There may be more than one active SIM card for every person on earth—over 8 billion, and some experts believe this figure is much higher. In South Africa, there are two active SIM cards for every person. SIM cards are everywhere—in our phones, internet routers, payment terminals, and Internet of Things devices.
Enterprises manage hundreds to thousands of corporate SIMs. Yet, many of them don’t take advantage of a special feature: private APNs.
The power of private corporate APNs
Every device with a SIM uses an APN or ‘access point name’ to access the internet. Most times, a SIM card is pre-configured to access an operator’s public APN, and when you put a new SIM into a phone, the operator shares APN update information.
A private APN is a unique access point that creates private connections on a mobile network. It’s like having an exclusive lane on a highway that nobody else can use. A private APN can create a secure connection between a device with a SIM card and an enterprise’s network. It still uses the mobile operator’s network, but without sharing space with public traffic.
Private APNs vs public internet
A variety of organisations use private APNs, especially where they require secure connections, such as in healthcare, legal, and education. They are also very useful for Internet of Things (IoT) devices because they provide fast connections with static IP addresses.
Private APNs have several advantages:
- Speed: They avoid network congestion because they follow private channels.
- Security: Only authorised SIMs can use a private APN.
- Direct connections: A company can apply its security and usage policies directly.
- Malware resilience: Many types of malicious software cannot bypass private APNs.
- Better monitoring: Private APNs make it easier to monitor services and detect issues.
- Data management: Companies can monitor data and apply usage policies.
- Manage access: Private APN policies can restrict what data and applications are accessible.
- Reverse bundles: Companies can control and allocate data per user.
Public internet connections offer only a few of these features and require additional services to do so. For example, a virtual private network (VPN) creates a secure and encrypted connection, but there’s no control over which IP addresses are accessed and they are often slower because they route traffic to third-party servers.
Devices using the public internet need a public APN or an access point such as WiFi. But with a private APN, they can connect directly to their business network on a mobile connection. It’s also challenging and expensive to set static IPs on public internet connections, making them less useful for IoT devices.
Does your business need a private APN?
If a company relies on IoT devices or has staff members who access business applications and data systems via mobile connections, it will benefit substantially from a private APN.
Network providers such as Vodacom Business offer more than just APN access. Their Corporate APN service can be enhanced by adding data and security management tools, and their technicians help companies configure private APNs to their authentication, security, and usage policies, fast and secure on mobile networks.
Don’t risk your most important data and systems on public internet connections. If your company manages business SIMs for employees and IoT devices, a private APN will centralise monitoring, control, and costs, and create private network connections that are fast, configurable, and easy to secure.
Explore how cloud trends and security are impacting the future of enterprise connectivity here.
