Announcing Twilio Super SIM Public Beta

Announcing Twilio Super SIM Public Beta

Global IoT connectivity you can trust

I’m excited to announce that Super SIM has entered public beta. Super SIM is what happens when you approach cellular IoT connectivity the Twilio way — combining Twilio’s Super Network of global telecom carriers with the power of software in the cloud — in this case, a cloud based Mobile Core network. Super SIM will enable IoT builders to take control of connectivity in nearly every country in the world, at massive operational scale.

Moving cellular connectivity from hardware to the cloud

There’s a movement happening in IoT. You’ve probably seen the on-demand scooters and bikes transforming our cities. Cars are increasingly fitted with connected dash-cams. Maybe you’ve noticed capacity sensors in public trash cans and in parking spaces. IoT outside the home is booming, but the connectivity ecosystem has been woefully unprepared, causing headaches for developers and slowing innovation.

Why do I say that?

Cellular networks are undoubtedly the best and most ubiquitous technology for connecting IoT devices all over the world, BUT:

• Wireless carriers weren’t designed with large, global IoT fleets in mind. There is a lack of simple, powerful management tools for operating fleets of devices.
• Wireless carriers are inherently regional. Very few carriers cross country borders at all, and international roaming is always an afterthought, resulting in unpredictable, often disastrous behavior.

That’s why we built Super SIM: to bring together the best networks in the world, on a single management platform, with a single SIM and a single vendor.

It’s designed to give you the confidence and control required to manage millions of devices, wherever they may be. It’s a classic story of cloud transformation, and the same formula that enabled 7M developers to take control of global Voice and SMS capabilities via Twilio’s Super Network.

Watch a few Super SIM beta customers share why they are so excited about Super SIM:

Intuitive APIs that do the work for you 

IoT means scale, and scale means automation. With Super SIM, you get simple but extensive APIs for every aspect of the product.

Unlike some other SIM management platforms, Twilio’s API-first approach means you can be confident that our APIs are intuitive and reliable, with convenient server-side SDKs if you’re using C#, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python or Ruby.

Activate a SIM (example shown for Node.js):

Grant a SIM or SIMs access to a new network (example shown for Ruby):

Query hourly data usage records for a SIM or SIMs (example shown for C#):

Full-featured web Console

IoT connectivity tends to be configuration and reporting heavy. APIs, while fun, aren’t always the most efficient way to perform a one-off configuration or reporting activity. With this in mind we built a feature rich web console that enables power-users and administrators to configure and monitor a fleet of devices:

Control Your Network Choices

Select the global networks that provide the best coverage, quality and price for your fleet.

Understand Data Usage

See usage by day for a fleet or a single device. Drill down to see usage by hour.

Transparent, No Shenanigans Pricing

For public beta, we’re providing a pricing structure optimized for low usage devices  — those consuming megabytes per month, not gigabytes — which is the vast majority of all IoT devices. You’ll pay a single price per active device per month (starting at $2), and you’ll only pay for the individual bytes of data that your devices actually consume. Data starts at 10¢/MB and is priced per network. See pricing details.

For high usage devices, we’re here to help. We’ll be providing self-service pricing plans tailored toward high usage devices soon, but for now, please chat with sales and we can work out something specific to your needs.

Get Started

We think Super SIM’s combination of control, simplicity, and global scale will enable IoT innovators to create and operate the next wave of real-world digital experiences.   

Start exploring Super SIM

• Attend the Super SIM webinar on June 30th
• Subscribe to the Twilio Change Log for new feature notifications
• Order SIMs to try the platform
• Learn how to test Super SIM with Adafruit Feather FONA 32u4 and Arduino MKR GSM 1400 

We can’t wait to see what you build!

Matt Jackson is a Product Manager for IoT and Wireless at Twilio. Having spent the last 4 years at Twilio wearing as many hats across the company's finance, engineering, and product management teams, he builds with a focus on developers and non-developers alike. His free time is dominated by his miniature Australian Shepherd dog. He can be reached at mjackson [at] twilio.com