BTG, the Dutch Branch Organization of Corporate Telecommunnications Users and member of INTUG, is working together with a number of members and technology partners on the development of a new corporate SIM-card: the Enterprise SIM (E-SIM). The BTG e-SIM project has now entered a second phase, says project manager Mark van der Laan of BTG technology partner Aspider-NGI.
E-sim objectives
The BTG E-SIM project has three objectives. First of all, it should result in the development of a SIM card which makes it possible switching between operators without the need to exchange SIM cards. In addition it is also a private and independent indoor solution support for improved operator (indoor) coverage. And finally there is the possibility of adding corporate authentication and authorization systems - so-called ' secure elements ' - to the SIM card.
Project manager Mark van der Laan: "It may seem to be three complete individual solutions, but they are combined in the new E-SIM concept. This allows a company to determine, without intervention of an operator, how the SIM card behaves and interacts with individual corporate systems. It’s such a cutting edge technology that we sometimes seem to stand for almost impossible tasks, but we’re able to deal with all the hurdles thanks to the knowledge and skills of all participants in the project."
BTG e-SIM project
The project team is currently working hard on the development of the E-SIM itself and of the applications that will be installed on the card. At the same time, the team is building a test environment. Van der Laan expects to be able to deliver in June this year the first working prototypes to a BTG-test panel.
Petra Claessen, managing director BTG, is satisfied with the progress of the project: "It's a good example of how we’re able to bundle clear demands from our members, the business ICT users, and translate those into concrete solutions. We’re doing not all by ourselves, but in a tight partnership with various vendors and operators. It fits into our philosophy and strategy of creating solutions that address the needs of our members and eventually giving the solutions back to supply side of the market."
BTG's role
“Our goal as BTG is to offer our members a wide and fully integrated range of ‘off the shelf’ services that can be customized to their specific needs. In doing that, we meet the IT and telecommunications needs of companies and not-for-profit organisations that are currently not addressed by vendors and operators”, adds Jan van Alphen, Chairman BTG and Member of the Board of INTUG. “I do want to make it quite clear that BTG doesn’t want to take upon itself the role of ‘vendor’. The services and solutions we develop will be always done in cooperation with the supply side of the market”, says the chairman.
Jan van Alphen elaborates on the cooperation with the supply side: “We strive to build and maintain a healthy and close relationship with vendors and operators. Not only in specific projects like the E-SIM initiative, but also in a broader sense. It’s why we’re also - at INTUG level - currently talking to the GSMA, the international trade association of vendors and operators in the mobile telecommunications market, to see whether we can work more closely together. It’s quite in line with the strategy and philosophy of INTUG.”
