IoT cyber-security provider Pairpoint and connectivity-as-a-service specialist Simplex Wireless have joined the IoT M2M Council (IMC).

Pairpoint wants to address the vulnerabilities of traditional IoT security by championing the SIM as a hardware root of trust. The Simplex architecture, called the eSIM IoT Manager (or EIM), is built to manage eSIMs from multiple manufacturers, providing profile management, lifecycle control and scalability to remote devices.

Pairpoint aims to improve costs, scalability and speed to market for IoT deployments with its patented secure CRA-compliant quantum-resistant encryption technology, eliminating the need for certificates and other complex cyber-security infrastructure.

The IMC is the largest professional organisation dedicated to the global IoT sector, with a rank-and-file membership of manufacturers and enterprise users that qualify by deploying connected devices in the field. The IMC is planning large-scale cyber-security initiatives to help its members comply with regulation such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) that is looming in Europe, as well as additional regulatory efforts in the EU and around the world.

“We look at the IMC as a crucial catalyst for Pairpoint as we deliver a new level of IoT trust, replacing outdated infrastructure with quantum-ready, hardware-based security,” said Pairpoint CTO Yakeen Prabdial, who will represent the company on the IMC board. “The SIM is more than a connectivity tool, it is a secure hardware vault and a facilitator of encrypted transactions.”

Simplex’s connectivity services and platform are used in a broad spectrum of industries and regions, with particular uptake among OEMs. This makes the company a good fit for the IMC, whose adopters are tracked in over 30 different vertical markets, from automotive manufacturing to smart grid to medical device to retail point-of-sale. Roughly 30% of the IMC’s rank-and-file are based in North America, 25% are in Asia and 20% are in Europe. The group’s board is comprised of just under 30 IoT technology and service providers.

“The IoT market needs a clear message: enterprises and OEMs can manage eSIMs across multiple vendors seamlessly, without lock-in, and in full compliance with GSMA specifications,” said Jan Lattunen, chief commercial officer of Simplex Wireless, who will represent the company on the IMC’s board. “Interoperability, standards alignment and operational control are no longer optional, they are foundational to scalable IoT deployments. We view the IMC as the premier thought leadership and go-to-market platform in the IoT sector to help drive that industry-wide transformation.”

Pairpoint is a joint venture between Vodafone and Sumitomo that aims to take advantage of the global IoT scale and wide-ranging commercial interests of its corporate parents.

“The IMC is taking a lead role in the area of IoT cyber security,” said IMC chair Carmen Redondo, director at KYOCERA AVX. “It’s a critical issue for our industry, and we look forward to benefitting from Pairpoint’s new perspective.”

She added: “The advent of the eSIM is incredibly important in the IoT industry. It allows for the remote provisioning of connectivity. This means that devices can be deployed independently of the service provider, which is a huge win for large-scale IoT. Simplex goes even further by integrating eSIMS from multiple vendors and, as a group, we look forward to hearing more about how this is done.”

Pairpoint (pairpoint.io) is a global technology company building the world’s largest economy of things (EoT) ecosystem. As a joint venture between Vodafone and Sumitomo, Pairpoint enables machines, vehicles and devices to identify, connect and transact securely in real time. Its platform is powered by automation, tamper-proof logging and quantum-resistant cryptography to ensure trusted movement of goods, data and people. Pairpoint is headquartered in the UK with offices in London, Lisbon and Tokyo.

Simplex Wireless (www.simplexwireless.com) is a US-based IoT connectivity provider delivering global cellular data services and advanced eSIM management. It offers multi-network IoT data SIMs and a GSMA SGP.32-compliant eSIM IoT remote manager (EIM) platform, built in-house and delivered as a managed service. With US-based sales and support, Simplex helps organisations deploy and scale connected devices with reliability, flexibility and operational efficiency.

The IMC (www.iotm2mcouncil.org) is the largest trade group dedicated to the global IoT sector with over 28,000 rank-and-file adopter members around the world that qualify as buyers of IoT products and services in 30 vertical markets. Sustaining board companies include A1 Digital, Aeris, Blues Wireless, Deutsche Telekom, Digi, eSat Global, Finite State, FloLive, Giesecke+Devrient, Globalstar, Ground Control, Hologram, iBasis, IoT Launch, Keyfactor, KORE, KYOCERA AVX, MultiTech, Pairpoint, Pelion, Quectel, Simplex Wireless, Somos, Tata Communications, Telit Cinterion, Thales and Vodafone IoT.