25th Oct 2006 07:02
Synchronica PLC25 October 2006 Embargoed until 07.00, 25 October 2006 Synchronica plc Synchronica's SyncML DM Server among first with automated device management and firmware update for Windows Mobile 5.0 Slashes customer care costs for mobile operators and device manufacturers London, 25 October 2006 - Synchronica plc, an international provider of robustmobile synchronisation and device management solutions, today announced it hasadded full support for device management and firmware updates of Microsoft'sWindows Mobile 5 devices to the Synchronica SyncML DM Server platform. Using the industry standard OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) DM, Synchronica's SyncMLDM Server can now remotely diagnose and repair configuration issues in WindowsMobile 5 devices, or deliver a firmware update over-the-air (FOTA). Thanks toOMA DM support in Windows Mobile 5, SyncML DM Server uses the built-in OMA DM /FOTA client on the device. Synchronica has also adapted SyncML DM Server tosupport Microsoft's extensions to the OMA DM industry standard, providing mobileoperators and device manufacturers with a powerful tool for slashing the costsassociated with support of Windows Mobile 5 devices. As consumer adoption of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices and other smart phonescontinues to rise, so too do the associated customer care costs. According to anew report from ABI Research, smart phones will capture almost 15 per cent ofthe global mobile market this year - that's some 123 million devices. Thedownside is that smart phones are more complex to configure, and more likely tohave firmware defects, than older feature phones. To put this in context, datafrom Strategy Analytics shows that in 2004, the mobile industry sufferedadditional costs of $685 million caused by device recalls due to firmwaredefects on the latest generation of mobile devices. Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO at Synchronica, comments: "As Windows Mobile 5.0devices become increasingly popular, operators and device manufacturers can relyon our SyncML DM Server automated lifecycle management product to keep customercare costs to a minimum by ironing out any configuration problems - and updatingfirmware - OTA. These companies also have the choice of offering their customersa self-care facility with SyncML DM Server, which can reduce customer care costsstill further. One of our device manufacturer customers has already done this,having installed SyncML DM Server and partially replaced its manual call centrewith an automated hotline." Aimed at mobile operators and device manufacturers requiring a fully automatedlifecycle management product, SyncML DM Server enables them to build fullyautomated self-care portals. These "automated hotlines" can diagnose the device,ask the user for confirmation and automatically correct configuration issues orapply a patch to the firmware. The business logic and on-device user interactionis implemented in Synchronica's powerful server-side, XML-based scriptinglanguage "Sydemas", making SyncML DM Server an extremely flexible solution whichcan be easily adapted for any device diagnosis and repair scenario. SyncML DM Server for Windows Mobile 5.0 devices has been rigorously tested inrecent OMA "Test Fests" as well as with prototypes from major Windows Mobilehandset manufacturers. It provides carrier-grade scalability, has been proven ina live installation with a European device manufacturer, and runs on anyJ2EE-compliant application server, RDBMS, Solaris or Linux. Notes to Editors: About Synchronica Synchronica develops and markets synchronization and device management solutionsfor mobile operators, device manufacturers, and enterprises. Its productportfolio ranges from data synchronization (DS) to device management (DM) andfirmware update over-the-air (FOTA). Synchronica has a strong track record inthe SyncML space. Products include the world's first SyncML DM server in acarrier-grade environment and SyncML Gateway, which enables seamlesssynchronization of corporate data. Its latest offering, Mobile Manager, providescompanies with a robust mobile device management solution for WindowsMobile-based devices. Headquartered in the UK with offices in Berlin andWashington D.C. Synchronica plc is a public company listed on the London StockExchange. More information is available at www.synchronica.com For more information please visit www.synchronica.com or contact: Nicole Meissner, CMOSynchronica plcTel: +44 1892 [email protected]: This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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