San Francisco, May 18 (IANS): Aiming to strengthen the global Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, Swedish communication technology firm Ericsson on Thursday collaborated with Microsoft to speed up the launch of mobile network-based IoT services.

"Ericsson IoT Accelerator" allows enterprises to deploy their IoT solutions using Microsoft Azure, which connects them directly to the ecosystem of mobile operators using the connectivity management service delivered by the Ericsson Device Connection Platform (DCP).

"By combining industry-leading innovation and ecosystems, our collaboration with Microsoft removes complexity and brings the possibilities of the IoT closer for enterprises everywhere," said Niklas Heuveldop, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Technology and Emerging Business, Ericsson.

The connectivity management service of the "Ericsson IoT Accelerator" allows telecom operators to design, launch and evolve managed IoT connectivity offerings towards enterprises requiring cellular connectivity.

It also provides enterprises with full control and automation capabilities to handle the connectivity for their IoT devices.

"Working together with Ericsson helps us delight our customers and partners by enabling more choices to control their cellular connected IoT devices," added Sam George, Microsoft Director of Azure IoT, Microsoft Corporation.