Scania has been a G+D customer for several years and uses G+D’s eSIM management solution. The Swedish vehicle manufacturer now wants to go one step further and implement a fully integrated solution that supports the centralized management of telecommunications networks, facilitating the global deployment of eSIM management. After the evaluation of various offerings, G+D and enterprise network operator Pod Group, which provides IoT solutions, was chosen as the solution partner. The key reasons for Scania’s decision were the success of the existing, longstanding partnership, G+D’s technology leadership, global and local support, and ultimately cost.

The Benefits of a Centralized Management Platform for Commercial Vehicle Connectivity scania G+D for connected trucks

In close cooperation, Scania, G+D and Pod are currently designing the platform-as-service environment for the use of Pod Group’s connectivity management platform, Pod IoT Suite. The main focus is on integrating the eSIM management solution with Pod IoT Suite and implementing it in Scania’s internal IT infrastructure.

Scania will use the Pod IoT Suite in the platform-as-a-service model as a central management interface for controlling all IoT activities. The vehicle manufacturer can use it, for example, to analyze data, identify efficiency potential or read off costs. Most importantly, the platform also supports the fast and cost-efficient onboarding of mobile network operators. This gives Scania the option of connecting the optimal provider for each country that meets local requirements and offers the best quality of service in terms of network coverage, for example.

A key advantage of platform-as-a-service use for Scania is that no specific internal expertise is required to operate the networks. The services are bundled in the platform and then provide tailored options for each use case. The G+D solution thus effectively acts as a bridge between Scania and the mobile network providers in the various markets.

The Implications of Scania’s New Connectivity Platform for the Future of IoT

Other solution components of the platform concept are G+D‘s Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (eUICCs), which were developed specifically for the automotive sector and are used in Scania’s vehicle fleet, and the AirOn360^® eSIM management platform. This complies with GSMA-RSP (Remote SIM Provisioning) specifications for IoT applications and supports efficient and secure lifecycle management of eSIMs. The platform provides geo-redundancy, which is ensured through the provision of networked eSIM services at different G+D locations and data centers. G+D´s GSMA-certified data centers provide high availability, ensuring high resilience for eSIM services.

“With a centralized management platform, we now have a one-stop solution for everything from eSIM user authentication for secure access to the mobile network and eSIM management, to transparent, measurable and scalable use of IoT activities,” emphasizes Peter Vincent, Head of Connected Systems at Scania. “Centralization saves us time and costs to a considerable extent. Above all, however, our customers also benefit from an improved quality of service. From a sales perspective and with regard to our international orientation, the new platform model will support us decisively.”

“Pod’s product range complements G+D’s world-leading eSIM portfolio and opens up the possibility to connect, manage, bill and secure devices via a global, cost-effective approach. We are now taking the next step in innovation with the development of an integrated platform for Scania,” explains Philipp Schulte, Head of Connectivity and IoT at G+D. “Even though the platform here is initially being designed for the automotive segment, we see a very large market potential for it in principle in the IoT sector in general: from smart manufacturing to smart metering.”