KDDI inks Aeris IoT accelerator connectivity management agreement

As it looks to up its service provision offer in the face of stiff competition from its domestic territory’s incumbents, Japanese communications provider KDDI Corporation has completed an internet of things (IoT) connectivity management service agreement with IoT connectivity and security solutions provider Aeris.

KDDI has used the IoT Accelerator (IoT-A) platform since 2017, six years before Aeris acquired it from Ericsson, along with the Connected Vehicle Cloud (CVC) business and related assets.

Since the acquisition, Aeris claims to have invested significantly in global enhancements to the platform, including performance upgrades, system modernisation and cloudification, and expanded international connectivity provider cooperation. These capabilities are designed to enable enterprise customers to deploy connected solutions with single stock keeping unit (SKU) delivery and reduced billing complexity across any country.

The IoT-A platform currently manages 104 million IoT devices and 42 million connected vehicles globally. Aeris supports 70 automotive programmes across 45 vehicle brands and 30+ global automotive manufacturing groups.

Looking at the KDDI deal, Aeris sees the Asia-Pacific as a significant market as the region leads global IoT connectivity growth, with the worldwide market projected to expand at 21.7% annually through 2033.

In application, the IoT-A platform will look to address the increasing enterprise demand for scalable, secure IoT connectivity solutions that support both domestic operations and international expansion across automotive, utilities and other critical industries.

The KDDI agreement is said to facilitate “seamless” service continuation while expanding Aeris’s platform capabilities to support growing enterprise connectivity requirements worldwide.

Among the key capabilities on offer are global connectivity orchestration, device lifecycle management, integrated security and diagnostics, and advanced eSIM orchestration.

In the first category, the system offers in-depth visibility and monitoring without requiring device-level software, with management set to deliver long-term flexibility and operational control for mission-critical deployments. Connectivity orchestration is designed to allow automotive manufacturers to deploy connected vehicles across international markets with unified management, while lifecycle management features support utilities in managing smart grid infrastructure over decades-long deployments.

The solution is based on the new SGP.32 eSIM standard and supports 5G-enabled, mission-critical use cases across automotive, industrial automation and smart cities, while extending security through the Aeris IoT Watchtower platform for unified monitoring and zero-trust control. Created by the GSMA, SGP.32 is a global, next-generation eSIM standard for remote SIM provisioning in IoT devices – especially those with no user interface.

“Aeris is pleased to support KDDI as part of their transition to the Aeris IoT Accelerator platform. The Aeris IoT Accelerator platform delivers Tier 1 infrastructure that supports global enterprise connectivity requirements,” said Sean Gowran, vice-president of sales, APAC, at Aeris.

“Our unified global platform enables simplified and secure large-scale IoT deployments, allowing multinational enterprise customers – including automotive OEMs – to innovate and scale during significant market growth phases without complexity. The Aeris IoT partner ecosystem and our agentic AI platform innovations continue to enhance our ability to deliver advanced connectivity services worldwide,” he added.

As it rolls out 6G services, KDDI Group has set itself a goal of achieving both improved communication quality and carbon neutrality. Rather than simply pursuing higher speed and larger capacity for 6G, the firm is looking to establish network technologies that can simultaneously deliver high quality and low power consumption.

The KDDI deal also comes on the back of Aeris creating a partnership with Verizon Business to transform how multinational enterprises manage and scale international IoT deployments.