Over-the-air firmware (FOTA) company Red Bend Software has agreed a deal with NEC Corporation  of Japan to install Red Bends vCurrent Mobile FOTA updating technology on NECs mobile phones. NEC will begin shipping mobile devices with the Red Bend update client in the fall of 2006.
The NEC agreement follows an earlier, similar agreement between Red Bend and Sharp Corporation,  announced in October 2005, and means that Red Bend will be supplying its FOTA solution to Japans two largest mobile phone manufacturers. Red Bend already provides firmware update technology to most of the worlds largest mobile phone makers, including BenQ Mobile, LG Electronics and  Sony Ericsson.
Red Bends patented FOTA solution makes it possible to efficiently and reliably deliver updated firmware over-the-air to phones already in users hands. This enables the handset maker to deliver new features and products to the market more quickly, and enhance customers satisfaction with their phones.  Red Bends vCurrent Mobile technology generates extremely compact updates which can be rapidly and cost-effectively delivered onto the handset with 100% accuracy. Unlike other FOTA solutions, says Red Bend, vCurrent Mobile generates firmware updates without interfering with the original firmware image, making the update process simpler and faster.
The selection of our products by NEC, an important mobile phone manufacturer and an early adopter of FOTA technology, testifies to the advantages of Red Bends technology and our ability to support our customers in all global markets, says Red Bend CEO, Yoram Salinger.  This agreement with NEC solidifies our leading position in Japan, one of the most sophisticated and demanding markets for mobile phones.