Key Takeaways

  • The organization argues that enterprise security consolidation still leaves cellular and satellite connectivity outside the main control plane.
  • It reports that 10% to 15% of deployed IoT devices across its customer base are inoperable at any given time.
  • Treating SIM and eSIM profiles as security identities could extend asset governance into carrier-managed networks.

Enterprise security's acquisition boom has brought identity, observability, and asset intelligence into increasingly broad platforms. Yet Simetric notes that those investments still leave a significant blind spot: distributed devices that connect through cellular and satellite networks outside an enterprise's direct control.

The argument comes as major technology vendors assemble integrated security and operations portfolios. Historical data suggests connectivity protection often lags behind other capabilities; according to 451 Research, security was the primary rationale in only 9 of 305 IoT-related acquisitions. While companies like Cisco continue to develop portfolios around major transactions such as the $28 billion Splunk acquisition, dedicated IoT connectivity security is frequently overlooked during industry consolidation.

Those transactions reflect a wider shift away from isolated security products. Identity data, IT and operational technology visibility, telemetry, and AI-assisted workflows increasingly feed shared control planes. Armis, Claroty, and Nozomi Networks have also helped establish asset discovery and risk monitoring across IT, OT, and IoT environments.

Many connected assets do not communicate through enterprise-managed networks. Utility meters, vehicle trackers, field routers, point-of-sale terminals, and first-responder equipment may depend entirely on external mobile operators or satellite providers. A conventional security platform might identify unusual device traffic without seeing the SIM profile, roaming status, or carrier-side controls behind it.

That distinction matters operationally as well as technically. The company consistently reports that 10% to 15% of an enterprise customer's deployed IoT devices are inoperable at any given time. Devices may be silently offline, incorrectly provisioned, or otherwise unreachable. At fleet scale, that can create gaps in service, compliance evidence, and revenue-generating operations. It also leaves organizations paying for hardware and compute capacity that is not producing value.

Existing guidance supports taking a broader view of device risk. NIST notes in SP 800-213 that many IoT devices lack cybersecurity functions commonly found in conventional IT equipment. CISA recommends introducing security during the planning phase of IoT acquisition, including scrutiny of hard-coded passwords and insecure firmware. ENISA similarly emphasizes secure configuration, update capabilities, hardening, and lifecycle management.

Procurement controls, however, cover only part of the problem. What happens after a device is deployed across several carriers, countries, and connectivity types? Organizations may face hundreds of operator portals, inconsistent data models, and separate management processes. An eSIM profile can change while an enterprise asset record remains untouched. A device can roam unexpectedly, consume unusual volumes of data, or stop communicating without creating a clear incident in the central security stack.

The connectivity platform operates above those carrier systems rather than as a replacement for them. Counterpoint Research describes this category as Connectivity Management Orchestration, while Transforma Insights uses Distributed Workflow Management. In practical terms, this normalizes connections spanning hundreds of operators and satellite services into one enterprise control plane.

The approach treats SIM and eSIM profiles as attributable, actionable security identities. Customers can use the system to identify connectivity status, quarantine devices, exchange profiles, and change rate plans at the SIM level. Destination intelligence can also add context about where a device is communicating, rather than reporting traffic volume alone. Governance data can then flow into enterprise systems such as ServiceNow.

There is a commercial angle, naturally. eSIM adoption could bring tens of billions of additional devices online, while AI agents are beginning to make more operational decisions across device fleets. Giving those agents fragmented or incomplete connectivity data would limit their usefulness and could introduce unmonitored operational risks.

The board member, president, and chief strategy officer at Simetric frames connectivity as the missing layer beneath recent security deals. The larger takeaway is less about replacing platforms from ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, or Cisco than extending their workflows into carrier-controlled infrastructure. For enterprises managing widely dispersed assets, the SIM may increasingly function as both a connectivity credential and a security control point.