Westermo & CSL extend partnership to deliver mission-critical connectivity

Westermo and CSL have announced a new strategic partnership—their first collaboration to deliver a fully managed, end-to-end connectivity solution designed specifically for critical infrastructure. This integrated service combines Westermo’s rugged, cyber-secure networking hardware with CSL’s trusted managed connectivity platform, offering robust protection against escalating cyber threats.

The companies announced the partnership extension on the anniversary of 10 years of collaborating to serve customers in critical industries like utilities, rail, fire, and security, including projects such as Thames Water’s digital transformation project.

“Our partnership acknowledges the increasing risk of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure and reflects our shared commitment to proactively reducing vulnerabilities,” said Hiran Ravat, Head of IoT Business Development and Partnerships at CSL.

Tailored exclusively for essential sectors, the solution brings together the strengths of both companies: Westermo’s secure hardware and network management tools, and CSL’s resilient, managed communications service.

Matt Allpress, Channel and Water Utilities Account Manager at Westermo, highlighted the value for customers: “This collaboration goes beyond safeguarding corporate networks. It ensures end-to-end cybersecurity—from the origin of the hardware in the factory to the continuous monitoring and maintenance required for secure, uninterrupted service.”

As part of their strategic partnership, Westermo has now fully integrated CSL’s revolutionary rSIM technology into its industrial networking solutions. Following an extensive and rigorous testing process, Westermo’s Network Applications Team has validated full compatibility between rSIM and its entire range of cellular routers—including the Merlin, Ibex, and MRD series.

The rSIM is the world’s first intelligent, resilient SIM card, capable of monitoring connectivity in real time and dynamically switching profiles to ensure maximum uptime.

“I was genuinely impressed by how intuitive the rSIM is to use, its seamless roaming capabilities, and the level of resilience it offers,” said Vince Collis, Principal Engineer – Network Applications Team UK at Westermo. “During testing, all we needed to do was input the APN details—rSIM’s roaming took care of the rest. We were able to view live SIM data, including the active local operator and profile, through the portal, which also displayed detailed status and historical performance for both profiles. This transparency helped confirm the resilience of the connection across all devices, from legacy MRD routers to our latest Merlin and Ibex models.”

One standout feature during testing was the simulated outage function, which demonstrated real-time failover between SIM profiles, without requiring any special router configuration. “It’s like having dual-SIM performance in a single SIM,” added Collis. “Traditional setups demand cellular monitoring configuration within the router. With rSIM, all of that is handled internally, saving time and reducing complexity.”

Matt Allpress, Channel and Water Utilities Account Manager at Westermo, commented: “I’m excited to now share this joint Westermo-CSL solution—rugged industrial hardware combined with intelligent, resilient connectivity. It’s a perfect fusion of technologies.”

“For our utility customers, this means a robust, future-proof solution for areas with unreliable coverage and a safety net for those unexpected outages no one wants to admit to. But the value extends well beyond utilities—this solution also supports sectors like Transport & Logistics, where resilience is critical in harsh environments like railways and motorways, and Retail & Hospitality, where downtime is simply not an option. With rSIM, our customers get true ‘belt and braces’ resilience.”

Learn more about how rSIM is redefining resilient IoT connectivity for Utilities and other mission-critical sectors.