Framingham, MA and Sunnyvale, CA – May 15, 2006 – Innopath Software, the industry leader in over-the-air mobile device management (MDM), and Red Bend Software, the leading provider of mobile software management solutions, announced today a proposed new format standard for the packaging and distribution of firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates between companies within the mobile phone industry. Implementing the proposed format will make the task of distributing FOTA updates from mobile handset manufacturers to mobile network operators, and between other parties, easier and less expensive.

Mobile device management (MDM) and FOTA solutions are being widely deployed by mobile network operators to provision, diagnose, update and repair mobile phones. Interoperability standards are one of the key drivers responsible for the successful growth of the MDM market. This initiative is an example of leading companies in the industry working together to accelerate adoption of open standards to support this rapidly expanding market.

Red Bend and InnoPath have agreed to collaborate to obtain approval on the new format, Package Ingest Container (PIC), as part of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Device Management (DM) standard specification, where it is currently in the proposal stage. OMA, a standard setting organization for developing market driven, interoperable mobile service enablers is closely involved with MDM issues. Its membership includes the world’s leading mobile operators, device and network suppliers, information technology companies and content and service providers.

The PIC is a comprehensive, secure and easy-to-use format for packaging multiple FOTA updates with the relevant meta-data required by operators or other third parties to manage and deploy these updates. Implementing PIC will provide the mobile handset manufacturers, mobile network operators and MDM system vendors with a uniform information exchange format for the distribution of FOTA updates as well as mobile applications. More information about the PIC format for firmware package ingest can be found on OMA website under http://member.openmobilealliance.org/ftp/Public_documents/DM/2005 and in a related white paper on Red Bend and InnoPath websites.

 

About InnoPath

InnoPath Software is the global leader in Mobile Device Management, a technology that enables wireless operators to cost effectively manage and deliver revenue-generating services for consumers and enterprises. InnoPath’s standards-based approach has proven successful at the largest wireless operators in the world including AT&T, China Unicom, KDDI and Verizon Wireless. The InnoPath client has been adopted by leading handset manufacturers including Samsung and LG.   Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, InnoPath is privately held with offices around the world. For more information, visit www.innopath.com.