British companies are moving their document management to cloud services and are actively investing in artificial intelligence. However, when travelling abroad, the limitations of the outdated roaming model remain the bottleneck of this entire infrastructure. Next-generation eSIM providers, such as Yesim, an innovative Swiss company and one of the pioneers in the travel eSIM market, are helping to integrate connectivity into the whole digital business management system and expand remote working capabilities.
Why traditional roaming is holding back digital transformation
The complexity of managing connections and the lack of transparency in the cost structure make it difficult to use roaming for corporate communications.
Outdated connection and administration processes
Traditional roaming depends on physical SIM cards and the terms and conditions of home operators, so it is difficult to automate its management. Before a trip, the IT department checks the rates for the destination country and activates the appropriate package for the employee. Any change, from installing a different SIM card to switching to a new tariff, is also done manually.
Scaling that depends on logistics
Manual management of SIM cards is tolerable as long as there are only a few employees. But when a company expands its business abroad, each new employee means another delivery and another number in the register. As a result, it becomes more difficult to manage connections and control expenses across multiple individual accounts.
Roaming as a source of additional costs
The terms of roaming packages are often far from aligned with the duration of business trips and actual data needs. For example, with daily billing, even a quick check of the work email can result in the full daily cost of the package being charged.
In addition, roaming does not provide a flexible range of limits to suit the needs of a particular traveller. If something gets used up before the end of the billing period, additional terms may apply: a more expensive package may be activated, or the billing terms may change. As a result, the cost of communication turns out to be higher than initially agreed. This forces management to spend time and energy on dealing with individual bills, which could be used to develop other projects.
Risks to the security of corporate data
In an effort to avoid exceeding their data allowance, employees may limit their use of mobile internet and rely on public Wi-Fi. By accessing corporate email and client documents over an unsecured network, they leave confidential data vulnerable to unauthorised access, which can lead to significant financial and reputational losses.
How eSIM fits into the digital infrastructure of a business
eSIM technology completely changes the connection process. Network operator profiles can be remotely installed and activated on the microchip built into compatible smartphones. This eliminates the need for companies to physically hand over SIM cards to employees.
Travel eSIM services operate on this technological basis. They combine a mobile app and a network of foreign partner operators, allowing users to choose plans tailored to different travel styles, monitor data usage, and manage expenses in real time.
An employee can set up the connection while still in the UK and activate mobile data upon arrival in another country. The main UK number remains on the smartphone and can receive SMS messages with verification codes for logging into corporate systems.
How travel eSIM saves money
One of the main advantages of travel eSIM is more affordable prices. Let’s compare the cost of services using the example of a week-long trip to Japan. O2 subscribers can use the O2 Travel package there for £7 per day. For seven days of daily use, the cost will be £49.
With Yesim, an unlimited package for Japan for the same period will cost £22.05. This is more than twice as cheap. Moreover, the data is purchased for the entire duration of the trip at once, and the finance department won’t have to recalculate the budget.
What changes for companies
The IT department enables communication through a digital service, without the logistics of physical SIM cards. A profile can be set up for an employee who is in another country, and there are fewer manual operations. Management can see how much mobile data each team uses. When a business enters a new market, new employees are provided with connectivity immediately after onboarding, without waiting for SIM cards to be delivered.
Yesim — the Swiss standard for travel connectivity
Founded in 2019, Yesim is an innovative Swiss company and one of the pioneers of the travel eSIM market, providing mobile internet to over 4 million users in more than 200 destinations. Both tourists and companies with international teams use the provider’s services. The service’s status as the official eSIM partner of the World Players Super League — the largest golf tour in the world, which holds over 1,800 tournaments annually in 50+ countries — speaks to the trust placed in it.
OneBalance — centralised management of corporate connectivity
The OneBalance digital platform consolidates employees’ mobile internet expenses into a single corporate account. The company tops up the overall balance and distributes the funds among the linked accounts itself. This gives the finance department a universal control tool that can be used to monitor data usage in real time, adjust allocated amounts, and generate reports.
Flexible plans for different types of trips
Having created tools for corporate clients, Yesim did not forget about frequent travellers. Depending on the payment method, they have access to three types of plans: fixed, unlimited, and pay-as-you-go. For example, the Pay & Fly plan operates on a pay-as-you-go model: you only pay for the data you actually use, starting from £0.83 per gigabyte, and the balance has no expiry date.
Global plans are suitable for those who are travelling to several countries. The Global Package covers more than 80 countries, while the Global Plus Package covers more than 140. Within each package, you can choose either a fixed amount of data or unlimited data, paying only for the days when your phone actually connects to the network.
Technologies for reliable connectivity
Thanks to SwitchLess Networks technology, the system automatically selects the strongest signal from more than 800 partner operators. In popular destinations, at least two local networks are available, so the connection remains stable both on business trips between cities and at major exhibitions, where a single operator’s network may not be able to cope with the load.
The proprietary Multiple eSIMs feature makes it easy to manage multiple profiles from a single account, which will be useful for small teams. Hotspot and tethering support also allows you to share internet from your smartphone to your laptop where there is no reliable Wi-Fi.
Easy connection and low entry barrier
It’s worth starting by checking the compatibility of your smartphone. Once checked user then downloads the Yesim app and selects the most suitable plan. You can install and configure an eSIM profile at home in the UK and activate mobile data after arrival.
Cautious users can check the quality of the connection before making a purchase without incurring significant costs. The trial plan includes 500 MB and costs just £0.45. And if you are using the service for the first time, you can get a 15% discount on your first order with the promo code GETYESIM15.
Conclusion
Yesim demonstrates how to turn corporate mobile connectivity into a streamlined digital process, eliminating the complexities of SIM card logistics and the unpredictability of roaming charges. “Reliable and easy access to the internet abroad has become a basic necessity. We believe that staying connected while travelling should become easier and more affordable, not more complicated,” emphasises Dmitri Verbоvski, Founder and CEO of Yesim.