Korea Telecom has selected Gemalto to provide the eSIM management technology needed for connected cars. The telecom will use Gemalto’s On-Demand Connectivity platform.

Gemalto says its Internet of Things connectivity solution is compatible with Korea Telecom’s GiGA drive connected car platform, as well as the GSMA Remote SIM Provisioning specifications. That means car makers seeking to offer connected services through GiGA drive will be able to remotely activate or change network subscriptions for vehicles featuring embedded SIMs via the Gemalto ODC platform.

With the current speed of the connected car’s evolution, the collaboration is poised to have an almost immediate effect. In a statement announcing the partnership, Korea Telecom Connected Car Business Head and VP Kangrim Choi asserted, “Gemalto’s solutions will help strengthen our partnerships with 13 major automotive brands in 6 major countries to drive the adoption of our GiGA drive platform”. Choi also suggested that Gemalto’s out-of-the-box connectivity solution for IoT, together with Korea Telecom’s involvement in a public-private partnership to develop a suburban test site for self-driving cars near Seoul, “will help us attain our goal of being a market leader in the new connected car era.”

For Gemalto, meanwhile, the collaboration offers its latest foothold in the nascent connected car market, with the company having already established a strong presence through previous efforts like facilitating virtual mobile car keys for Mercedes-Benz and providing an eSIM provisioning solution for an ‘Internet Car’ developed by Alibaba and SAIC Motor Corporation.