Beginning last Friday, we kept a close watch on issues subscribers were encountering with the latest over-the-air firmware update for the CLIQ, and Android device. The fix was intended to add additional functionality including Google apps, SIM management, GPS, and Bluetooth among others, but in fact had just the opposite impact. Although it did not 'brick' the phone as some reported, which would have rendered the device a shiny paperweight, post-update, users did report problems with the MOTOBLUR interface, the display, the keypad, and most interestingly, a device time that was reset to January 1, 1970, 12:00 GMT. For those familiar with Unix, on which Android is based, this is the 'beginning' of Unix time.
Now, in this case, it is not the update mechanism consisting of the server and client that failed. Everything performed as intended. Much like CFIT (look it up on wiki) in pilot-speak. What obviously did not take place was the proper level of testing (and re-testing) between Motorola and T-Mobile, including controlled target groups to verify proper behavior in the field. Part of this may be due to what some perceive to be the 'cowboy' nature of Android in general, an OS under the auspices of a company, Google, where every second application seems to be "just outta beta.
Not all operators take this approach. Even with Android we work with some operators that are very rigorous in their testing, following what we consider to be best practices in the industry. Over the last year, we've conducted over four million updates impacting over 25 device models on various operating systems at Verizon and AT&T, using our servers. In all cases, the updates were tested by the handset vendor, and then tested again by the operator. Only after verification and pre-staging, were they pushed to the subscribers at-large, with behavior as intended.
In Motorola's favor, they have acknowledged responsibility on their Owner's Forum (https://supportforums.motorola.com/message/118683;jsessionid=6C14BAFD4911FE0030B452DBA78942AA.node0#118683) and at the end of last week promised a revised update which has since been deployed. However, they also suggested an interim solution that involved sideloading (via a PC) the updated software. Good for early adopters that understand USBs and SD cards, but not for the early majority, the intended audience for the CLIQ. One would think that Motorola and T-Mobile won't repeat this lack of process.
David Ginsburg is Vice President of Marketing at InnoPath Software, a company that provides over-the-air frontline care solutions to mobile operators that help them address their growing smartphone support problem and increase First Call Resolution. Website: www.innopath.com. Blog: thecsr.blogspot.com.
NOTE: Motorola now has exact instructions on how to fix the update error at Motorola CLIQ support.