Mobile device management takes off

The use of mobile device management technologies in handsets is growing strongly, Ovum announced today.

The analyst said increased support for advanced mobile device management technologies should enable mobile service providers to gain better control over a mobile device fleet, through key applications like remote configuration, defect fixing, diagnostics and software management.

It tracked nearly 900 handsets from all major manufacturers launched in the last four years, with support for wireless firmware updates and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) standards for client provisioning and device management.

Results showed that in the year between the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2006 and Q4 2007, global shipments grew by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 83 per cent for handsets featuring firmware updates, 51 per cent for OMA client provisioning and 159 per cent for OMA device management.

This meant one third of all mobile handsets shipped during the last quarter of 2007 supported at least OMA device management, according to this latest update of the analyst’s quarterly mobile device handset support report.

Adam Leach, Ovum lead principal analyst and author of the report, said: “What is clear is that we are now at a critical point in terms of adoption of this key technology. Service providers looking to offer device management services based on OMA device management should find they have a good choice of handsets across a range of price points.”

The report has also forecast continued strong growth for technology adoption in this area globally. Ovum predicted global shipments supporting OMA device management and firmware updates would reach 44 per cent and 57 per cent respectively by the end of 2008.

And by the end of 2009, it said these standards would be an established part of the handset technology landscape, with penetration in over half the installed base of handsets and in 84 per cent for firmware and 69 per cent for device management in new mobile phone shipments.

As the OMA finalises more standardised management objects, like those for software updating and diagnostics, Leach also predicted the relevance of device management will continue to grow for all service providers.

“OMA device management is already being used for more sophisticated types of device configuration than OMA client provisioning is capable of, such as continuous provisioning in conjunction with automatic detection. It is handling client provisioning for new value-added services being offered by operators, and supporting important commercial functionality such as preferred roaming lists,” said Leach.

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