Windows Update for mobile phones?
Deadlock broken
By Bill Ray
Published Monday 28th August 2006 12:47 GMT
The Open Mobile Alliance has published its Firmware Update
Management Object (FUMO): a standard which allows mobile
phones to be updated over the air - from fixing a spelling mistake
to changing the whole OS, all without bothering the user at
all.
For all the complaints about Windows Update, there is value in the
distributor of an operating system being able to issue updates, and
few users are actually capable of installing those updates, even
when prompted to do so. Windows Update has probably prevented more
problems than its caused. While some people want comprehensive
control over updates and patches, the majority just want security
and functionality improvements to happen when theyre not
looking.
But enabling the same kind of functionality on mobile phones has
proved a great deal more complicated. The lack of space to store a
complete backup, and the relatively slow connectivity, has required
that patches and upgrades need a visit to an approved service
centre: a strange limitation for a networked device. The operating
system on an embedded device, such as a mobile phone, is considered
neither hard nor soft ware: so is known as firmware, and
Nokia&'s recent decision to allow customers to upgrade their
firmware at home reflects improvements in roll-back technologies
and increased confidence in the stability of updates issued. But
performing such an upgrade over the air is a big step from doing so
over a nice, reliable, USB cable.
few companies are hawking technologies for distributing firmware
upgrades, but network operators wont buy the servers until the
handsets support the technology; and no handset will support the
technology until the servers are in place. Operators have been very
reluctant to support proprietary technologies for fear of having
multiple platforms running, and being locked into a specific
supplier. So without an industry standard the technology has been
stalled.
Now the standard has been published testing can start, which will
begin in September. So some time next year we can expect to see
handsets conforming to the standard becoming available.
Assuming FUMA is used to fix
instabilities and issue critical security updates then it seems
unlikely anyone will mind. But operators are much more interested
in having the capability to reach out and change the menus and
interfaces on your phone: ensuring maximum visibility for their
current promotions or premium services, and customers may
find that an update too far