AT&T is working with Microsoft to deliver an integrated IoT solution with Azure Sphere. This AT&T powered guardian device with Azure Sphere will help businesses transform their operations through IoT deployments.
AT&T, the third largest wireless operator in the United States, had 66 million IoT connections in 2019, Berg Insight says.

“AT&T is consolidating its position as market leader in North America, serving multinational clients on a global basis,” said Fredrik Stalbrand, senior analyst at Berg Insight. AT&T hold a strong position in the automotive OEM segment.

IoT connectivity services account for around 1 percent of total revenues for most operator groups.

Berg Insight’s analysis of the IoT business KPIs released by mobile operators in different parts of the world suggests that global IoT connectivity revenues increased by around 17 percent during 2019, while the monthly APRU dropped by 23 percent.

“Operators looking to increase IoT revenues increasingly focus on adding cloud services and security capabilities on top of their connectivity offering to capture a larger share of the IoT market,” Fredrik Stalbrand said.

The new solution combines the secured architecture of Azure Sphere, a comprehensive IoT security solution including hardware, OS and cloud services with Azure IoT services and the global and multi-layered security of AT&T’s core network.

The AT&T global SIM enables connectivity in more than 200 countries across 500 carriers. AT&T offers managed services to support day-to-day operations. The guardian device is easy to install and provides an end-to-end solution for connecting machines and equipment to the cloud, bypassing the need for public Internet.

Microsoft said the solution provides fast and highly secure activation right out of the box. It enables enterprises to easily connect existing equipment to the cloud and to Azure IoT Central.

Customers can connect their devices and machines to their own cloud environment without the need to connect to a Wi-Fi through a third party network connection that may not meet their high security standards.

“Our work with AT&T is an example of how the convergence of secure cloud computing and network technology helps businesses unlock new customer value and continuously simplify every aspect of our personal and professional lives,” said Corey Sanders, corporate vice president, Microsoft Solutions.

“Working with Microsoft we can offer a truly global solution with strong security and data insights that can help a broad array of industries simplify operations, manage costs, and become more agile in any market,” Mo Katibeh, executive vice president and chief product and platform officer, AT&T Business, said