ARM has now launched a new line of technologies under the Kigen-branding that brings integrated SIM (iSIM) functionality to SoCs in order to both bolster the security and bring down the costs associated with IoT implementations. That’s according to an announcement made via the company’s official newsroom site and is great news for an industry that will see an increased need for secure connectivity and identity options as the IoT continues to grow. With regard to Kigen, ARM says that it is not just a new SoC that features a separate on-chip hardware-secured partition for the inclusion of a Microcontroller and iSIM to be integrated. The associated Kigen OS also offers a low footprint, GSMA compliant software stack which allows for those features with a flexibility in remote provisioning via a dedicated Kigen server solution. In short, ARM has created a platform for embedding all of the most important IoT components into a single chip, with dedicated software and server solutions built to scale.
That, in turn, allows chips to be built to scale without concessions being made for the inclusion of a separate SIM card. That could also be a boon for mobile service providers since it should be much more cost-effective. OEMs, mobile operators, and IoT platform operators will also be able to send out updates and other software as needed. Beyond that, other changes will be possible that would ordinarily have required direct access to the SIM or an entirely a new SIM to be swapped in. That’s important since swapping SIMs is not at all feasible option with regard to the fact that the IoT is expected to explode to over a trillion devices by 2035. Obviously, the updating aspect is critical since any given device on the IoT will need to have new or unforeseen bugs and vulnerabilities addressed quickly before they can spread to other connected devices.
In the meantime, the company used the opportunity provided by the announcement to reveal that the latest ARM innovations – presumably including this new family of tech – will be shown off at this year’s MWC 2018 event. The event officially starts on March 28 and the company’s VP and GM of IoT Device IP Line of Business, Paul Williamson will be offering a keynote on February 26. ARM will also be showing off its newest offerings at Stand 6E30 in Hall 6, for anybody who happens to be attending the expo.
