Season 2 Episode #22: What happens when a kid whose only goal was to become his dad's boss accidentally falls into IoT through a missing sensor reading? Jan Daniel Sulaiman, VP of Global IoT Solutions at 1NCE, shares how he helped build a global connectivity platform from a single room with fewer than 20 people.

We explore what it takes to operate 15 million connections across 175 countries, why 1NCE built custom network probes that detect outages before the local operator does, and how the platform evolved from basic connectivity to device-level awareness. We also dig into where AI is already delivering real value in IoT and the big question Jan is watching: is AI truly transformative like electricity, or will it go through the classic hype cycle like everything else?

From installing power plugs at six to VP of IoT - how a dad's influence, data lakes, and a trade show encounter shaped the journey

His dad taught him to use a screwdriver at six and build computers at twelve - his childhood goal was simply to become his dad's boss
He never planned to do IoT - it started with data warehouses at Heidelberg Cement and a missing sensor reading
A McKinsey-trained mentor who could read a spreadsheet in five minutes and distil it into three bullet points changed how he thinks about data
He discovered 1NCE at a trade show when it was one month old, joined when the company fit in one room, and helped build it from under 20 people

IoT like electricity - how 1NCE made global connectivity accessible and what it takes to run 15 million connections

Research firms predicted 10 billion IoT devices for years but the numbers never materialised because accessibility was the real blocker
1NCE changed the model: pay once per device, buy online, no contracting, works anywhere - like plugging into a socket
Small companies making pet trackers couldn't even get a big operator to answer the phone, let alone help with connectivity
The cloud-native core network deploys wherever customers need it, and a small engineering team in Riga achieved what larger investments elsewhere couldn't

Network probes, device awareness, and partnerships you can't build IoT without

They built custom IoT probes sent to locations worldwide that test every network every minute - sometimes detecting outages before the local operator does
The platform evolved from connectivity to data management to device awareness, now giving customers specific recommendations on battery life and stability
Nordic Semiconductor disrupted cellular modules the same way 1NCE disrupted pricing - shared mindset makes the best partnerships
In IoT there are too many moving parts for any one company to solve alone, which is why selective ecosystem partnerships drive the real customer value

AI in IoT - real value today, hype still attached, and the question of whether AI is electricity or just software

AI already helps: firmware development is more accessible, million-device datasets are actually analysable, and customer support runs 24/7 across 33,000 B2B customers
The hardest challenge is extracting years of human intuition from network operations engineers and teaching it to AI so nobody wakes up at 3am on a Sunday
The big question he's watching: will AI go through the classic hype cycle valley of depression, or skip it entirely like electricity and steam engines did?
Satellites plus AI could finally close the connectivity gaps that kept IoT predictions from coming true

Jan Daniel Sulaiman

VP Global IoT Solutions at 1NCE

Jan Daniel Sulaiman has over a decade of experience in tech, spanning big data, digital transformation, and IoT. Starting with data warehouses and innovation management at Heidelberg Cement, he joined 1NCE in its earliest days when the entire company fit in one room. He now leads the global IoT solutions team, driving solutions architecture, AI strategy, and customer experience across 175 countries. Outside of work, he DJs at trade shows and private events - most famously at 1NCE's booth at Mobile World Congress.

Josh William Burmistre-Griffiths

Digital Marketing and Paid Ad Specialist

Josh William Burmistre-Griffiths works at TestDevLab, focusing on digital marketing and paid advertising across multiple platforms. His past experience working at agencies and unicorn startups in Latvia has equipped Josh with the expertise and a unique perspective that combines hands-on experience with a deep understanding of how technology shapes modern marketing practices. Helping him bring valuable digital marketing insight to the Tech Effect podcast.

#41 Jan Daniel Sulaiman (1NCE): He Detects Network Outages Before the Operator Even Knows

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