Oberthur Technologies (OT), a leader in digital security solutions for the mobility space, and Etisalat Group, a UAE-based leading telecommunications service provider, have signed a new collaboration to offer tailored machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) services across Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Relying on OT’s M-Sense solution, Etisalat affiliates will extend their M2M and IoT service offering beyond just connectivity, enabling their enterprise customers to fully benefit from the growing M2M and IoT market, said a statement.

Following an intensive evaluation process, Etisalat selected OT’s M-Sense solution which consists of a rich set of horizontal capabilities for both application enablement and device management.

M-Sense will allow the secure collection and management of various data from any M2M device over any network and their control in real time.

It will enable Etisalat operators to accelerate the availability of integrated value-added vertical applications, whether they are for Smart Cities, universities or enterprises operating in the transport, oil and energy or real estate sectors.

As part of this partnership, OT will deliver a comprehensive solution to Etisalat affiliates, including local support on the definition of their go-to-market strategy, marketing mix and partnerships.

Etisalat operators and their local ecosystem partners will be able to leverage the platform’s ready-made components and use existing application frameworks (including sensor data visualisation and reporting, business rules, off-the-shelf applications), or to easily build new ones to serve each local market requirement.

Arnaud de La Chapelle, RMEA president and general manager - Teleco, RMEA at OT, said: “IoT is about connecting billions of objects, but more importantly it also requires the creation of numerous IoT solutions and services that will help monetise the value associated with this connectivity.

“It is essential for an IoT application platform to act as an innovation accelerator for developers, while also enabling seamless integration to enterprises’ existing business applications, including Big Data and analytics.

“With M-Sense, OT not only provides a state-of-the art technology piece that meets all of these criteria but also the required services to be successful on the IoT market including business consulting and access to local and global IoT players.

“This end-to-end tailored offer has been designed to help Etisalat successfully take a step forward within the M2M and IoT value chain and maintain its position as an Innovation-leading company. We are truly excited by this venture and ready to accompany Etisalat for this large-scale strategic project.”

Khalifa Al Shamsi, chief digital services officer, Etisalat Group, said: “OT has been a long-term partner for Etisalat, already supplying our affiliates with both SIM cards and secure mission-critical network application systems. Being committed to bringing the best-in-class IoT capabilities to the market, Etisalat Group has acknowledged OT’s global high expertise in the field of M2M and IoT solutions.

“That’s why we have chosen them as our strategic partner to provide and manage the Application Enablement Platform for our affiliates. We look forward to working with the team at OT to enable the many innovative services, which will rapidly bring tangible value to our enterprise customers.” - TradeArabia News Service