Customer Profile – GPS Tracker/ Navigation Hardware Manufacturer
This China-based company specializes in designing and manufacturing GPS tracking, navigation, and wireless communication products such as vehicle trackers, real-time environmental monitoring tools, intelligent portable terminals, Bluetooth beacon terminals, and pet trackers. In addition, the company provides a wireless service to connect its devices with a proprietary GPS tracking platform that is compatible with both desktop and mobile devices. Renowned as an industry leader for its customized design solutions, this rapidly-growing manufacturer now distributes products to over 150 countries worldwide.
Business Challenges
A manufacturer of GPS trackers, navigation systems, and wireless communication products, aimed to broaden its market by distributing devices with wireless connectivity across a large geographic area. The company planned to create a comprehensive solution that combined a SIM card, data plan, and customer portal, allowing it to generate predictable monthly revenue and grow quickly. However, this strategy presented technical challenges for the China-based company.
- Sourcing Inefficiencies: The manufacturer sourced SIMs through many local carriers, creating a cumbersome process for contracting, invoicing, integration, and support.
- Coverage and Rate Challenges: Since the company worked with multiple providers, it faced difficulties in obtaining competitive rates for broad global coverage.
With the potential to distribute fully connected devices to a large customer base, the company preferred to design and test a new solution before committing to a connectivity partner.
The Globalgig Solution
Globalgig proposed a bundled package to help the manufacturer broaden its market, featuring a global SIM that offered coverage in 50 countries. To ensure the success of this proof-of-concept before proceeding with a large-scale rollout, the Globalgig team provided significant support during the design and testing process, including:
- Obtaining triple cut SIMs in various sizes to fit different devices, capable of supporting the migration to 4G technology.
- Securing data plans ranging from 5 to 10 MB per SIM, with a pre-paid option available online for simple billing.
- Conducting two testing phases: first with 15,000 SIM cards for 10 different devices, then with 10,000 SIM cards for four devices.
- Working closely with the manufacturer to design packaging that fits each device and crafting simpler instructions to help users get started.
- Developing a wholesale portal that enables end customers to manage usage across all their device SIMs or change data plans.
- Providing Tier 2 support once the solution went live.
Results – An Efficient, Cost-Effective Solution Ready to Roll Out
Globalgig successfully completed this extensive project, including two phases of rigorous proof of concept testing, within a span of 12 months. The solution provided the manufacturer with three critical advantages:
- An efficient, streamlined process for working with SIM carriers
- Lower costs, as a result of working with one global SIM for coverage across 50 countries
- A better end-user experience, from initial onboarding through ongoing service and support
With the support of the optimal connectivity solution, the manufacturer is now implementing its global expansion plan by distributing a bundled, all-in-one solution through various partners and online channels. The company is currently selling its complete solution online, leveraging distribution channels such as Amazon, across multiple regions including Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Canada, the US, and Mexico.