JSE-listed Vodacom and technology giant Samsung have teamed up to launch a new service to allow customers to connect and link a number of devices and wearables to their primary account using the same phone number.
Vodacom’s new service – OneNumber – will enable customers with multiple devices with embedded-sim (eSim) capabilities, such as smartwatches, tablets, additional phones, laptops and cars, to connect to the Vodacom network through the users’ primary number.
Partnering with Samsung, Vodacom is showcasing the technology through the first eSim- enabled devices, the Samsung Galaxy LTE Watch 42 mm and 46 mm, which will be linked to the OneNumber service.
“Customers who sign up or upgrade to one of the new Samsung Galaxy S10 range devices can bundle it with the new eSim Samsung Galaxy LTE Watch,” says Vodacom consumer business unit chief officer Jorge Mendes.
Vodacom OneNumber enables a multiringing functionality that allows customers to take calls and access data, messages, emails or urgent meetings in their calendar on the go from their smart watch or eSim-enabled wearables, without having to carry around the primary hand-held devices or being disconnected from the Vodacom network.
Mendes explains that, as the world evolves, hyperpersonalisation and contextual marketing will become the norm, with an explosion in wearables and smart devices expected over the next few years.
All linked devices will consume data, SMS and voice bundles from the primary account.
Vodacom plans to activate this support for other wearables and eSim-enabled devices in due course.