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Despite all of the comparisons drawn between the Internet and the latest generation of mobile handsets and services, one clear difference still remains-the relationship between customer and service provider.

We've all suffered a little over the years from a virus or piece of spyware that is circumnavigated our (usually inadequate) defences and found its way onto our PC. It's always annoying and occasionally frustrating but never have I blamed this on my ISP, largely because they have been positioned as little more than bitpipes.

But here's a thought. Would this be true in the mobile world? I, like the majority of other consumers, would most likely look immediately to my operator to resolve a problem relating to a mobile virus. For better or worse, the mobile operators across the world have been notably successful in positioning themselves at the center of the user experience and whether they like it or not they will undoubtedly be the first point of contact for customer enquiries.

This reality is echoed with the question of faulty handsets. It is no secret that a growing percentage of newly launched phones experience 'glitches'. Even the most popular handset brands have problems connecting to certain 'compatible' Bluetooth car kits or simply 'freeze' or crash under Bluetooth operations. Whilst some manufacturers offer firmware patches via their websites to correct such bugs, a quick trawl around Internet forums will quickly reveal that these manufacturer websites are not the obvious first port of call for disgruntled consumers. In eight out of ten cases, the user was looking to rectify the problem via his operator.

From handset retailing and mobile content services to an established high-street presence, the mobile operator is (in most markets) winning the battle for customer ownership over handset manufacturers. And whilst most consumers select a handset first and network second, it is with the mobile operator that allegiances lie. However, with this position of power comes certain responsibilities; including offering a first line of support for extraneous customer enquiries including viruses and handset firmware faults.

Both are likely to become major contributors to increased traffic loads at operator customer care centers in the coming years. Whilst most accept that mobile viruses don't represent a mass-market threat at this immediate moment in time, they also accept that it is not a case of if, but when. The same holds true for the need to manage firmware upgrades on the handset. We are seeing increasing instances of software bugs and the general rule of technology-the more sophisticated and complex a piece of technology becomes the more susceptible it is to failure-holds true for the handset industry.

It is likely that new handsets issued by operators will carry the most recent firmware and preventative software. However, after embedding the software at the point of handset manufacturer, they have no way of updating the protection with new patches required to combat new threats.

Fortunately by leveraging an OTA (over-the-air) platform, new settings, software patches and applications can easily be pushed out to the handset and for installation. Hundreds of operators around the world already use OTA platforms to better manage the mobile phone, SIM and subscriber access to services.

The OTA technology takes into consideration the changing nature of mobile ownership. A growing number of subscribers in Europe and Asia are acquiring their handsets from third-party sources and not from official operator-owned retail outlets. The OTA platform allows the operator to automatically detect new devices entering the network, assess their capabilities and scan for existing capabilities.

India too is now seeing an increasing number of firmware over-the-air (FOTA) implementations as well as mobile anti-virus pilots taking place. After all, the changeable nature of the average mobile consumer and the increasing rise in customer churn has demonstrated the importance of protecting an operator brand and meeting customer expectations.

Tim Deluca Smith
communications manager, SmartTrust
vadmail@cybermedia.co.in

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