Rethink Cellular Integration: The Factory Floor is the New Edge for Connectivity

The way we connect devices is broken, and it starts at the factory. We are past the point of asking whether our devices should be connected—today, the imperative is how to make them connected from the start, at scale, securely, and intelligently.

Control over device connectivity is no longer reserved for the few. Until recently, the ability to tightly control how devices are equipped with connectivity —through embedded SIM (eSIM) provisioning, late-stage profile loading, and steering autonomy—was the domain of only the largest, most vertically integrated brands. These companies could dictate terms across their supply chains, carving out bespoke solutions to support born-connected products. A new era is beginning.

The next wave of connected product innovation will be powered by a broader group of manufacturers who are building smarter factories, leaner supply chains, and more autonomous operations. With recent advances in eSIM standards and In-Factory Profile Provisioning (IFPP), that transformation is now within reach for everyone.

Why Connectivity Is a Factory-First Decision Now

Today’s manufacturing strategies must meet tomorrow’s product expectations. From AI-powered wearables to industrial IoT endpoints, connectivity is a fundamental part of the user experience, not just an add-on. Yet, for many OEMs, connectivity is still managed too far downstream, or too far outside their control - leading to fragmented SKUs, testing bottlenecks, and regional constraints.

That model no longer scales.

We are entering a new era of smart manufacturing - defined by higher throughput, more precise quality control, and the ability to serve global markets flexibly. To succeed, manufacturers need autonomy over the key ingredients of their connected experience, and connectivity provisioning is one of the most critical.

A License to Expand, Innovate, and Scale with Reduced Risk

Taking ownership of connectivity - specifically, the ability to embed and steer eSIM profiles from within the factory - is a game-changer for product leaders.

It enables:

• Global single-SKU production: Build once, ship anywhere
• Streamlined factory flows: Profile testing and QA embedded in production, not downstream
• Faster time to market: Profile loading in minutes, not months
• Flexibility to innovate: More control over which networks, partners, and coverage models you support
• Reduced Risk: Local profile fallback and rescue logic improve resilience

In short, connectivity becomes an enabler, not a constraint. 

Why IFPP Is the Missing Link for Manufacturers

Looking ahead, IFPP sets the stage for layering on more complex capabilities: AI-enabled provisioning, predictive maintenance, autonomous network selection, and more. An In-Factory Profile Provisioning (IFPP) is solution to address this emerging need.

IFPP moves eSIM provisioning from the cloud into the factory - bringing it closer to where the device is built, tested, and shipped. It enables secure profile loading without public internet access, making it ideal for offline, hybrid, or distributed manufacturing environments.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• Support for all SIM form factors, including MFF4 (2×2mm²) and iSIMs integrated into SoCs
• Available across consumer, industrial IoT, and automotive grades
• Equipped with over 10 pre-provisioned profiles and network rescue/recovery logic
• Built for terrestrial and non-terrestrial (satellite) network readiness
• Tested and proven with early adopters in smart metering and wearables
• Ready to scale in real-world, high-volume, distributed factory setups

As this new era of capabilities gets within reach, I’d encourage anyone looking at connected product strategies to not just look at tools, but consider it within operationalising a new model. Within IFPP, you’ll find a blueprint for how to build the next generation of born-connected products.

Conversations on the Ground and Beyond

In recent months, I’ve spoken directly with OEMs and supply chain leaders across key electronics and IoT manufacturing hubs.

The takeaway is clear: the demand for IFPP is real and growing fast.

Manufacturers are not waiting for standards to catch up. They are actively exploring how to embed eSIM profile delivery into their production lines, because they see the downstream benefits. They want to scale globally without increasing complexity. They want to own their connectivity destiny.

They understand that if they don’t solve this at the factory level, everything else downstream will be harder, slower, or simply won’t scale. One OEM shared that their QA cycle was cut in half once they adopted our smart factory provisioning technology. Not only that, but our optimised operating system could connect to the network and communicate with SGP.32 eIM in a matter of seconds rather than the minutes they were accustomed to with their existing eSIM technology.

A Call to Action for Connectivity Providers

This shift doesn’t just matter for OEMs. It has profound implications for connectivity providers - from MNOs and MVNOs to satellite operators and platform vendors.

As more OEMs bring profile provisioning into their factories, they need secure, flexible access to the networks their customers trust - and they need it to work across diverse environments and geographies.

This is not a threat to the telecom ecosystem - it’s an invitation.

It’s an opportunity to move beyond just providing connectivity and to become a true enabler of global product innovation. The value here is massive: McKinsey estimates enterprises will invest over $700 billion in non-core connectivity over the next decade - connecting more devices, more flexibly, and more intelligently than ever before.

Supporting OEM-led profile provisioning is one of the clearest pathways to participate in that value.

The Future Is Factory-Ready

We are standing at the edge of a new phase in connected product development - one in which the factory itself becomes the launchpad for digital scale.

Connectivity will no longer be something a device gains once it reaches a market - it will be embedded, provisioned, and validated before it ever leaves the line.

For OEMs, the opportunity is to move faster, with more control. For connectivity providers, it’s to integrate more deeply into the product lifecycle. And for all of us - it's a moment to reshape what "connected" really means in manufacturing.

If you're designing the future of your connected product line, now is the time to bring your factory along with it.

Connected doesn’t mean shipped with a SIM. It means shipped provisioned, tested, and ready for scale – along with all the edge cases the real-world throws at a connected device.