Otono Networks and G&D Announce Partnership to Offer eSIM Advanced Enablement Services to Mobile Carriers at 2016 Competitive Carriers Association Annual Convention

SEATTLE, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Otono Networks and Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) will team up at the Competitive Carriers Association's 2016 Annual Convention to announce a partnership to offer advanced eSIM enablement and management services in the global market for device connectivity.

With the first eSIM-enabled wearables coming to the North American market, there is both an opportunity and a challenge for the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to manage. The MNOs have an opportunity to offer additional connections to their existing consumer base with the freedom eSIM technologies offer. While adding more devices to the family share plan benefits the market, activating these devices requires technology investments.

G&D anticipates several eSIM-enabled consumer devices launching in the North American market in 2017 - starting with companion devices such as smart watches. While the market in Asia has already launched mobile devices with eSIM technology, the expectation is to see eSIM-enabled devices in North America by 2018 in a larger scale. By 2020, a hundred million smart phones are projected to be eSIM-enabled, and the GSMA predicts over 10 billion mobile connected devices by the end of the same year. This rapid growth will be seen across a variety of industries, including consumer devices (wearables, tablets, smart phones), connected cars, Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M).

Mobile Carriers worldwide will benefit from the Otono and G&D partnership, which pairs the G&D AirOn Platform with the Otono Platform to create a seamless user journey: eSIM activation to launch eSIM-enabled products quickly and easily. This will allow Operators to offer electronic vouchers such that their customers can remotely add companion devices without the need to visit a Point of Sale location to scan a physical voucher.

The Otono Platform is a robust and flexible global connectivity solution, focused on the enablement of wireless services for any device. The platform is both carrier- and device-agnostic, designed to meet the connectivity requirements of any MNO and integrate with any platform or technology standard. Otono handles the carrier integration, eSIM provisioning and management.

"We can help MNOs launch an eSIM-enabled product in under four months at a fraction of the cost," says Emir Aboulhosn, CEO and Founder of Otono. "The Otono Platform was architected with flexibility and scalability in mind, and together with G&D, we can help mobile carriers be fast to market with any eSIM product."

G&D launched the first commercial eSIM management solution and continues to onboard leading mobile network operators, and G&D's AirOn supports the Remote SIM Provisioning specification for consumer devices and M2M set by the GSMA. AirOn is a comprehensive system that efficiently and securely activates, manages, and updates SIMs and devices Over-the-Air (OTA). When users of a mobile-enabled device request eSIM activation, AirOn securely transfers an operator profile through the connected network. G&D's extensive experience in OTA systems and mobile security solutions ensures that communication and device identification will be secure.

"We are excited to work with Otono to make the user journey as straight forward and convenient as possible for the consumers and the carriers that serve them," says John Gillespie, Sr. Vice President of G&D's North American Telecommunication Industries business. "At the end of the day, carriers want to enable consumer choice and adoption of new technologies. Our objective is to make it as easy as possible for them to securely activate the growing number of connected devices on the market."

About Otono – Otono Networks, Inc. is an emerging global technology based telecom with multiple carrier-supported networks out of Vancouver, Canada. Otono's platform is primarily focused on flexible, global connectivity and mobile enablement solutions using both traditional SIM and eSIM technologies, allowing easier and faster network integration. Otono is the parent company of several mobile services, including Roam Mobility for USA, Roam Mobility for Canada, ZIP SIM, and AlwaysOnline Wireless. For more information about Otono, visit www.otono.com.

About G&D – Giesecke & Devrient is a leading international technology provider headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group has a workforce of 11,379 employees and generated sales of approximately EUR 2 billion in the 2015 fiscal year. 58 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 31 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide.

G&D develops, produces, and distributes products and solutions in the payment, secure communication, and identity management sectors. G&D is a technology leader in these markets and holds a strong competitive position. The Group's customer base mainly comprises central and commercial banks, mobile network operators, business enterprises, governments, and public authorities. For more information, please visit: www.gi-de.com.

SOURCE Giesecke & Devrient

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