Digitise your mobile device management with eSIM

The eSIM is the latest technology to enter the mobile network. We put six practical questions about the successor to the classic SIM card to Frederik Bouckaert, Senior Product Manager Enterprise Mobility Solutions at Orange Belgium:

1. What is an eSIM?
   The eSIM is the most modern version of the SIM card and is completely software-based. The goal is the same: it connects a device to an operator’s mobile network. “The ‘e’ in eSIM stands for ‘embedded’,” Frederik Bouckaert explains. “The eSIM is not a separate physical card. It’s a chip that is integrated into the mobile device. This means you no longer need to insert a physical SIM card.”
    
2. What are the benefits of an eSIM?
   Because an eSIM can be managed completely digitally, it offers benefits to both the mobile device manager and the company’s employees. Frederik Bouckaert: “Mobile device managers no longer have to overcome the logistical challenges of distributing all these SIM cards to their users. And the employees no longer have to stop by the office to pick up their SIM card. In the age of the hybrid workplace, that benefit cannot be underestimated.” Another advantage is that the eSIM is embedded in the device, so the device no longer needs an opening for a physical SIM card. This protects the device better against dust and oxidation.
    
3. Are many phones already equipped with an eSIM?
   Apple has equipped all new iPhones with an eSIM. For Android, only the high-end phones have an eSIM. “Current phones with an eSIM still have a slot for a physical SIM card as well. They are called dual SIM devices,” Frederik Bouckaert adds. “eSIM-only devices will also be marketed from 2023.”
    
4. How do you activate an eSIM?
   As the mobile device manager, you can activate eSIM cards from the B2B customer zone whenever you want. This makes an entire mobile device roll-out easy. “After you select the plan and choose the eSIM, enter the end user’s email address. The user will then receive an email with a QR code. They scan the QR code with the My Orange app on their phone to switch to their eSIM.”
    
5. Is an eSIM sustainable?
   An eSIM is more sustainable than the classic SIM card: the chip is embedded in the device itself, so there is no plastic waste. “The carbon footprint is also reduced because we no longer have to send out SIM cards and employees don’t have to travel to pick up their SIMs,” Frederik Bouckaert notes.
    
6. How future-proof is the eSIM?eSIM offers a fully digital employee experience and makes your mobile devices suitable for the new way of working. It also opens the door to a new connectivity era in which modern mobile devices are equipped with the latest technologies. “For example, an eSIM profile could be installed on employees’ devices with mobile device management in the future. This means the end users would no longer have to take any steps themselves and the mobile device manager can complete an entire mobile device roll-out in literally seconds,” says Frederik Bouckaert.