SINGAPORE, 12 AUGUST 2008 - Mobile device management (MDM) technologies - such as defect fixing and diagnostics in handsets - are growing strongly globally, according to analyst firm Ovum.
With MDM, a mobile provider has a much increased degree of control over its fleet of devices, hence the growing support, said the report Support for device management in mobile handsets: 2007–2009 (4Q07 update).
Results show that between the fourth quarter of 2006 and fourth quarter 2007, global shipments grew by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 83 per cent (for firmware over-the-air update), 51 per cent (for OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) client provisioning) and 159 per cent (for OMA device management (OMA DM)).
Open Mobile Alliance
The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) was formed in June 2002 by nearly 200 companies from the mobile industry. The alliance focuses on developing interoperable mobile service enablers including device management.
For the report, Ovum tracked penetration of three key MDM technologies throughout 2007: OMA client provisioning (OMA CP), OMA DM and firmware over-the-air (FOTA) update. The study reveals that in fourth quarter of 2007 OMA DM was supported in nearly one-third of all handsets now shipping worldwide.
“Firmware updating is by no means the only application of OMA DM that service providers are interested in,” said Adam Leach, lead principal analyst at Ovum and author of the report. “OMA DM is already being used for more sophisticated types of device configuration than OMA CP 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.”
Solid global presence
By the end of 2008 OMA DM and FOTA would reach 44 per cent and 57 per cent growth respectively, of global shipments. By the end of 2009 they will be an established part of the handset technology landscape, with penetration in over half the installed base of handsets and in 84 per cent and 69 per cent respectively, of new mobile phone shipments.
The results of Ovum’s study are the outcome of a comprehensive survey of mobile handsets launched globally over the past four years, feeding into a repository of nearly 900 handsets from all major manufacturers and listing their key characteristics, plus their date of launch and regional availability.
