Within the consumer specification, profile management is handled by the Local Profile Assistant (LPA). This component enables users to download eSIM profiles from an operator’s eSIM Subscription Manager platform (SM-DP+).
This approach is not suitable for IoT environments. IoT devices typically operate autonomously, without user interaction, and are often difficult to access physically. For this reason, the GSMA introduces the IoT Profile Assistant (IPA) within SGP.32 as a replacement for the LPA.
The IPA provides the functional foundation for remote eSIM profile management using the existing SM-DP+ infrastructure, without relying on local user actions. It facilitates communication between the device and the provisioning architecture and acts as the technical entry point for every provisioning flow.
Depending on the device architecture, the IPA can:
- run on the device itself (IPA.d), or
- be implemented on the eSIM (IPA.e)
In both cases, the IPA has an executing role. It initiates and supports provisioning processes but does not make decisions about when or why profiles are downloaded or switched. That control is explicitly handled elsewhere within the SGP.32 architecture.
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