MSFP - It's in the Hands of the OEM

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2006/01/19/514981.aspx' target='_blank'>http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2006/01/19/514981.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I'm currently receiving lots of email generated mainly by some sites claiming that there are delays in our Push Email solution. This is total nonsense - there are no delays. AKU 2.0 has already been provided to device manufacturers and already the first device has appeared containing AKU 2.0. Unfortunatley it isn't in Europe but in <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2005/12/19/505653.aspx">Taiwan.</a> Other manufacturers are working on releasing updates and new devices containing AKU 2.0 and they will be available shortly. The dates when they are available are defined by the OEMs and are dependant on integration and network testing efforts. For those of you not familiar with Windows Mobile business model - unlike Windows Desktop. We have an OEM business model. We create the underlying operating system and then device manufacturers integrate their drivers and then test it on Mobile Operator networks."</i><br /><br />Jason Langridge clarifys the MSFP situation. Not much else we can do at this point, other than wait it out. :(

[mpaquette]

The OEM's are really missing a golden opportunity by not getting MSFP enabled on their WM 5 devices. I work for a small company and we have a couple dozen Blackberry's that would be dumped tomorrow for WM 5 devices if MSFP was available.

[xultar]

What do I have to do. Set myself a blaze and run through Cingular's headquaters? or is it HTC's headquaters?

I MUST HAVE AKU2!!!

[exchguy]

I think this is the problem with letting carriers and OEMs distribute software. They are in business to either sell devices or in the case of carriers to sell contracts. There is no real incentive from carriers or OEMs to push out software updates to existing devices because in many cases they don't want to hassle with the costs of supporting problems if the software upgrade toasted the device.

This is probably why the OEMs that supposedly received the software in November of last year haven't rushed to get anything out in short order. Many could just wait until their new devices come out and not provide any upgrades at all. How many OEMs provided upgrades to WM 5.0..not many.

This is supposed to be a small feature pack adding the direct push email, GAL lookup, and AD2P profiles. This is not a complete new rev of Windows Mobile, so my question is why have the OEMs/carriers been so slow to provide it? Does a small feature pack really need months and months of testing? Or are they trying to push it so far that by the time it is 'ready' they would rather just sell you a new device with it already built in?

Letting them be in charge of updates, is a bad idea in my opinion because they have not had a good history with these kinds of upgrades in the past. Maybe that will change, but so far it does not seem like their old ways have changed.

[sojourner753]

What do I have to do. Set myself a blaze and run through Cingular's headquaters? or is it HTC's headquaters?

I MUST HAVE AKU2!!!

This is the exact reason why I haven't bought a new WM device yet. I've been tempted, but I don't want to stuck with a new device without the main new feature. So I'll wait and see who supplies the update.

Of course I still have to decide between smartphone or ppcpe

[wshwe]

MSFP should have been installed on the devices to begin with. This is like RIM omitting BES support in its Blackberries. Microsoft screwed up again! :x

[Sven Johannsen]

MSFP should have been installed on the devices to begin with. This is like RIM omitting BES support in its Blackberries. Microsoft screwed up again! :x
How in the world do you come to that analogy and conclusion? RIM would have no e-mail without the BES capability. MS has had pull e-mail forever, and AUTD, a triggered pull, for some time now. Push e-mail was not available when WM5 was released, so how could it have been supplied to begin with? MS could have delayed WM5 until it was, but that wouldn't have gone over real well either. There are/were lots of advances in WM5 besides push e-mail, and that is only of interest to folks that have Exchange hosted e-mail.

The reality that the device vendors haven't been very proactive in incorporating AKU2 is a vendor issue, certainly not an MS one. I don't know why they are dragging their feet, but I can't see it being a desire to sell new devices. There aren't new devices with AKU2 either. I expect it is more of an economics issue. The margins on phones aren't that high. Especially considering that they are subsidising most of them to begin with. The phone companies money is made by selling you service. What is their incentive to develop and provide you an upgrade that doesn't result in you paying for more service? Unlike PPCs, phone upgrade flashing has historically been free. Do you think that folks would go for paying $20-$30 for the upgrade? Do you think they would extend their contract? I think AKU2 will be made available, but I think the carriers are trying to figure out what's in it for them. I think it comes down to good press if they do, and bad press if they don't. That's hard for the bottom line guys to get their arms around.

[Kris Kumar]

They are in business to either sell devices or in the case of carriers to sell contracts. There is no real incentive from carriers or OEMs to push out software updates to existing devices because in many cases they don't want to hassle with the costs of supporting problems if the software upgrade toasted the device. ....
Letting them be in charge of updates, is a bad idea in my opinion because they have not had a good history with these kinds of upgrades in the past. Maybe that will change, but so far it does not seem like their old ways have changed.

I don't know about the vendors like i-mate/Qtek (for them it just means upset customers, who will not buy pricey devices next time), but for carriers like Cingular and Verizon, it is very important to release the update. It definitely means more business for them, more enterprise customers for them. Plus carriers like Cingular have promised the update, it was in their press release for the 2125.

I agree, having the carriers in charge of the update is not a good idea, but that is how the industry is setup, they have the veto powers. :evil:

[wshwe]

How in the world do you come to that analogy and conclusion? RIM would have no e-mail without the BES capability. MS has had pull e-mail forever, and AUTD, a triggered pull, for some time now. Blackberries can use BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) instead of BES for their email. AUTD isn't reliable. AUTD can be costly because it uses text messages to notify the device of new messages. :cry:

[Sven Johannsen]

Blackberries can use BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) instead of BES for their email. AUTD isn't reliable. AUTD can be costly because it uses text messages to notify the device of new messages. :cry:BIS is just the carrier implementation of the corporate BES. You just get an email address from your carrier instead of your company.