new GSMA’s eSIM specification evolutions to come (as fully managed and implemented on time by this abstraction layer, i.e. eSIM orchestrator).
Benefits for end-users
- The end-to-end monitoring of all operations related to the eSIM, individually or part of a fleet (e.g. eSIM download error handling),
- Easy multi-device life cycle use case management (including device change/swap, repair, multiple connected objects per end-user…),
- A fully digitalized eSIM download (i.e. without going through any plastic or any shop).
Thales partners with Amdocs’s eSIM orchestration solution
"With the acceleration of the digitalization of the consumer mobile journey, the integration of Thales' On-Demand Connectivity subscription management platform and the Amdocs eSIM Orchestrator will enable mobile operators to embrace eSIM opportunities for consumer devices,” said Frédéric Vasnier, Executive Vice President Mobile Services and IoT for Gemalto.
Subscription Management Discovery Service
It enhances the eSIM connectivity activation for consumer devices. It simplifies the customer experience of connecting an open market consumer device to the mobile network with the offer of their choice.
Documents

Are you ready for eSIM Discovery?
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Thales Trusted Digital ID Essential
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Leveraging eSIM to address massive IoT deployments
For the consumer market eSIM has already achieved fast adoption and is gaining strong momentum in IoT segments such as automotive However, for the emerging massive IoT sector, characterized by its multitude of low power devices, significant opportunities exist for eIM.
Download our new white paper co-written with Mobile World Live
The IoT Now Guide to IoT Security 2022
Discover how recent developments in IoT SIM security can enhance cybersecurity and massive IoT deployments. A document from IoT Now Magazine.
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Addressing IoT Cyber Security through eSIM-based Scalable Trust
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Ruggedized SIM and eSIM for the IoT
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Thales eSIM as a Service for Private Networks
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Introducing 5G networks – Characteristics and usages
The fifth generation networks (5G) is currently under development and will hit the market at the horizon 2020. Compared with the current 4G LTE technology, 5G is targeting to reach both high speed (1 Gbps), low power and low latency (1ms or less), for massive IoT, tactile internet and robotics.
Introducing 5G networks – Characteristics and usages
Connecting Wireless Data Deploying IoT Everywhere
Don’t miss the latest report of Beecham on the acceptance of eSIM in the IoT Market, based on survey of 412 IoT Suppliers and Solution Providers.
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Thales eSIM Essentials
The remote eSIM provisioning solution packaged specifically for MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators).
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How to quickly bring a digital brand to market
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ID verification for digital onboarding
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Eco SIM, card body and packaging solutions
A green offer for SIM Cards to protect our environment
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5G Network Analytics and NWDAF
Download the report from ABI Research featuring Guavus as a leader in NWDAF and explaining how data analytics can help drive MNO’s growth.
Download the reportHow to harness the power of consumer eSIM to unlock massive IoT
Embedded SIM (eSIM) provides an efficient means for IoT organisations to achieve resilient global connectivity while streamlining device manufacturing and simplifying deployments. Much of the focus has been on utilising eSIMs for M2M use cases but by harnessing consumer eSIM functionality, flexibility and enhanced connectivity management capabilities are enabled, especially for massive IoT deployments. This approach, which has been formalised in Thales Adaptive Connect solution, accelerates time-to-market, saves cost, and strengthens security. George Malim, the managing editor of IoT Now chats to Stephane Quetglas, the director of marketing for embedded products at Thales to find out more – 30th May 2022
Read the interviewDossier
4 ways to activate eSIM-capable consumer IoT Devices
i. QR code / ii. By-default SM-DP+ address / iii. Root Discovery Service / iv. Initial connectivity.