Mobile Internet is not Plug and Play
I have frequently mentioned the problem of ensuring that end-users have the correct Internet access point settings to allow them to use mobile services. When Blyk, the advertising based MVNO started, I wondered how they would solve this dilemma, especially because they were supporting almost most existing user phones.
I was contacted by Wouter Deelman of Qelp today regarding a presentation he gave last Monday at MIDAS entitled "Mobile internet is not plug and play". Qelp actually helped alleviate these problems for Blyk. Here’s some information from the presentation.
Blyk learned…
- The Industry has failed to standardise end to end settings delivery
- Fully automated successful settings delivery won’t work for second hand handsets
- Member interactions are required for settings delivery
- Customer self service is a must to support OTA-activation
- Some handsets do not support OTA at all, including Windows Mobile
Sending settings to the phone isn’t necessarily the full solution to the problem. Saving and activating settings is too complex in many handsets. The exact process the user has to go through may even change depending on the handset firmware version. Some handsets have very limited memory for settings and there may not be space for newly sent settings. Also, sending settings based on the handset’s IMEI isn’t foolproof because handset manufacturers introduce new IMEI ranges for existing models.
About 20% of handsets are sold preconfigured. Some retail channels load settings as well but automatic device configuration should improve things. However, end-users are confused when receiving settings. The best in class seems to be 50% - 60% OTA-settings success rate. One problem is that some devices come on the market before operator testing on the network. Hence they aren’t recognised by automatic device configuration and no OTA-settings are available.
Qelp solves these problems with a self service white label application. It provides Step-by-step end-user instructions, visualised screens, deals with memory full problems, help with OTA and as a fallback, manual configuration instructions.
More details can be found on the Qelp blog together with details how to obtain the presentation that includes the statistics mentioned above and many more insights.
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