Digital transformation is now a business necessity, especially with artificial intelligence being adopted so rapidly. For many organizations, this transformation will focus on cloud, automation, and data analytics, and even though it’s critically important, mobile connectivity is regularly overlooked.
Research has found that 80% of business travelers consider internet access essential for their productivity during business trips, but 65% experience stress due to travel disruptions like roaming and costs. And that’s why incorporating eSIM technology into a digital transformation strategy can make a real difference to the operations of highly mobile, global, and connected workforces.
In this blog, we’ll explore why eSIM solutions and mobile access modernization are an untapped opportunity for IT efficiency, cost control, and operational excellence business-wide.
Legacy Mobile Infrastructure: The Hidden Drain on IT Resources
Relying on traditional physical SIM card technology for business connectivity may seem straightforward and logical. But dig beneath the surface, and you’ll quickly find that this approach is increasingly ill-suited for digital-first operations:
Why are SIM cards impractical?
Physical SIM plans are often constrained by limited one-language support, slow manual shipping and management, and can make it difficult to track expenses across global teams
How do SIM cards introduce security risks?
If employees can’t roam and have to rely on public Wi-Fi while they’re away, sensitive business data is vulnerable to unauthorized access, with the knock-on consequence of compliance issues.
Why is SIM card use difficult to scale?
The more physical SIMs you have, the more time and resources are required to manage them all. If your organization is growing, this complexity will only increase.
How do SIM cards waste money?
Outdated mobile management processes don’t help with IT cost optimization initiatives and soak up valuable time that the IT team could be spending on strategic projects. Additionally, companies overspend by as much as 85% on roaming charges compared to more cost-efficient eSIM alternatives.
Why are SIM cards poor for sustainability?
Physical SIM cards require manual logistics and transportation, which generate a CO2 emissions burden that can clash with sustainability and ESG objectives.
eSIM Technology: The Missing Piece of Your Digital Infrastructure
More and more businesses are realizing that eSIM solutions are the answer to those practical issues. eSIM adoption is expected to triple globally by 2027, and the majority of travel managers report growing demand for digital-first travel solutions. And just as you may have moved away from physical servers towards cloud infrastructure, migrating to cloud-first mobile solutions like eSIMs follows a similar principle, as part of a wider IT infrastructure modernization.
As eSIMs are cloud-first, automation-driven, and data-transparent, they’re easy to provision and manage, however large your organization’s estate of mobile devices might be. And not only can they be used in smartphones for business travelers, they can also be used in IoT sensors and other mobile devices, and support AI applications such as smart manufacturing and asset management.
eSIMs make sense from a business and management perspective, too. Using the Holafly for Business platform as an example, IT teams can instantly assign and manage eSIMs from a centralized platform, get them delivered instantly via email or SMS, ensure global coverage with unlimited data options, and monitor all usage and billing in real time.
Five Ways eSIMs Contribute to Digital Transformation
Rolling out eSIMs across your organization can make a real difference to how you and your workforce operate, especially across these five key areas:
- Automated operations: eSIMs can be deployed instantly, without any of the delays or set-up issues that can come with manual SIMs when shipping logistics and physical inventory management are required. No app is required, either, making them user-friendly for every employee.
- Consistently lower costs: The expense of roaming can be cut by 85%, while centralized management, transparent pricing, and monthly billing make costs more predictable and easier to manage.
- Enhanced security posture: With global coverage and unlimited data in over 200 destinations, employees no longer need to use public Wi-Fi for business use, helping them keep sensitive data secure while also connecting reliably.
- Real-time visibility: A centralized dashboard means IT teams can stay in control of eSIM usage, billing, and expenses, along with comprehensive reporting capabilities that help with compliance.
- Sustainable communications: No more plastic waste from physical SIM cards, or emissions impact from shipping logistics. A fully digital setup is kinder to the environment and supports corporate sustainability and CSR efforts.
Next Steps: Integrating eSIMs into Your Transformation Roadmap
What solutions like eSIMs demonstrate is that digital transformation can, and should, be about so much more than adopting new technology. Adopting eSIMS company-wide can empower employees to be more productive, and eliminate the inefficiencies that so often hold businesses back.
Embracing eSIM adoption and integrating mobile connectivity into a digital transformation strategy can truly set up organizations like yours for the long term. eSIMs enable AI implementation and global team management across hybrid and remote workforces, so that every employee can make the most of technology, wherever and whenever they’re working.
The Holafly for Business service backs this up by making it as easy as possible for you to roll out eSIMs across your organization. Instant delivery, transparent pricing, multi-lingual support, and centralized dashboard management come together to make mobile connectivity simpler, safer, more cost-effective, and more sustainable – now and in the future.
Want to find out how eSIM technology can fit in with your digital transformation strategy? Get in touch with Holafly for Business today to discuss your specifics.