Rants And Ramblings About Mobile Technology
Anders Borg writing about the fun and crazy world of mobile and Internet service technologies.
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Friday, August 25, 2006
On over-the-air application downloads
This note describes how DoCoMo lost money by consumers updating the phone software so that they could use the phones for viewing OneSeg TV without a subscription. Not that I fully understand how users can get access to DoCoMo's (or any other) mobile network without a subscription.
OTA downloading of the phone system software was initially intended for enabling manufacturers to provide bug fixes, but the note also mentions how OTA downloads could be used to add completely new functionality.
In my opinion, such enhancements should be handled via Java or BREW w(when talking mass market phones). Adding completely new functionality by replacing the phone's system software is risky at best, and both Java ME and BREW were specifically designed for after-market applications. Also, third-party can create such software, while complete system builds can only be made by manufacturers, and possibly operators (yet unlikely).
Still, maybe more importantly from a revenue stand-point, manufacturers don't want this, as they want/need to sell new phones all the time. Without the constant phone swapping the mobile phone industry would collapse.
MEX - the strategy forum for mobile user experience - Industry moves in favour of embedded feature delivery
OTA downloading of the phone system software was initially intended for enabling manufacturers to provide bug fixes, but the note also mentions how OTA downloads could be used to add completely new functionality.
In my opinion, such enhancements should be handled via Java or BREW w(when talking mass market phones). Adding completely new functionality by replacing the phone's system software is risky at best, and both Java ME and BREW were specifically designed for after-market applications. Also, third-party can create such software, while complete system builds can only be made by manufacturers, and possibly operators (yet unlikely).
Still, maybe more importantly from a revenue stand-point, manufacturers don't want this, as they want/need to sell new phones all the time. Without the constant phone swapping the mobile phone industry would collapse.
MEX - the strategy forum for mobile user experience - Industry moves in favour of embedded feature delivery
