Motorola rounds the Red Bend for handset updates

RECOGNISING THE tremendous advantages derived from being able to update handsets wirelessly, Motorola has selected Red Bend to supply it with Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) software.

The first handsets utilising Motorola's Linux-Java platform together with Red Bend's software should appear in Q3-Q4 2007. It will enable consumers to obtain the latest software and features for their mobile phones over-the-air.

The alternative is, of course, a time-consuming (and costly for the network operator) trip to a retail store or service centre.

According to Jim Eckels, general manager for Motorola XperienceWare, "By incorporating Red Bend's vCurrent Mobile software into several of our new Linux-based handsets, we are offering a fast and reliable software management."

Which is interesting especially as he previously said, "FusionDM provides Motorola and its customers with the ideal pairing for delivering the most compelling user-experiences along with our innovative hardware designs."

FusionDM is a similar OTA product created by Bitfone which is now owned by H-P, of course. So Motorola obviously isn't putting all its eggs in one basket.

Red Bend maintains its vCurrent Mobile software is interoperable with standards-based Mobile Device Management servers. More importantly it decreases update times by 40 per cent while maintaining a fail-safe operation to guarantee software updates in the event of disruption, the company says.

Additionally, Red Bend claims it compresses the new firmware update to a compact size which is up to 97 per cent smaller than other techniques.

To date Red Bend's vCurrent Mobile is found inside 58 different mobile phone models used by 80 million people. µ

L'INQ
Red Bend