Originally published in Comms Business.
We’ve expanded this version with practical guidance and deeper insight drawn from our work with over 600 partners.
“IoT is booming.” That’s what the headlines say. And they’re not wrong — with an average CAGR of 26.1%, and EBITDA multiples as high as 24x, IoT isn’t just a growing market. It’s a high-value one.
That’s why private equity has been snapping up IoT specialists. It’s why connectivity portfolios with even a small IoT share are commanding higher valuations. And it’s why forward-thinking channel players are making moves to diversify.
But for many resellers and MSPs, it can still feel like a tough sell.
The opportunities are exciting — but they can also be hard to define, hard to price, and sometimes even harder to explain to customers.
For all the talk of smart cities and AI, most resellers are still selling SIMs in routers and hoping it adds up.
So if you’ve ever found yourself thinking “we should be doing more with IoT” but not quite sure where to start, you’re not alone.
The real blocker isn’t technology — it’s clarity.
Most partners aren’t short on customer relationships or technical expertise. But IoT doesn’t sell like traditional IT and telecoms. It’s not about speeds, feeds, or line rental. And it doesn’t always start with a customer asking for it by name.
What’s often missing is a clear, scalable way to identify IoT opportunities, position them in a way customers understand, and deliver them through the model partners already know: secure, managed, margin-positive connectivity.
That’s what needs to change. And the good news is, it doesn’t take a business overhaul to get there. Just a shift in approach.
Partner insight:
We’ve seen this shift happen quickly once partners realise they don’t need to ‘sell IoT’ — they just need to help customers solve a problem in a hard-to-reach or high-risk environment.
One reseller reframed their connectivity portfolio around “outcomes where broadband fails” — and within 8 weeks, they’d repositioned an entire offer that tripled deal size and unlocked upsell conversations with existing customers.
Most resellers already have the right foundations: customer trust, operational know-how, and service experience. What unlocks momentum is reframing IoT, not as a separate product category, but as a smarter way to deliver connectivity where fixed lines can’t reach or won’t cut it.
Because in the channel, IoT almost always means devices that rely on mobile networks to stay connected — lifts, payment terminals, cameras, alarms, sensors.
The real opportunity is helping your customers keep those devices online, secure, and under control, no matter where they are. That’s where cellular IoT connectivity shines.
Field example:
A partner we work with supports connected body-worn cameras for frontline staff. It’s not about the camera — it’s about always-on upload, compliance, and evidence protection. Without reliable cellular connectivity, the whole solution breaks down.
That’s the kind of value resellers can unlock when they shift focus from the SIM to the service it enables.
Think of cellular IoT connectivity as solution-fit connectivity: a way to match the right kind of connectivity to the specific job it needs to do.
That means:
It’s not about selling something entirely new. It’s about applying what you already do — with the right connectivity, in the right place, for the right reason, for a new set of use cases.
Partner tip:
If you’re not sure where to start, audit your current install base. Which customers rely on fixed connectivity in ways that could be vulnerable? Where are downtime or visibility gaps costing them money? That’s where cellular fits.
You don’t need new customers — just a new lens.
Working with hundreds of partners, we’ve seen the same friction points crop up again and again. They’re not deal-breakers — they’re all solvable with the right tools and mindset.
“We’re selling SIMs, but the customer doesn’t see the value.”
Because the real value isn’t in the SIM. It’s in what the SIM enables.
Think: always-on, secure card machines in retail. Real-time monitoring of moving assets. Remote management of critical infrastructure.
“NB-IoT” isn’t a value prop. “Meet public sector data compliance for air quality monitoring” is.
Deeper guidance:
This is where story framing makes a difference. Don’t talk about SIM features. Talk about what’s at stake if that connection drops — whether it’s lost revenue, missed SLAs, or regulatory non-compliance.
“Customers aren’t asking for IoT.”
That’s normal. Most won’t use the term “IoT” — they’ll talk about pain points.
“My broadband doesn’t reach here.”
“I need to track this asset in the field.”
“I can’t afford downtime.”
IoT demand is often latent. You won’t get pulled into these deals — you have to uncover them, lead the conversation, and show them cellular IoT connectivity is the answer.
Sales tip:
We arm our partners with ‘trigger questions’ that reframe the conversation:
“What’s your plan if this site loses broadband?”
“How do you know this asset is still online and secure?”
“How are you monitoring uptime across remote locations?”
These aren’t tech questions. They’re operational. And they’re how real IoT conversations start.
“We’re not sure how to deliver it at scale.”
This is where enablement from the right provider makes the difference.
With the right support — real-time connectivity diagnostics, a white-label management platform, marketing support, scalable provisioning — you don’t have to build the teams or infrastructure yourself.
You just need to plug in with confidence.
Partner example:
A partner came to us wanting to resell SIMs for utility firm. Instead, we helped them build a white-label IoT offer with diagnostics, multi-network failover, and remote provisioning.
That’s the power of delivery scaffolding: your brand, your customer, our infrastructure.
The resellers who are succeeding in IoT right now aren’t trying to do everything. They’re doing one or two things well.
They’ve picked a use case — say, backup connectivity for retail sites, or managed connectivity for lift alarms — and built a simple, repeatable offer around it.
With the right commercial model and tools behind them, they’re delivering it profitably and at scale.
Partner playbook:
1. Start with one sector or need (e.g. remote compliance, downtime mitigation
2. Use our SIM management portal tools to deliver confidently
3. Bundle with services you already offer
4. Track outcomes. Refine. Scale.
One repeatable win is worth ten speculative conversations.
If IoT still feels like a tough sell, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
You don’t need to have it all figured out to get started — just one problem you can solve, one outcome your customers need, and one way to deliver it with confidence.
That’s how you turn IoT from a buzzword into a growth engine.
We support a growing network of over 600 partners, from the UK's largest and most established resellers, to fast-scaling specialists landing six-figure IoT deals.
_white.svg)
