IoT Companies Connectivity Reviews
The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to be integrated into almost every aspect of our world. This kind of technology relies on SIM cards and cellular connectivity to connect multiple devices to a central hub. As more companies, like SIMON IoT, begin offering IoT connectivity, customers can expect a more competitive market.
SIMON IoT was started by IoT service providers and resellers who have worked, as customers, with IoT connectivity companies. They experienced the complicated contract negotiations, hidden fees, and service charges on bills.
While some of these companies offer multiple pieces of the IoT puzzle, this review is focused on the company’s cellular connectivity offering. Here’s how we think these IoT companies, like Telit and Kore Wireless, stack up against each other.
| Telit | Kore | Aeris | Hologram | Soracom | SIMON IoT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countries with Cellular Coverage | 80 | 190+ | 190 | 196 | 130 | 195 |
| Dashboard Age | Not on site | Not on site | Not on site | 2019 | 2015 | 2020 |
| Rate per MB (Based on 100 MB) | Not on site | Not on site | $0.15 | $0.38 | $0.07 | $0.04 |
| Customer Service Options | Not on site | Not on site | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Price of Least Expensive SIM | Not on site | Not on site | $2.75 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $3.00 |
| Customer Service Options | Phone Fill Form |
Phone Fill Form |
Phone Fill Form |
Fill Form | Fill Form | Phone Fill Form |
Countries with Cellular Coverage
IoT solutions rely on widespread coverage. The number of countries that each connectivity company covers illustrates the coverage a customer can rely on.
Dashboard Functionality
It’s important for IoT connectivity customers to understand the data they are using. They want to see how much data is being used per week, month, or any specific time frame. They will want to know when they’re nearing their data limit with the company. And, they would benefit from the certain control over the devices from the platform. For a dashboard, or platform, to be valuable, it should be user-friendly, have fast load times, and illustrate all the information that the user would be interested in.
Price
Price starts with the rates of the company’s data plans. Many companies only offer a few different plans and prices. To do this, they average out the actual cost of the plans they cover. This means that you are often paying more than necessary for your data needs. The company’s flexibility on data plans is also crucial to customer satisfaction. If a company locks you into a contract, you are likely to pay overage charges or be paying for more data than you actually need.
Rates per MB
We compared how much each company’s charges per MB. This rate often adjusts depending on how many MB in the data plan. We compared the rates based on using 100 MB of data.
Types of SIM Cards Offered
IoT devices have various needs. A device that lives in a deep mine would require a SIM with a long life. A device in factory equipment would need a tolerance for more extreme temperatures. To meet these diverse needs, customers look to their connectivity provider to supply multiple SIM cards with different capabilities.
Price of Least Expensive Card
To illustrate the price difference between companies, we compared how much they charged per SIM card. Many companies charge the same amount for all the different kinds of SIM cards they offer. But others charge a different amount for each SIM card type. We tracked whichever SIM card cost the least for the company.
Customer Service
When a customer reaches out to their company with questions or issues, they deserve useful and well-delivered information and help. In this category, we’ve evaluated the efficiency of customer service communication and its ability to solve the customer’s problem.
Customer Service Options
Here we listed the different options customers can find on the company’s site if they need customer service.
Company Overview
Telit Communications is one of the oldest providers with some of the least updated systems. Telit offers multiple services centered on IoT solutions, including modules, dashboards (platforms), and connectivity. Telit Communications provides global IoT data plans and connectivity management with a wide range of flexible and scalable features, but the support for complex issues at Telit can take longer than expected1.
Kore Wireless acquired Wyless in 2014. KORE wireless has become one of the largest IoT providers in the world. The size of KORE wireless proves to be a strength and a challenge as their management and customer service reports are inconsistent. Kore reviews from customers and employees seem to vary across the board2. The KORE wireless platform and dashboards rank poorly in user experience, specifically their speed and ease of use. In addition, KORE wireless pricing locks customers into expensive long-term contracts and data plans that result in high overage charges3.
Aeris Communications provides IoT connectivity solutions for businesses in a variety of industries. The company also offers a mobility suite primarily focusing on vehicle telematics that can connect cars. The global network is large and only truly focused in one industry area which can lead to issues in support and location opportunities. Aeris Communications customers also are unsatisfied that each set-up and new location takes extensive time4.
Hologram is an IoT platform focused on cellular connectivity. According to Hologram.io, Hologram’s price structure is flexible and includes the ability to scale without binding contracts. You can see from their website, Hologram.io, that Hologram is focused on providing IoT services that are reliable, compatible, and prompt. In recent years, Hologram has seen rapid growth causing some setbacks in addressing operational concerns5. This growth has resulted in some customer service shortcomings and software reliability.
Soracom is a newer IoT solution that has only begun to break into the industry. The company focuses on IoT connectivity solutions and cloud integration services. For IoT phone services, the system can be fast, but it can be expensive to use the Soracom SIM connectivity solutions at the same speed for any device larger, like a laptop6.
- 1 https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/iot-platforms/vendor/telit/product/devicewise-iot-platform/review/view/475109
- 2 https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/KORE-Reviews-E443860.htm
- 3 https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/alpharetta/profile/holding-company/kore-wireless-group-inc-0443-28026769/complaints#374623123
- 4 https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/managed-m2m-services-worldwide/vendor/aeris/product/aeris-sim-cards-single-imsi/review/view/1013512
- 5 https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Hologram-Reviews-E2083338.htm
- 6 https://www.amazon.com/SORACOM-Air-Global-IoT-1-Pack/dp/B01M30ZYR5?th=1
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