Synchronica's SyncML DM Server among first with automated device management and firmware update for Windows Mobile 5.0
Slashes customer care costs for mobile operators and device manufacturers
London, 25 October 2006 - Synchronica plc, an international provider of robust mobile synchronisation and device management solutions, today announced it has added full support for device management and firmware updates of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5 devices to the Synchronica SyncML DM Server platform.
Using the industry standard OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) DM, Synchronica's SyncML DM Server can now remotely diagnose and repair configuration issues in Windows Mobile 5 devices, or deliver a firmware update over-the-air (FOTA). Thanks to OMA DM support in Windows Mobile 5, SyncML DM Server uses the built-in OMA DM / FOTA client on the device. Synchronica has also adapted SyncML DM Server to support Microsoft's extensions to the OMA DM industry standard, providing mobile operators and device manufacturers with a powerful tool for slashing the costs associated with support of Windows Mobile 5 devices.
As consumer adoption of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices and other smart phones continues to rise, so too do the associated customer care costs. According to a new report from ABI Research, smart phones will capture almost 15 per cent of the global mobile market this year - that's some 123 million devices. The downside is that smart phones are more complex to configure, and more likely to have firmware defects, than older feature phones. To put this in context, data from Strategy Analytics shows that in 2004, the mobile industry suffered additional costs of $685 million caused by device recalls due to firmware defects on the latest generation of mobile devices.
Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO at Synchronica, comments: "As Windows Mobile 5.0 devices become increasingly popular, operators and device manufacturers can rely on our SyncML DM Server automated lifecycle management product to keep customer care costs to a minimum by ironing out any configuration problems - and updating firmware - OTA. These companies also have the choice of offering their customers a self-care facility with SyncML DM Server, which can reduce customer care costs still further. One of our device manufacturer customers has already done this, having installed SyncML DM Server and partially replaced its manual call centre with an automated hotline."
Aimed at mobile operators and device manufacturers requiring a fully automated lifecycle management product, SyncML DM Server enables them to build fully automated self-care portals. These "automated hotlines" can diagnose the device, ask the user for confirmation and automatically correct configuration issues or apply a patch to the firmware. The business logic and on-device user interaction is implemented in Synchronica's powerful server-side, XML-based scripting language "Sydemas", making SyncML DM Server an extremely flexible solution which can be easily adapted for any device diagnosis and repair scenario.
SyncML DM Server for Windows Mobile 5.0 devices has been rigorously tested in recent OMA "Test Fests", as well as with prototypes from major Windows Mobile handset manufacturers. It provides carrier-grade scalability, has been proven in a live installation with a European device manufacturer, and runs on any J2EE-compliant application server, RDBMS, Solaris or Linux.
Notes to Editors:
About Synchronica
Synchronica develops and markets synchronization and device management solutions for mobile operators, device manufacturers, and enterprises. Its product portfolio ranges from data synchronization (DS) to device management (DM) and firmware update over-the-air (FOTA). Synchronica has a strong track record in the SyncML space. Products include the world's first SyncML DM server in a carrier-grade environment and SyncML Gateway, which enables seamless synchronization of corporate data. Its latest offering, Mobile Manager, provides companies with a robust mobile device management solution for Windows Mobile-based devices. Headquartered in the UK with offices in Berlin and Washington D.C. Synchronica plc is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange. More information is available at www.synchronica.com
