Bitfone Acquires Mobile Diagnostix
In January, we reviewed Over-the-Air (OTA) update technology for cellular phone software, in which a carrier pushes bug fixes to a phone over the wireless network. We continue to predict a promising future for this class of solution, as it allows a carrier to increase functionality, but avoid the extremely expensive task of asking customers to bring the phone into a shop. As phone firmware becomes more complex, OTA becomes increasingly important. But beyond firmware, as phone OS software and applications also become more complex, such as in smartphones, another customer support nightmare is brewing. Customer support calls for smartphones normally last three times as long as a regular support call, increasing costs. A startup, Mobile Diagnostix, has developed solutions to help carrier customer support better handle, and reduce the cost, of Smartphone support. This week Bitfone announced the purchase of Mobile Diagnostix. With the Bitfone purchase of Mobile Diagnostix, we see a good deal of synergy between the united company's two systems: a CSR rep could now use Mobile Diagnostix to diagnose a smartphone problem, and either resolve it with the customer, or push out a software fix using Bitfone technology.
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