BlackBerry, which has been busy restructuring itself as an enterprise and security company, is all set to bring Virtual SIM Provisioning (VSP) to India. VSP basically is a virtual identity solution for mobile operators, that allows multiple numbers to be active on a single device or SIM card.
BlackBerry is looking to get this technology into India by the virtue of its acquisition of London based virtual identity solutions player, Movirtu. The acquisition happened in September 2014, and BlackBerry is already rolling out similar solutions in Africa, Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director, BlackBerry India told us.
BlackBerry Plans to Roll Out Virtual SIM in India by Year End :
Handset maker BlackBerry on Thursday said it is in discussions with regulatory authorities and telecom operators in India to launch its virtual SIM solution by year-end.
Using the solution, consumers will be able to use as many as nine mobile numbers through a single SIM card.
“We are seeking clearance from regulatory authorities. We are also conducting pilots for the solution with operators here. We hope to launch the virtual SIM solution by end of the year,” BlackBerry India Managing Director Sunil Lalvani told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday.
Last year, the Canadian firm had acquired virtual identity solutions provider, Movirtu, to beef up its offerings for enterprise customers.
ALSO SEE :
- Microsoft Windows 10 Release Date in India
- Is Windows 10 Will be The Last Version of OS ?
- Samsung Galaxy A7 Smartphone With Octo – Core SoC Launched
“The technology allows an individual to have both, a personal and business number on a single mobile device, with separate billing for voice, data and messaging usage on each number. People can switch between business and personal profiles easily without carrying multiple devices or SIM cards,” he said.
Lalvani, however, declined to comment on the names of the partners.
He added that the solution has been deployed in certain parts of Africa and the company is in discussions for roll-outs in Europe and other Asia Pacific countries as well.
BlackBerry has been aggressively looking at expanding its software and services offering to the enterprise users as it loses ground in the hardware space amid stiff competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
According to research firm IDC, BlackBerry’s market share has declined from 8.1 percent in October-December 2011 to 0.4 percent in the last quarter of 2014.
The company, however, remains bullish on its handset business. It has announced the launch of BlackBerry Leap, which will be available in India from June. The price of the device in India will be announced closer to the launch.
One thought on “One Sim, 9 Numbers ? BlackBerry Plans to Launch Virtual Sim in India”