Major carriers, network solution providers and handset manufacturers in North America and Europe have come together to discuss how to form a common standard to update software in wireless devices over the air without making subscribers mail in the devices or walk back to retail centers.
The gathering of about 10 companies including Motorola Inc., Orange Plc and Bitfone Corp., took place June 30 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel, Calif., at the behest of Bitfone. Jim Murrell, former chairman of the GSM North American Alliance, facilitated the meeting.
Murrell said it will take about six months or less to come up with a common standard.
“The industry loses billions of dollars yearly because mobile phones cannot be updated in terms of their operating systems and firmware running the basic functions,” said Gene Wang, chief executive officer of Bitfone. “This is expensive because of problems with messaging clients, operating systems, Java virtual machine or other system software that the end user usually mails in or returns to retail centers.”
He explained that the idea is to follow the pattern of personal computers, which do not have to be shipped to the retail centers for upgrades or updates.
The initiative holds the potential of enhancing Bitfone’s product, which is the world’s first over-the-air, down-to-the-metal firmware update technology.
“We are working on a de facto standard,” said Wang, adding 10 percent of mobile users either call or walk in with complaints each year.
“Everything above the metal can be updated,” said Wang, referring to the operating system components.
The participants discussed ways to engineer and evolve the OTA firmware update technologies to simplify and standardize mobile handset management and accelerate the commercial adoption, according to Murrell.
“We want to avoid a tower of Babel,” said Murrell, explaining that he facilitated the gathering to navigate standard groups to make sure that the appropriate work is done in the appropriate places to guarantee no technology or technique is left out.
Designed to be air-interface agnostic, the resulting platform will take advantage of faster networks as well as the increasing sophistication and convergence of devices, computers and entertainment machines including cameras, said Murrell. The other benefits include lower returns on channel costs, lower outbound logistic costs, increased customer satisfaction as well as new ways to deliver content using existing infrastructure.
“If nothing is done, the inevitable is everyone does their own thing,” said Murrell, explaining that each carrier will create its own method, which means implementing up to half-a-dozen servers.
Bitfone is offering its m-Prove product, which allows phone manufacturers to make an update package, a tiny device that can be stored in the carrier’s network. He said Bitfone has worked out a deal with both Motorola Ventures and Nokia Ventures.
“It re-flashes the phone on a bank-by-bank basis,” said Wang, referring to a bank of flash memory, which updates the phone memory.
He explained that as mobile phones become more sophisticated with multimedia services, WAP2, Java and short message service, the need for common ground in the industry will becomes more imperative.
