From kiosk to cloud: engineering Sim Local’s leap into the eSIM future

How eSIM is reshaping travel

In telecom, one change is quietly redefining the landscape: embedded SIMs (eSIMs). For travelers, they mean digital onboarding, no more plastic cards, and seamless connectivity. For providers, they open new business models, but bring new technical challenges.

Sim Local, a global leader in SIM distribution across the travel retail sector, recognised the opportunity early. With validation from customers and interest from international partners, the company set out to launch a digital eSIM offering.

The potential was clear. But to meet it, Sim Local needed a flexible and scalable digital platform and a way to deliver quickly.

When product momentum outpaces the platform

Sim Local needed an engineering foundation that could match the pace. The challenges were complex but common to any growing digital platform:

• Evolving requirements in a fast-changing product environment
• Pressure to bring an interim solution to market
• A growing backlog of feature requests and client integration needs
• The need to onboard global partners while stabilising internal systems

This wasn’t just a matter of hiring more developers. It was about strengthening the technical approach, aligning delivery, and building for the future.

How the partnership took shape

Sonalake joined Sim Local during a period of high momentum and increasing complexity. Initially, the goal was to add engineering capacity with a cross-functional team of Java and React developers.

As delivery needs evolved, our team became more involved in architectural discussions, technical decision-making, and delivery governance. Working closely with Sim Local’s internal product and engineering teams, we helped build clarity around priorities and create a delivery framework that supported speed without sacrificing stability.

Getting to market with flexibility

The first phase of work focused on enabling Sim Local to move quickly while keeping long-term options open. We helped design and develop a flexible interim platform, an MVP that supported early partner onboarding and market entry without locking the business into a rigid architecture.

Key contributions included:

• Defining a modular platform structure
• Delivering essential features for partner testing and early adoption
• Establishing a delivery approach that supported both agility and control

This approach gave Sim Local room to experiment, learn, and adapt as the market response evolved.

Built for the future

With early validation in place, Sim Local was ready to invest in a more permanent platform that could support international growth. Working in close collaboration, we helped define and implement a new architecture focused on long-term scalability and extensibility.

The platform was restructured to support:

• Full B2C and B2B sales workflows
• High-volume international traffic
• Smooth partner onboarding
• Ongoing product iteration and expansion

We also supported the introduction of a Design Authority Group to ensure architectural alignment, carried out a technical gap analysis to surface risks and opportunities, and embedded engineers across Sim Local’s backend, frontend, and mobile teams to maintain continuity and speed.

Results that set the stage for growth

Sim Local’s new platform has delivered on both near-term goals and long-term needs:

• A scalable, production-ready eSIM sales engine
• Faster and more consistent product delivery
• Reduced technical debt and a stronger architectural foundation
• Streamlined onboarding for new partners
• Improved engineering velocity across teams

The platform now provides the stability and flexibility Sim Local needs to serve growing global demand for eSIM travel connectivity.

A clear path forward

Engineering transformation isn’t only about building what’s needed today. It’s about setting the right pace, making informed architectural choices, and aligning technical delivery with commercial ambition.

By working closely with Sim Local across two key phases: interim delivery and long-term platform development, we helped support a successful shift into digital eSIM sales.

The result is a platform that’s built to grow, adapt, and evolve with a changing market.

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