Idemia acquires Otono to launch eSIM lifecycle management

Idemia announced the acquisition of Otono Networks and its eSIM orchestration system. They will jointly offer comprehensive eSIM lifecycle management for both mobile operators (MNOs) and device manufacturers (OEMs). This is the first external expansion by the Idemia group, formed in 2017 when OT (Oberthur Technologies) and Safran Identity & Security (Morpho) joined forces.

Garner estimates that by 2020, there could be 20.4 billion connected objects worldwide. Faced with the increasing number of eSIM devices and IoT applications, MNOs and OEMs will have to navigate the complex architecture required to launch eSIMs, said Idemia. New use cases create new challenges of implementation by putting a strain on existing infrastructure. Teams must employ complex interfaces.

Otono’s cloud orchestration product provides a centralised hub that synchronises eSIM activation and provision workflows with each element in the ecosystem. Integrating Otono's hub into Idemia means customers can now have an end-to-end system to manage the entire eSIM lifecycle, it said. Together, Idemia and Otono now have a GSMA-compliant product to get eSIMs onboard.

The Idemia eSIM Lifecycle Management Platform includes a subscription manager (SM-DP+), orchestration hub, digital personalisation system (DPS), websheet server and is entitlement server-ready. The platform supports both consumer and M2M GSMA RSP specifications including the ES2+ interface. It also eliminates the need for integration by customers, with no changes required to existing B/OSS.