Dynamic SIM Allocation™
A new way to activate prepaid SIM cards
Meeting the need for mobile subscriptions in highly • In certain cases, poor utilization of numbers or simply
competitive markets requires carriers to carefully number wastage can lead to the exhaustion of
balance supply and demand, optimizing costs without numbers in particular regions, leading to an inability
lowering competitiveness. Central to this are the to meet demand.
processes of ordering, distributing and provisioning
• It is difficult to offer prepaid customers the option to
SIM cards, especially for cards associated with
choose their number. However, offering number
prepaid subscriptions which are commonly pre-
choice can represent a significant competitive
provisioned.
advantage, especially in markets where a great
Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, these business significance is placed on certain numbers, as well as
processes have flaws that cost carriers money and potential incremental revenue.
constrain the ways to grow revenue.
• In countries where carriers are being required to
Current processes are inefficient capture registration details for prepaid users, the
availability of pre-provisioned SIM cards leads to
In an effort to have the widest possible distribution compliance issues.
model for mass-market prepaid subscriptions, most
carriers employ a pre-provisioning process for prepaid Dynamic SIM Allocation is an
SIM cards. Each SIM card, associated with its IMSI, innovative alternative
has a MSISDN allocated to it before it is
manufactured. The allocation, or pairing, of a MSISDN Until now, many carriers have had no way to tackle these
to an IMSI creates a subscription used by the network inefficiencies. The option to delay the provisioning of a
for, amongst other things, authentication. The subscription until the point-of-sale, and so only pair an
subscription is provisioned in the network well before IMSI and MSISDN at that time, requires tremendous
the SIM card reaches a retail outlet or end user so that infrastructure in the shops and retailers, in wide area
new prepaid phones work immediately once sold. But networks, and in the carriers’ back office. In a large
the approach has some disadvantages: number of countries, the provisioning at point-of-sale
model is simply not achievable without a massive
• If the numbering plan or the carrier’s core network restriction in the distribution network. Even in companies
is organized geographically, SIM card distribution with extensive retail operations, an alternative which
logistics and forecasting are made difficult. reduces costs and reaches more potential subscribers is
• If the carrier has to pay a numbering authority for desirable.
number ranges, this cost is incurred well before To meet this need for a cost-effective alternative, Evolving
the subscription starts to generate revenue. Poor Systems has designed its Dynamic SIM Allocation™
utilization of numbers results in unnecessary solution that offers a new way to activate prepaid SIM
costs. cards. It provides the advantages of provisioning at point-
• Because every SIM card has an MSISDN of-sale but without the infrastructure demands, allowing
allocated to it before manufacture, lost, damaged carriers to preserve or extend their distribution network. At
or unsold SIM cards represent wasted the same time, the solution reduces many of the costs in
expenditure. managing the supply and demand of SIM cards by
addressing the business process inefficiencies.
Like the point-of-sale provisioning model, when • Incremental revenue opportunities
using the Dynamic SIM Allocation solution SIM
The number selection dialogue with the end user can
cards are ordered and shipped without allocating
be enhanced to offer the ability to search for vanity
an MSISDN with the IMSI, and subscriptions are
number patterns, and to apply tiered charging for
not pre-provisioned in the network.
more valuable numbers.
When the SIM card is sold, and the prepaid user
Extending this model further, the interaction with a
switches the phone on for the first time, the phone’s
subscriber at the time of first use provides an
connection to the network is detected by the Dynamic
opportunity to offer additional value added services –
SIM Allocation solution, which completes the process
provisioning these via the interface that the solution
of resource allocation and provisioning. This process
already has with the carrier’s provisioning systems.
has been designed by Evolving Systems after many
years’ extensive experience of resource
management, provisioning and network integration,
and is protected by a pending U.S. patent. About Evolving Systems®
The MSISDN and IMSI are allocated on first use of Evolving Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ-EVOL) is a provider
the SIM, based on the user’s location or other of software and services to more than 70 network
preferences. The necessary information can be operators in over 45 countries worldwide. Its portfolio
captured automatically, and the process completed includes market-leading products for Activation,
without any interaction with the user. Or information Dynamic SIM Allocation, Number Portability, Number
can be collected through a dialogue with the user via Management and Mediation. Founded in 1985, the
the handset. This dialogue provides a powerful Company has headquarters in Englewood, Colorado,
platform to allow interactive number selection, to sell with offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, India
vanity numbers, or to offer other value-added and Malaysia. Further information is available on the
services. web at [Link]
Carrier Benefits
© Evolving Systems and Dynamic SIM Allocation are
• Reduce SIM card inventory registered trademarks of Evolving Systems, Inc. or Evolving
Systems Limited in the United States and/or other countries.
By improving the geographic mobility of SIM cards in Dynamic SIM Allocation has a patent pending.
the supply chain, the total number of SIM cards
required by a carrier in a given period can be
reduced.
• Reduce network capacity requirement / costs
Delaying network provisioning until a SIM card is used
means that SIM cards that never generate revenue do
not consume expensive network element capacity.
• Improve competitiveness
Number selection can be offered to prepaid
customers, without having to invest in additional retail
infrastructure.
The solution helps ensure the availability of numbers,
reducing the risk and revenue impact of losing
customers to competing carriers.
• Improve utilization of MSISDN inventory
More efficient use of numbers means less number
blocks are required – reducing expenditure on
number block purchase and annual fees.
Evolving Systems, Inc., 9777 Pyramid Court, Suite 100, Englewood, CO 80112 U.S. [Link]