June 6, 2014
As one of the first companies on the M2M market to do so, Telit Wireless Solutions is offering its customers the advantages of Remote Software Updates. At the heart of the new technology is a license agreement involving Telit and Red Bend, the market leader in Mobile Software Management and Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updating solutions for mobile phones. From now on, Telit will employ the vCurrent® Mobile client software by Red Bend in its M2M modules. Telit is thus providing a secure and reliable method of wirelessly reflashing the firmware on M2M applications and mobile M2M devices. The agreement represents a new capability for M2M applications, including eliminating manual field software updates, enabling cost-efficient remote application maintenance and improving the reliability and lifespan of M2M modules.
Thanks to the integration of Red Bend’s FOTA solution, the Telit modules now provide a cost-effective and fast method for upgrading the firmware on mobile devices. By using the Telit modules, system integrators and developers can ensure that software is up-to-date with the latest enhancements and features. Thus they can benefit from better investment protection.
Telit Wireless Solutions is one of the first players in the M2M market to employ FOTA. In 2006, FOTA became a "must-have" feature on mobile phones, and Red Bend Software emerged as the market leader with its FOTA client software now embedded in 58 mobile handset models used by 80 million consumers worldwide. By 2008, FOTA technology is expected to be available in 50% of all mobile devices, according to ARCchart, a UK-based research firm.
Quicker upgrades and extended product lifecycles
"The introduction of FOTA upgrade capability significantly increases value to our customers by reducing on-site visits and keeping recalls of remote applications to a minimum. With FOTA, only hardware-related failures, which happen less often, will need to be fixed manually in the field," said Dominikus Hierl, President Telit Wireless Solutions. This is an important development for the M2M market where product lifecycles span 5 to 10 years. "Having Red Bend’s vCurrent Mobile embedded in Telit solutions helps customers protect their investment by keeping up with the latest software developments and changes and by extending application lifecycles. This is a further evidence for Telit´s three core values, which all contribute to the business success of our customers: business scalable, ease of integration and investment protection," adds Mr. Hierl.
"Teaming with Telit Wireless Solutions, a leading company in M2M technologies, opens tremendous growth opportunities for Red Bend in this important and fast-growing segment of the wireless market," said Yoram Salinger, CEO of Red Bend Software. "The savings in cost and even human safety with FOTA capability in M2M devices is compelling. For instance, a utility provider will save an average of $50 to not have to ‘roll a truck’ for an individual service call and instead, can provision mass software updates to any number of devices remotely."
The implementation of vCurrent Mobile from Red Bend in Telit modules provides the following advantages to customers:
- Efficiently utilizes bandwidth-constrained wireless networks by identifying and delivering only the essential changes from an existing version of firmware to a new, updated version
- Compresses the new firmware update to a compact package, up to 97% smaller than what can be achieved through other techniques
- Effectively performs software updates within the limited memory available on a wireless device.
- Provides a unique fail-safe feature that eliminates the risk in rendering a device "disabled" due to a power loss by automatically resuming updates from the point of interruption
- Performs pre-update verification to ensure the compatibility, security and integrity of the device firmware and update package, guaranteeing update success prior to its onset
Cutting-edge technology for M2M
The M2M market recognizes the importance of over-the-air firmware update technology as a critical part of advanced module deployment. With M2M modules growing in complexity, both operators and manufacturers benefit from solutions that provide them with the means to remotely perform software improvements over the air. M2M applications can be found in a range of industries and sectors and used in a number of ways, including telematics and navigation, Fleet Management/Transportation, Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), Security Systems, Point of Sale, credit card systems and vending machines as well as tracking and tracing.
Visit Telit at 3GSM 2007 in Barcelona in Hall 1, Stand 1E44, or Red Bend in Hall 4 Level 5, Hospitality Suite 4.5HS17.
About Red Bend Software
Red Bend Software helps mobile phone manufacturers and network operators to accelerate the adoption of new services and features, respond rapidly to customer needs and reduce support costs through mobile software management solutions. LG Electronics, BenQ Mobile, NEC, Sharp, Sony Ericsson and other large handset manufacturers use Red Bend’s firmware over-the-air (FOTA) mobile client software to quickly and reliably deliver compact firmware updates to more than 80 million mobile phones already in the hands of consumers. Founded in 1999, Red Bend Software is a privately-held, venture capital-financed company with offices in China, Israel, Japan, Korea, the U.K and the U.S. More information about Red Bend Software is available at www.redbend.com.