MSPs (managed IT service providers) are perhaps best known for monitoring and maintaining PCs, servers, network infrastructure and cloud services. But Irdeto of Amsterdam sees a managed services opportunity in the electric vehicle (EV) charging station market.
Indeed, the company has launched Irdeto CrossCharge -- which allows EV drivers to roam between different CPOs (charging point operators) -- similar to the way cell phone and smartphone users securely roam between different mobile phone networks, the company asserts.
The Irdeto CrossCharge launch surfaced roughly three weeks after Tesla announced plans to open a portion of its U.S. charging infrastructure to outside manufacturers for the first time (as reported by Car and Driver). As part of that plan, at least 7,500 Tesla chargers will become available for non-Tesla EVs by the end of 2024, the report said.
Still, Irdeto wants to open all charging stations for all CPOs to all EVs. With that goal in mind, Irdeto CrossCharge "allows OEMs, CPOs, and MSPs to create or participate in charging ecosystems that enable their customers to access a smooth charging experience through a reliable, and secure service designed with and for them. It provides a complete set of managed services for all EV ecosystem participants, meaning that companies only need one contract and interface to give their EV customers easy access to all charging stations," the company said.
Irdeto, founded in 1969, offers security solutions in such markets as video entertainment, video games, and connected industries including transport, health and infrastructure. The company had 1,048 employees listed on LinkedIn as of March 2023.
The Irdeto Partner Program features relationships with dozens of well-known technology companies, IT consulting firms and cloud service providers. However, we don't know how many of those relationships align with the Irdeto CrossCharge launch. Moreover, the Irdeto CrossCharge announcement did not mention any initial partners, so it's unclear how many CPOs plan to embrace the managed service at launch.
