KDDI Group and SORACOM Named a Leader in Gartner 2026 Magic Quadrant for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide

KDDI Group and SORACOM, referred to here as SORACOM-KDDI, announced that they have been recognized as one of the Leaders in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide, published by Gartner, Inc. on May 4, 2026. The Magic Quadrant is an evaluation tool in which Gartner aggregates research on a specific market and provides an overview of the relative positioning of competing companies in that market. In the category evaluating global managed IoT connectivity service providers for businesses, SORACOM-KDDI was positioned in the Leaders quadrant based on its completeness of vision and ability to execute. This marks the first time a company headquartered in Japan has been positioned as a Leader in this Magic Quadrant category. SORACOM-KDDI provides customers in Japan and overseas with a reliable and flexible IoT platform by combining KDDI Group’s large-scale IoT operational track record of more than 60 million cumulative lines worldwide and high-quality communications with SORACOM’s cloud-native design, advanced technologies such as generative AI and low-code capabilities, and operational insight from more than 9 million lines. Kazuhiro Noguchi, Deputy General Manager of the Growth Business Development Division, Business Growth Sector at KDDI Corporation, said: “For 25 years, KDDI Group has provided high-quality and stable IoT connectivity in mission-critical fields such as automobiles and social infrastructure. We have also continued to evolve our Global Communications Platform in response to advances in communications standards and technologies such as AI and security, and to meet the global deployment needs of connected cars and industrial devices. The platform is now available in 86 countries and regions worldwide. We will continue to deepen our collaboration with SORACOM, pursue the value of connectivity in a changing technology environment, and strongly support our customers’ sustainable growth and the future of society.” Ken Tamagawa, President and CEO of SORACOM, Inc., said: “SORACOM aims to enable innovators in IoT to make use of global communications. Since our founding, we have evolved our platform while supporting customers as they create new products and services. SORACOM covers IoT communications, cloud integration, and AI services, providing end-to-end support from prototype to mass production and from development to operation of connected products and services. Together with KDDI, we will deliver this value to innovators around the world.” SORACOM-KDDI will continue making active investments and promoting cutting-edge technological innovation, including SGP.32 eSIM orchestration, generative AI integration through SORACOM Query and SORACOM Flux, and the expansion of satellite communications services. Through these initiatives, SORACOM-KDDI aims to help customers enhance business value in the IoT connectivity services field while contributing to the sustainable development of society. The full Gartner report is available online in English only and requires free registration. Gartner’s disclaimer states that Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designations. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner Research and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are registered trademarks and service marks of Gartner, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. The graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The original Gartner document is available from SORACOM upon request. Source: Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide, by Pablo Arriandiaga, Kamero Chao, Jon Dressel, May 4, 2026.