Spitfire IoT revenue surges as UK customers adopt SIMs

A new group of customers has adopted Spitfire's IoT SIM and network service, with uptake spanning engineering, EV charging, building management and payments.

The telecoms provider said its IoT revenue rose 238% over the past 12 months, while the volume of its IoT operation increased 160%.

The new customer examples point to demand for mobile connectivity in equipment and systems that need remote access but use relatively small amounts of data. In each case, the businesses are using SIM-based links where fixed connections are difficult, costly or impractical to install.

One adopter is J S Power, a designer and manufacturer of diesel, biodiesel and hybrid generators. It uses remote monitoring to track measures including engine speed and battery voltage through gateways installed at customer sites.

That monitoring had relied on retail SIM cards bought from large mobile operators, with data allowances of 500MB to 1GB. Spitfire said its IoT SIM model charges for actual data consumption, which J S Power uses for generator monitoring.

ZOLB EV, a charge point operator focused on destination charging sites such as hospitality venues, retail locations and business premises, is also using the service. It installs chargers across the UK, including at sites where an ethernet connection to a data room is not practical.

For EV charging operators, connectivity affects the ability to install and run charge points outside more established roadside networks. Spitfire said its offering gives ZOLB EV the option of using either single-network or multi-network SIMs as its deployment base grows.

Another user is Edwards Modular Controls, which works in HVAC and building management systems. The business supports schools, hospitals, local councils and other public sector sites, and said it needed a remote access system as the number of managed locations increased.

At those sites, it deploys preconfigured Teltonika routers linked through a private network accessed through a VPN. Spitfire said its SIMs provide the mobile coverage for those installations.

Payment Kiosks, a supplier of self-service payment systems, has also adopted the connectivity service for kiosks in locations without conventional Wi-Fi or wired access. It was seeking an alternative to the fixed charges applied by its previous SIM supplier.

Customer feedback

Phil Marden, Project Manager, EMC, said: "It's been smooth sailing. The flexibility, reliability, and service we've had from Spitfire have all been spot on. For us, it's about being able to react quickly and support our customers with as little disruption as possible."

Another customer pointed to pricing and support. "We were looking for a business-focused provider, and Spitfire stood out straight away. The pricing was excellent, but just as importantly, the team is responsive, interested in our business and makes the whole process simple," said Tom Quarry, Managing Director, Payment Kiosks.

Growth area

The update gives a picture of where demand for IoT connectivity is emerging in the UK market. Rather than headline consumer applications, the examples centre on industrial equipment, charging infrastructure, building controls and unattended payment systems.

These deployments share a common requirement for dependable mobile links to devices operating in the field. They also reflect pressure on businesses to lower network costs by matching data charges more closely to usage, especially where many devices send only modest volumes of information.

Spitfire, which has operated for 35 years and said it has turnover of more than GBP23 million and more than 100 staff, offers voice, internet, IoT and wide area network services. It said customers have often faced a fragmented process when adopting IoT, with multiple supplier relationships, configuration complexity and security concerns around internet-exposed devices.

Harry Bowlby, Managing Director, Spitfire, said: "Our recent wave of customers adopting IoT connectivity solutions demonstrates just how transformational it can be for organisations, and it is always fantastic for our team to play a part in the success of our customers."

"One comment we hear from customers is how simple the process of adopting IoT has been for their businesses. Until now, deploying IoT solutions has usually called for multiple connectivity supplier relationships, involved complex configurations, and introduced security vulnerabilities through devices visible to internet-borne threats. Spitfire's One Network changes all of that," Bowlby said.