We are excited about the announcement from Verizon, in which the company launched a suite of improved home internet services, including the selection of SAM as the technology partner behind its Device ID solution. Device ID will improve the connected home by giving Verizon’s customers the ability to access accurate information about every connected device’s brand and model, as opposed to a cryptic MAC address identifier such as “d0:40:ef:98:8b” (for a smartphone). 

Verizon’s Device ID incorporates SAM’s latest artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques and expands upon SAM’s market-leading router-based device fingerprinting technology.

We are honored to be one of the trusted partners Verizon has selected to improve their customers’ quality of experience, and we truly believe that it sets a precedent for broadband service providers around the world. As is the case with Verizon’s Fios routers, SAM’s solution can be deployed to any network’s router, new or legacy, allowing subscribers to monitor their home network for new or previously unrecognized devices. This visibility results in a greater sense of control and comfort for the consumer, and it improves customer service and troubleshooting from the viewpoint of the network operator who is truly able to “see” the connected home network. 

What Verizon and SAM are addressing is an issue in the industry known as “digital blindness” – an inability to see the true network topology; in other words, what is really connected to the network? With thousands of smart home and IoT devices coming online every day, this can be very difficult to know what is using network resources, and it prevents network operators from effectively managing and supporting their customers’ networks. SAM eliminates this problem and lifts the fog obscuring the network topology. 

The ability to accurately fingerprint every device and truly “see” the connected home network offers service providers deeper insights into their customers’ networks that allow them to better identify and anticipate possible network connectivity issues as well as increase customer satisfaction. In essence, it allows them to become more proactive with an improved offering and smoother operations through traffic prioritization and advanced troubleshooting capabilities.

For end users, SAM’s solution can provide easy identification of all the devices connected to their network, allowing them to accurately manage their network. Enhanced user interfaces allow for the visibility required to apply settings and controls to the devices in their home while ensuring clarity on what devices are connected to the network. No longer will consumers need to guess what a connected device may be, based on a hexadecimal MAC address. Instead, they will be able to confidently select the right device based on detailed device fingerprints that cover all connected devices from the traditional computers, tablets, and phones to the latest connected devices including beds, BBQ grills, drones, and smart pet trackers.  

We often see that customers experience that ‘aha moment’ when they finally discover (and can clearly see) which devices are connected. Often these are previously unidentified devices that have simply been added over time or by other family members. All this results in a greater sense of control and comfort for the customer through increased awareness, the ability to accurately set parental controls, and much more.