LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., Jan. 24, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Bitfone Corporation, the company that pioneered firmware over-the-air (FOTA) update technology for mobile phones, today announced the award of a patent, Number 6,832,373, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office that covers methods of remotely updating an electronic device with an update package via a public network. The award of this patent enhances Bitfone's position as the leader in FOTA solutions for the wireless market.
The invention described in the patent generally relates to a software system and methods for reducing the size of an update and distributing the update in a platform independent manner. Exemplary claims included in the patent address methods for:
-- remotely updating an electronic device in a fault-tolerant manner
-- generating an update package and updating a device using a bank-
by-bank method
-- identifying the correct update package for a given device
-- detecting receipt of an update package by an electronic device,
and initiating the update process
Technology protected by the patent is used in Bitfone's mProve solution, which remotely reflashes mobile phones in a fault-tolerant manner, as well as in Bitfone's MVP management server, designed for OMA-DM based FOTA deployment. Several of the world's largest wireless operators and handset manufacturers use Bitfone's FOTA technology to update the core software of mobile devices while in the subscribers' hands, and avoid the high costs of recalling or replacing devices due to outdated or defective software.
The award represents the second patent issued to Bitfone in 2004, marking the fruition of an aggressive intellectual property strategy by Bitfone to protect its leading position in the FOTA market. Bitfone has an extensive patent portfolio with over 100 patents pending.
"We are thrilled to have been awarded this broad-based patent, which enhances Bitfone's position as the leader in FOTA, and allows us to offer comprehensive mobile device management solutions that reduce risk for our customers," said Gene Wang, CEO of Bitfone. "A strong IP portfolio instills even greater confidence in our customers and partners that Bitfone is the best strategic device management partner for the long term."
Bitfone was the first company to demonstrate an end-to-end, fault-tolerant, over-the-air reflash of a mobile phone's firmware image at the 3GSM conference in 2001. In 2003, Bitfone participated in the world's first commercial deployments of FOTA-enabled devices in Japan's NTT DoCoMo network with Sony Ericsson handsets, and in Korea's SK Telecom network on SKTT handsets. Since then, Bitfone has signed global deals with leading manufacturers, such as Motorola and LG Electronics, and has launched FOTA-enabled handsets on the Sprint PCS network in the U.S. Additional handset deployments worldwide are commencing in Q1-2005.
About Bitfone Corporation
Bitfone Corporation provides unparalleled expertise and innovative software solutions for customer care automation and mobile device management to wireless operators and handset providers. Bitfone's SmartCare, mProve and MVP products improve usability of mobile devices by diagnosing and repairing software problems and delivering software updates and configuration settings over the air. Bitfone's solutions allow customers to analyze, fix and enhance mobile devices, safely and efficiently. Bitfone's customers also benefit from significant cost savings in the areas of customer service and warranty, improved device quality and subscriber satisfaction, and broader adoption of advanced wireless services. Bitfone is a private company headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with offices in Canada, China, Japan, Korea, and the U.K. For more information, please visit www.bitfone.com.