Peng Luo Sheng
Air download software management for mobile devices has successfully implemented commercial use in Asia, in the United States, Europe and other places have successively entered the right track. What is this? Why is the wireless operator, equipment manufacturer, and users so passionate?
The use of mobile phones is not limited to call. From taking pictures, MP3, small PCs, handheld computers, and operating systems, mobile devices are presented to users more creative and practical functions. The software that drives these devices is increasingly complex and more intensively draws 3G and other advanced network advantages. But the negative effect of this fact is that many problems have brought users, including application defects, and equipment failures.
In fact, for operators and manufacturers, the failure rate in the mobile device has become a huge expenditure for enterprise management costs, and approximately 20 to $ 70 per fault equipment cost. At present, 10% of the equipment is facing software defects, user complaints, devices rework, and even complete recruits in the next few years. For consumers, this is an extremely annoying thing that is difficult to cope, and the result is that they need often transform equipment and operators. After all, no one is willing to have problems like PCs like PCs.
At the same time, users have new functions. Equipment manufacturers are trying to seek the most advanced "application software killer" and will not be tired to adapt to the harsh competitive environment. Therefore, while these companies have reduced the company to expand the scale, they are also actively creating more complex software. Software defects and equipment failures have become more common. Although it is clear that not all software flaws are deadly weaknesses, some ways such as saving software updates, device recalls, and user feedback, is not sufficient to solve problems, and cost is also high.
Despite this, there is still a solution, that is, the user's satisfaction is achieved, while reducing software issues and operators, manufacturers' expenses. For defect patches in mobile devices, the upgraded air download (hereinafter referred to as OTA) software management, even fully referred to as a new application, you can connect online users in any area. Like the PC user installation security program, the mobile device service can also be sent directly to the user directly like software upgrades. With OTA, any kind of mobile software, including running systems, software libraries, drivers, and embedded programs, etc., can be upgraded, modified, and even changed.
Asian operators, including NTTDocomo, etc., OTA has been implemented to avoid typical issues associated with advanced mobile device software. As a most effective aspect, OTA reduces market, preservation, customer business, etc., and has reduced cost expenses for the provider, so that users can upgrade online, repair mobile phones without waiting for mobile phone sales stores.
How to display technology
OTA sales usually take a relatively simple three-step step, including equipment manufacturers, operators, and end users. Among them, the manufacturer is responsible for the quality of the software itself, and transporting it to operators, and operators are responsible for network construction and upgrading branches. As for users, the responsibility is often the least, just consent or routine upgrades.
When the equipment manufacturer discovers a software defect, or after the software upgrade procedure, the first time will be safe, the Internet-based interface, thereby registering this new software and determines the established equipment R & D goals. OTA solution also joins special algorithm, distinguishing between new software components, mainly for activating small "triangular documents". This document is only 1-3% of the source files, instead of updating the entire program because there is a unique update content. Therefore, the time required for the service and changes to the lowest, and each user takes only a few minutes. OTA solution uses static and dynamic technology, you can decide to change more qualified levels, can transmit 5-10 times more fast downloads of about 100KB size files, and update the number of times (at least one minute). OTA salesman also provides software confirmation, allowing software developers to achieve excellence in their work, ensuring that new software versions can be operated correctly in the new triangle document.
Security encrypted software can be sent to the distribution operator by the above confirmation. Operators can package promotion through online competitors, and determine that users can fully receive the package to make it run. After the package is confirmed and identified, the operator is installed on an "upgrade server" and provides the distribution of software upgrades by OTA promoters.
However, the operator accesses its OTA interface prior to distribution, installs its upgrade policy. For example, the wireless operator can install the program defect to the user. Once the device has an error or the user can't install the instruction, then this will be very dangerous. Other cases, operators can determine the specific upgrade schedule for users, while developing updated policies and develops software and services for users, or providing software defects to prepare users from time to time.
Next, the operator decides when to inform the user to make the program repair, and formulate the notification schedule. Especially when many users must perform the same upgrades, users are often squeezed into the user's organization slowly upgrade, and reduce the server load, bottleneck. User organizations are usually divided by region, telephone area number, equipment model, registered mobile phone number, and email. Once the user receives the upgrade notification, according to the carrier's upgrade policy, it can be upgraded immediately, and the schedule is set later.
Once the end user starts an upgrade, the device with OTA function will start processing work, and the operator has also set up contact with the user. After confirming equipment, determine the user and device model, then compare the software version and the software version that is about to be available. In order to ensure that the new software can match the device, how much memory space has a triangular document. After the mobile phone downloads the document, the same OTA salesman even allows the user to continue using it during the download.
OTA salesman also continues to provide 100% researability to users with any unexpected equipment failure. The package can be modified without restarting in the case where the communication process is lost.
After downloading the document, the upgrade also begins, the process includes the following steps: notify the user to ask the user to ask the user to need a complete upgrade. The first OTA process, the mobile phone function is incomplete, resulting in this upgrade. The upgrade will re-receive the influence of storage and transportation, handling. Once completed, the device will return to the initial state, and the software report will be delivered to the server and inform the operator's upgrade has been completed.
OTA
OTA sales is an upgraded software in 2-3 days, and the whole process seems to be complex but fact. The entire operation process is more efficient in practice, and the cost is more low in the store.
For example, when complex software interacts, a generally existing problem is to include a lot of storage paths. An email user, the ring tones download users, or the computer, will store data in other application tools (such as telephone books) in the designated area, or when the data is received. Obviously, this can limit the many uses of the equipment, more seriously, users will be forced to return to mobile phone manufacturers to seek help, or to the sales store to replace the product, meaning completely replacing the software to live. This is a trip to the trip. With OTA, there are a lot of available advantages. If the operator or device manufacturer realizes this is a more common problem, the programmer can modify the program and actively upgrade to the user. Users can use the mobile phone mail, SMS uploads the unit they need. If this problem is that the user's mobile phone is relatively unique, then the user can directly receive this device. In this sense, the upgrade is aimed for the user's mobile phone. User minimal labor and the minimum cost spending of suppliers solve this problem.
NTTDocomo becomes OTA a reality
At the beginning of March this year, Japanese NTTDOCOMO users have complained about the problems of the 3GFoman900i mobile phone, and the mobile phone is only listed for one month. This series of mobile phones contain a lot of advanced features so far, in particular in videos, multimedia flash scanners, HTML mail, camera, camera, and video games. In addition to these features, users can also experience automatic functions and many operational functions and unparalleled surprises.
On March 7th, NTTDOCOMO announced that there were software defects in the Foman900i series, and 160,000 mobile phones sold were "rebooted".
Fortunately, NTTDOCOMO has recently formally set up the Triangle Upgrade OTA Software Management Framework of the Works, and discusses the needs of the full equipment recall system. Just 2 days ago, NTTDOCOMO has sent software upgrades to 160,000 users, allowing users to install the download OTA defect software patches, neither use to visit the store, nor to negotiate with the business representative. In addition to software defects, the company also upgrades existing stocks based on optical cable-based, modifying the product's point-to-business software, so that the N900I series mobile phone continues to sell well. No worries, Japan, and global users can continue to enjoy the happiness brought by advanced technology.
OTA technology prospects
OTA software management technology took the lead in laying a solid market basis. Many successful business operations have been carried out in Japan, South Korea, China, Europe, North America. Although OTA is an emerging technology, it is still accepted by many countries.
For example, many companies have solved the problems encountered. Working company has occupied the market system with other companies, and this emerging industry is also booming. Standards that compete can attract many companies, markets, manufacturers, and operators. Potential problems is that manufacturers want to choose an OTA promoter, while operators want more benefits. This puts forward a question, that is, who is responsible for the transform system or solving the user equipment problem?
In Asia, operators are slightly mitigated to the public's concerns by implementing standardization of a single OTA solution and manufacturer. In the United States, operators encourage manufacturers to strive to meet all OTA software upgrades and is fully responsible for software defect repair work. Although it is not very fast, this approach is still feasible, so OTA salesman, operator, and equipment manufacturers will eventually agree to this industry standard. This moves the interoperability between any mobile phone and any system.
Although operators outside Asia are not very sought after by OTA, it is certain that North America and Europe have begun to pay attention to OTA technology, just as they pay attention to successful examples of other technical fields. OTA salesmen have tested and reasonable testing for US operators and manufacturers; some operators even said that a good party that has found the development of upgrade capacity. Although the prospects are not very clear, the United States and European users still hopes to use this emerging technology, they want to trade OTA in the third quarter of this year after the United States will be used in the third quarter of this year. In addition, users also want to promote OTA software commercial capabilities in two years, so that new software and their functions are fully online. About the Author
Dr. Peng Luo Sheng, one of the founders of the Summit Software Company and CEO (Waitao Company formerly is a famous scholar in the field of mobile communications), and distributed software system design. He holds patents in the field of mobile network computing, and actively explores international industry on mobile network computing standards.
