MTN Business this morning unveiled its Internet of things (IOT) platform, which it says will provide African enterprises with greater control and advanced management features for their connected devices and SIM cards.
The platform launch - announced by MTN Group CEO Mteto Nyati - also saw the introduction of a global machine-to-machine (M2M) SIM card, which will give MTN customers the same rate for M2M activity across the operator's footprint in Africa.
"To ensure a seamless customer experience for our customers, whenever MTN has presence, the IOT platform has a dedicated network, separate from the consumer network, for operational and business systems support.
"As a result, the platform is dedicated to managing all of MTN's machine-to-machine functions," Nyati explained.
The IOT platform is now live in SA, and it will be launched in other countries in which MTN operates within the next 12 months.
"Through this platform, we are going to provide South Africans - and indeed Africans - with an opportunity to write and build solutions that address the challenges of our continent. In the process of doing that, these South Africans will be able to benefit, because they will be generating revenue through their partnership with MTN."
Nyati noted the platform removes significant costs and accessibility barriers, enabling development on a broader scale, leading to the establishment of a vast ecosystem of scalable solutions that address real-world needs.
The IOT platform is the next evolutionary step in connecting and managing machines, Nyati pointed out, adding its dedicated network enables the company to connect an otherwise fragmented population of devices and systems. "No longer does this service have to compete with voice and data, leading to a degradation of the network."
The open platform enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions, responding intelligently to their environments, without human intervention, he added, noting the global number of IOT connections is expected to reach 360 million by 2018.
"In South Africa, the wholesale M2M market - one aspect of IOT - is already worth an estimated R350 million and expected to grow to R1.2 billion by 2017. This means there are significant business opportunities for aspiring developers in South Africa and the rest of the continent," said Nyati.
As part of the IOT platform launch, MTN says application developers from across SA are participating in the inaugural MTN Business Mind-2-Machine Challenge. The initiative aims to identify developers to create scalable and relevant business solutions that solve real-world problems. Winners of the challenge will be able to monetise their solutions with MTN Business and take them to market.
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