Jan/Feb 2005

Mobile phones just keep on getting smarter and smarter - thanks in part to the activities of third-party developers such as Extended Systems. The company has just launched a software development kit (or SDK) called XTNDAccess which enables manufacturers to embed industry-standard device management protocols into mobiles. It already has a user in the form of Quanta, a handset manufacturer based in Taiwan.

Among other features, the system allows mobile network providers to perform firmware patch upgrades to mobile phones by remote control, relieving end users of the need to carry out these upgrades themselves, and reducing support costs.