Bitfone OTA Apps Re-Appear as HP.

"Bitfone’s former FusionDM application is now called Mobile Management Center, but the Bitfone mProve client retains its name... A new component is the Enterprise Mobility Suite, which lets companies use some traditional carrier and handset tools without having to subscribe to anything.

The enterprise product can be used for tracking mobile assets, configuring and troubleshooting devices, security and policy management, Yang said. HP may include these functions with certain enterprise models of its iPaq brand of handhelds – but the company will still support the traditional OTA market as well, he added.

Another new feature is the ability to integrate the OTA software with third-party applications... and the wireless connections can work on Wi-Fi, WiMAX or ordinary cellular links...

Currently, the software is available for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices."

HP on UWB, TV and cellular.

"Security is also an issue preventing businesses from rolling out mobile apps on cellphones. As many as 10,000 handsets a month are left in cabs in Chicago alone, McKinney claimed. That drove HP to acquire Bitfone for its over-the-air software update technology which HP has upgraded so it can also remotely erase any data on a lost handset."

Mobile Mania? HP says it has IT's back.

"MDM is a suite of mobility services that comes with HP support staff to help enterprise IT departments deploy, support and manage their mobile enterprises. Areas of coverage include security, installation, startup, technical support, mobile infrastructure and maintenance, as well as the integration of mobile applications, devices and the network.

Another offering, HP Service Desk, provides a single point of contact for repair and support of devices, software and connectivity, which HP said includes around-the-clock, multi-vendor technical expertise worldwide.

Kay sees MDM as building on technology HP acquired with the purchase of device management company Bitfone late last year. HP already started tapping Bitfone's remote management technology back in February when it announced its new line of iPaq smartphones would include it...

Virtualization might emerge as a key enabler of a kind of hybrid ownership of mobile devices, portioning consumer and business applications."

HP and Motorola reaffirm deal on Bitfone client.

[the following information is from June 11 --
also see a related post from March that announced
Motorola replaces Bitfone with Red Bend client for FOTA]

"Motorola has not ditched the Bitfone mobile device management client from HP in favor of Red Bend’s and still uses it on some of its phones, just as it will continue to use the Bitfone server on the back end...

'Motorola has a strong relationship with both companies... While I cannot share the details of our business relationships, we plan to continue to use both companies' technology in our handset portfolio and continue to use HP/Bitfone as our FOTA server partner.'...

What some industry pundits suggest is that Motorola is retaining the Bitfone client for handsets running an RTOS, but will use Red Bend on its smart phones on Linux. If correct, that still leaves the question of which it will ship on the Windows Mobile smart phones it produces for the business market, not to mention the Symbian phone it unveiled at 3GSM earlier this year.

HP bought Bitfone to use the technology on its iPAQ range of handheld devices, which run the Windows Mobile OS, though it also positions it as a broader, heterogeneous offering to support whatever smart phone OSes corporate customers require."

mFormation lands Telus deal.

"mFormation Technologies Inc has been selected over rivals InnoPath, Bitfone (now part of HP) and Insignia (whose assets were acquired by Smith Micro) to supply mobile device management (MDM) technology to Canadian operator Telus...

The MDM space appears to have three frontrunners, namely mFormation, InnoPath and Bitfone/HP, with a couple of others such as Insignia/Smith Micro and Synchronica. Both mFormation and InnoPath claim market leadership, while Bitfone is somewhat in transition as a result of the HP acquisition, in that the acquirer is talking about a direct-to-enterprise play, leveraging its strength elsewhere in the enterprise market. To date, most MDM business has been with the carriers or handset manufacturers, with even enterprise MDM being a service offered by mobile carriers rather than a DIY technology. Bitfone is announcing something that may change the competitive environment on Tuesday next week in Shanghai, promising an enterprise MDM platform."

HP swims upstream on mobile device management.

"Hewlett-Packard is going in the opposite direction from most of the players in the mobile device management (MDM) space, planning to launch a platform to sell directly into the enterprise market rather than indirectly via carriers... IBM appears to have killed off its WEDM product in this category and is rumored to have been sniffing round Bitfone when HP came along, a story Wang declined to comment on. InnoPath and mFormation could certainly become attraction acquisition targets over the next year or two."

AsiaInfo to develop MDM system for China Mobile (using Bitfone).

"AsiaInfo Holdings... a leading provider of telecom software solutions and IT security products and services, today announced it has signed a contract with China Mobile to develop its national mobile device management platform... AsiaInfo will provide system integration services as well as billing, network management, and analysis software. AsiaInfo is also a major contributor to China Mobile's DM specification. The system will integrate some core device management functions of Bitfone's SmartDM software."

Motorola replaces Bitfone with Red Bend client for FOTA.

"Red Bend Software Inc has replaced Bitfone Corp as the provider of client software for firmware-over-the-air delivery to mobile phones from Motorola Inc, in what looks like fallout from Bitfone’s December acquisition by Hewlett-Packard Co... in addition to Motorola, Red Bend’s FOTA client is also in use by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG and BenQ, as well as smaller players such as Sharp and NEC, with only Samsung among the tier-1 players preferring to plough its own furrow right now... Red Bend took the decision almost two years ago to drop out of the FOTA server market, preferring instead to work with any server that supported the OMA DM standard. As such it can talk to servers from companies like mFormation and Synchronica, as well as the Bitfone server, back in an operator’s or handset manufacturer’s network... With mFormation and Synchronica focusing on FOTA server development and Bitfone now absorbed into HP, said Grauballe, only InnoPath Software Inc remains as an independent developer of both server and client technology."

HP targets business market with iPaq smartphone.

"Hewlett-Packard announced a smartphone for business users on Monday, appealing to IT administrators by offering remote software management from Bitfone... HP will launch the iPaq 500 series smartphones in April or May, depending on Microsoft Corp.'s timing in releasing its new Windows Mobile 6.0 OS. HP plans to charge $299 to $349 for an unlocked version of the phone, and will announce deals with individual carriers after the initial launch."

Forrester Research: With Bitfone, HP moves to solve MDM pain.

"The acquisition shows that enterprise mobility is a major focus for HP moving forward and traditional endpoint management vendors, like Altiris, CA, and LANDesk, should take mobile endpoint management seriously."

HP's lagging smart-phone business eyes boost from startup acquisition.

"'The iPaqs are very competitive today, and we're going to do more in the future.'... The more in the future starts with Bitfone. Its technology lets companies add or change software on handsets over the air via wireless networks... While the iPhone targets consumers, the iPaq and Bitfone target businesses."

Bitfone buy could spur run on MDM software.

"CA, IBM, Microsoft Corp., Sybase Inc. and BMC Software Inc. might want to pick up MDM technology, and their customers, rather than build the functionality themselves."

Hewlett-Packard to buy Bitfone.

"Hewlett-Packard Co. said Wednesday it agreed to buy Bitfone Corp., a privately held developer of software that help businesses manage mobile devices."

Alltel and Bitfone launch world's first OMA-DM solution for CDMA.

"Alltel (NYSE:AT), owner and operator of the nation's largest wireless network with more than 11 million wireless customers, has commercially launched Bitfone's OTA device management solution, FusionDM, to manage and deliver OTA feature enhancements to its subscribers."

Bitfone expands management team.

"Jon Herttua joins Bitfone with more than 27 years of sales experience. In his previous position as vice president of sales at mFormation Technologies, Herttua was responsible for channel and direct sales."

Bitfone's FusionDM energizes the mobile user experience.

"FusionDM's coordinated modules can be catered to meet the needs of the growing mobile market with features including diagnostics, firmware management, handset configuration, enterprise and application management."

Is open-standards-based e-mail the key to the SMB?

Read the complete article for analysis of and information about Synchronica, O3SIS, Funambol, Synthesis AG, and Bitfone. The table doesn't render very well, so I've included a snapshot below.

ZTE and Bitfone partner.

"Bitfone Corporation... today announced that ZTE Corporation, China's largest listed domestic telecom equipment supplier and the fastest growing global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has selected Bitfone's Device Management Client Suite to fulfill its device requirements from domestic operators, such as China Mobile, and operators worldwide."

Kyocera picks Bitfone.

"Bitfone Corporation... today announced that Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones and devices, has selected Bitfone's Device Management Client Suite to fulfill its requirements for OMA DM and FOTA support for its mobile devices."

Insignia licenses Bitfone patents.

"Bitfone Corporation... today announced that Insignia Solutions has signed an agreement to license intellectual property rights to Bitfone's FOTA technology... Bitfone has instituted an extensive licensing program for its intellectual property to foster the widespread adoption of FOTA and leading-edge device management technologies."