LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., Oct. 9, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The OTA Flash Forum (OTAFF), a special interest group addressing the technical and operational issues facing over-the-air (OTA) management of mobile devices, today announced the addition of several new members, including Airwide Solutions, Ankanet, Ericsson, Mokool, Monaco Telematique, Siemens, STMicroelectronics, and TELUS Mobility. In addition, LG Electronics will host the group's first meeting in the Asia-Pacific region at their R&D Center in Seoul, Korea.
"We are very pleased to host the first OTA Flash Forum in Asia and increase awareness of the group's activities in mobile device management," said Ph.D. S. K. Ahn, Chief of R&D at LG Electronics. "LG was one of the first companies to join OTAFF two years ago, and we have seen the positive impact that their collaborative efforts have on accelerating industry standards."
OTAFF membership has increased rapidly in 2005 as mobile operators begin to deploy a broad range of device management technologies, such as FOTA (firmware over the air), provisioning, user data management, and remote diagnostics. The group now has more than forty members.
"We're thrilled to see participation in OTAFF growing, both in new members and increasing numbers of ad hoc attendees who are trying to learn more about device management," said Gene Wang, CEO of Bitfone and chairman of the OTA Flash Forum. "LG has been extremely gracious to host our first meeting in Asia, and we look forward to many new members coming from this hotbed of wireless technology."
The next OTA Flash Forum meeting, hosted by LG Electronics, Inc., will take place on October 13, 2005, in Seoul, Korea. Agenda topics include FOTA Usability, Remote Diagnostics, and Mobile Security. In addition, an LG Electronics, Inc. representative will present "Improved Interoperability for FUMO," referring to the Firmware Update Management Object v1.0 specification that is pending approval from the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). To attend the meeting, interested parties must pre-register by sending email to: ota-flash-forum@bitfone.com. Non-member companies are welcome to attend as "observers."
About OTA Flash Forum
The OTA Flash Forum is an open membership special interest group formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of over-the-air (OTA) software updates for mobile devices. The OTA Flash Forum consists of leading carrier, manufacturer and solution provider companies which seek to promote widespread adoption of standards-based OTA update technology and contribute to the evolution of OTA services and applications in support of broader device management strategies. Founding members Bitfone, Gemplus, Motorola, Orange and T-Mobile USA initiated the OTA Flash Forum in June of 2003. For more information, visit www.otaflashforum.org.
About LG Electronics Inc.
LG Electronics (KSE: 06657.KS) is a global leader in providing cutting-edge, convergent electronics, information and communications products designed to meet the diverse needs of fast-changing consumers.
With consolidated sales of US$37.7 billion and overseas sales of US$32.6 billion (86% of total sales), LG Electronics employs more than 70,000 employees in 76 subsidiaries located in 39 countries and operates four business units including Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media. For more information please visit www.lge.com.