Samsung will become one of the first consumer electronics manufacturers to offer a direct cellular connection to its wearable devices through a deal with digital security company Oberthur Technologies.
The France-headquartered company said Samsung is embedding its DakOTa eUICC in Gear S2 smart watches that will be sold by TeliaSonera, giving the South Korean vendor a leading position in terms of offering wearable devices that can connect to cellular networks.
In a statement, Oberthur announced that TeliaSonera is completing the connection using its M-Connect product, which will enable the Nordic operator's subscribers to remotely download subscription packages to the Gear S2. Subscription information will be distributed in a voucher containing a QR code that, once scanned using a dedicated Samsung application on a smartphone, automatically downloads the relevant information to the Gear S2 using Bluetooth.
Marek Juda, MD of Oberthur's Connected Device Makers business, said the company and Samsung are enabling "TeliaSonera to provide their subscribers with a very convenient and fully digitised customer experience".
Samsung's SVP of R&D at its Mobile Communications business, Yunsang Park, said the cellular connected Gear S2 is a "step forward in our commitment to support the development of the IoT market."
Oberthur stated that the process complies with the GSMA's recently announced Consumer Remote SIM Provisioning specification, which the association unveiled in February.
The digital security company added that its remote provisioning product is designed to ensure "full privacy and security for MNO credentials," and that end-users will be able to use the Gear S2 to "make calls, receive notifications and use data services directly, even if the smartphone is off or out of reach."
TeliaSonera was one of nine European operators that worked with the GSMA to develop the remote provisioning specification. Jesper Hedblom, the operator's chief commercial officer, said the collaboration with Oberthur enables the company to "extend our subscription offer to a new generation of connected devices and allow our customers to be even more connected -- on their terms."
Samsung's smart watches took a 16 per cent share of global shipments of 8.1 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015, according to recent figures from Strategy Analytics.
For more:
- see this Oberthur Technologies announcement
- view this GSMA release
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