The evolution of IoT solutions is – and in no way do we word this bombastically – legitimately revolutionizing entire industries.
Let’s talk about the automotive industry, specifically.
IoT is pushing automotive advancements to the edge in exceptionally valuable ways. From real-time traffic monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities to full-blown connected car ecosystems and in-cabin presence detection sensors that are able to determine if a child or pet has been left unsupervised in the heat, it’s wild the kind of future we’re progressively unlocking.
And sure, nothing yet is of utopian-esque perfection; that much is clear.
But still, progress is progress.
Furthermore, with technologies that are able to process and analyze data at the edge – within vehicles themselves; just take a look at automakers’ leaps in C-V2X and what is possible in vehicle-to-vehicle communications, connectivity for roadside infrastructure and more – IoT is capable of powering greater means of safer, more intelligent transport.
In this vein, let’s talk briefly about the non-profit Automotive Edge Computing Consortium (AECC).
According to several industry estimates, the still-maturing connected vehicle ecosystem will need to transfer “up to 10 billion gigabytes of data to the cloud each month,” which is much, much more than networks today can handle.
This is a problem, and solving it is why the AEEC exists – to develop the network architectures and computing infrastructure required to responsibly enable connected vehicle services on a global scale. The AECC works with business leaders the world over to drive (pun intended) enhancements to edge network operations, enabling extremely high-volume data services to deliver reliable safety and efficiency-centric connected vehicle services for years to come.
Current AECC Charter Members include the likes of Ericsson and Toyota, and a whole cornucopia of Contributor Members include Cisco, Fujitsu, NTT, Oracle and now (as of this week), none other than advanced IoT services provider Soracom.
When we last discussed Soracom, we recapped its strategic partnerships with other organizations and its overall growth in the IoT space. From deployment-simplifying services powered by GenAI and machine learning to configurable LTE-M-based smart buttons for eSIMs, industrial-grade SIM offerings for rugged IIoT use cases, and connectivity demands being met in Brazil and across Europe. (Read the full recap here.)
We also had the opportunity to speak with Soracom co-founder and CEO Kenta Yasukawa around the time of February’s IoT Evolution Expo 2024. (Read here for details about the expo in 2025.) The conversation with Yasukawa covered Soracom’s journey in IoT, the company’s extensive IoT platform, and industry challenges that Soracom is actively tackling.
This brings us to present day; Soracom, as mentioned, has joined the AECC.
Yesterday, the official announcement stated that “Soracom will collaborate with AECC members to evaluate the work being done by mobile network operators, automotive manufacturers, communication companies, cloud players and other related technology standards bodies and technology communities to ensure that new technologies and standards will meet the future needs of connected vehicles.”
It's a lot to absorb; that said, by what we’ve seen, Soracom is well-equipped to take all this on.
At a recent AECC All Member meeting, Yasukawa delivered a presentation. In it, he described how “Connected vehicle services, such as intelligent driving and high-definition mapping, will require secure and reliable connectivity to connect to the cloud. As an AECC member, Soracom will work with the organization’s global member base to identify a next-generation solution for vehicles to securely connect with their cloud backend to support high-volume data and intelligent services.”
Yasukawa continued, affirming that “We will conduct a proof of concept of an authentication and secure channel for connected cars using GSMA specification SGP22/32 embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) with AECC members Toyota and ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC), and share the results.”
The AECC Board of Directors made a statement, as well.
“We’re very pleased to welcome Soracom,” the Board wrote. “Soracom’s technology and experience make them invaluable collaborators for AECC as we work together on solutions for the next generation of connected vehicles.”
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
