BT Business and Ivanti Launch Remote eSIM Installation for Managed Android Devices UPDATE

Communications and broadband provider BT Business (via EE) has today announced what they’re calling a “telco-world first“, which sees the operator join with IT and security software company, Ivanti, to unveil a new eSIM capability that enables businesses to turn-on mobile connectivity at scale without having to physically set up a device.

The new capability essentially hands organisations the ability to install eSIMs (embedded SIMs) directly from their Mobile Device Management platform and activate on a device without physical handling or manual steps, which can save time and money when managing thousands of workers at scale.

“Using a single route, devices will either install eSIMs automatically or via a short installation process cutting the time to deliver from days to minutes. The partnership brings together Android’s ecosystem, Ivanti’s management capability and BT’s mobile expertise to offer business customers a consistent method of deployment across their estates,” said the announcement.

The move is said to pave the way for future services built around secure, remotely managed connectivity, giving businesses more flexibility as their workforces, devices and security needs evolve.

Sally Fuller, Mobile and Unified Mobility Director at BT, said:

“Customers want devices that are ready when their people need them. Working with Android and Ivanti has allowed us to create a simple and reliable way to switch on connectivity across Android devices. It removes processes which can slow organisations down and replaces it with a single digital process that works sustainably and at scale.”

The obvious catch here is that this feature currently only works with Android based Smartphones and devices, so hard luck if you’ve setup your business using Apple iOS-based iPhones etc. The announcement doesn’t mention if there are any plans for that.

UPDATE 10:12am

We’ve been informed that BT already offers support for Apple iOS customers.