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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
QUALCOMM Offers Advanced Firmware Over-the-Air Updates on BREW(R)-Enabled Handsets
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26 -- QUALCOMM Incorporated
(Nasdaq: QCOM), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced advanced firmware
over-the-air (FOTA) update capabilities via QUALCOMM's BREW solution. The
capabilities enable wireless operators and handset manufacturers to remotely
reflash a BREW-enabled device's firmware -- repairing software flaws or adding
new functions -- thus eliminating the need for more costly and time-consuming
in-store cable-based updates and massive device recalls. QUALCOMM will
demonstrate BREW-based FOTA capabilities in conjunction with Bitfone
Corporation and Insignia Solutions (Nasdaq: INSG) on a Curitel CDM-8940
handset during CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2004, October 25-27 in
San Francisco's Moscone Center West, Booth No. 638.
The expanded firmware update delivery environment is available with the
latest BREW Distribution System (BDS) release, BDS 2004, allowing operators
and OEMs to leverage their current network and device components to experience
security, support for billing and mediation, and application management
control via the BREW solution.
"The BREW FOTA solution offers powerful capabilities to operators and
device manufacturers, eliminating the need for new and costly network and
device components," said Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and
product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "We're excited to be
demonstrating this functionality on a Curitel handset and to be collaborating
with both Bitfone and Insignia to produce a variety of options for our
customers."
"Bitfone is pleased to announce mProve for BREW, which offers down-to-the-
metal firmware update capability to the extensive community of BREW operators
and OEMs around the globe," said Chris Cassapakis, vice president of business
development, Bitfone Corporation. "By providing the means to upgrade
operating system components as well as BREW services on handsets, mProve is
the perfect complement to the BREW Delivery System."
"We appreciate the opportunity to work with QUALCOMM to expand the
platform support of our Open Management Client to the BREW solution," said
Mark McMillan, CEO of Insignia. "Phone manufacturers who are faced with
supplying mobile device management implementations for multiple operators can
now get a single, secure and high performance solution from Insignia."
"The ability to make over-the-air updates to our devices not only reduces
the need for software-related device recalls, but also allows us to quickly
and easily deploy product upgrades and accelerate the adoption of wireless
services," said Dan Kim, vice president of product planning, Pantech &
Curitel. "Because these new FOTA capabilities are easy to implement using the
BREW solution, we're able to almost instantly raise our level of support
beyond that of the competition."
QUALCOMM's BREW solution provides products and services that connect the
mobile marketplace value chain, which includes publishers, developers, content
providers, device manufacturers, operators and consumers.
Publishers and developers worldwide are generating revenue from BREW-based
applications and content, and 27 manufacturers have offered more than 150
BREW-enabled device models to consumers. BREW is successfully enabling the
commercial wireless data services of many successful operators, including
Verizon Wireless, Alaska Communication Systems, ALLTEL, Cellular One, Cellular
South, Cricket Communications, MetroPCS, Midwest Wireless, NTELOS, Pioneer,
Rural Cellular Corporation and U.S. Cellular in the United States, Bermuda
Digital Communications, China Unicom, KDDI in Japan, KTF in South Korea, Hutch
in Thailand, Iusacell in Mexico, VIBO in Taiwan, Tata in India, Telstra in
Australia, VIVO in Brazil, BellSouth Argentina, BellSouth Chile, BellSouth
Colombia, BellSouth Ecuador, BellSouth Guatemala, BellSouth Nicaragua,
BellSouth Panama, BellSouth Peru, Movicom in Argentina, Movicom in Uruguay,
Telcel and Movilnet in Venezuela, Verizon Dominicana, Verizon Wireless Puerto
Rico, Pelephone in Israel and Zapp in Romania.
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(TM)
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 find, 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 customer satisfaction, and broader
adoption of advanced wireless services. Bitfone is a private company
headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with offices in Canada, China,
Japan, South Korea and the U.K. For more information, please visit
www.bitfone.com.
About Insignia Solutions
Insignia provides an essential ingredient to mobile operators and terminal
manufacturers by enabling mobile device management to a growing complex and
diverse community of mobile devices. Insignia's products and services
radically reduce customer care and recall costs, maintain device integrity,
and enable a wide range of new mobile services. Founded in 1986, Insignia has
a long history of innovation, stewardship of major industry standards, and the
trust of dozens of manufacturers around the world. Insignia Solutions is
traded on Nasdaq under the symbol INSG. The company is headquartered in
Fremont, California with R&D and European operations based in the United
Kingdom. For additional information about Insignia or its products please
visit http://www.insignia.com.
About Curitel Communications
Starting out its business in 1983, Curitel Communications Inc. became one
of the first companies in the world to develop CDMA mobile phones in 1993 and
began to export CDMA phones to the U.S. market. In 2001, Curitel became
affiliated with Pantech Co. under the single leadership of Mr. B.Y. Park.
With a surprising emergence in the domestic and overseas markets, Curitel is
now traded on the Korea Stock Exchange. Its products are being recognized in
the U.S. market through its business partners with over five million unit
sales in North America. Curitel develops high-end, multi-featured mobile
handsets, and it aims to be one of the world's top six mobile handset
manufacturers with Pantech by producing 20 million handsets in 2004.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and
delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services
based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego,
Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2003 FORTUNE 500(R)
company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market(R) under the ticker symbol QCOM.
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