MAST, the First Linux Mobile Phone With Completely Customizable Software

Red Bend, a US-based market leader in Mobile Software Management, announced the introduction of MAST, the first Linux mobile phone with software that can be completely customized over the air. Red Bend worked with other industry-leading companies like Opera, Digital Airways, Zi, Synchronica and Trolltech (which will be soon acquired by Nokia) to develop a new mobile software customization concept where applications, features and services can be both deployed and updated in a secure and easy way, over the air, on handsets that use vRapid Mobile. The latter is a Red Bend solution that offers unique capabilities to improve and customize the continuous growing amount of mobile software.

MAST is based on Trolltech's Qtopia application platform for Linux and is implemented on the Qtopia Greenphone created by the same developer. The Device Management Server from Synchronica provides a device management server connection that allows the software to be provisioned in a reliable and safe manner using the OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) Device Management protocol.

"Until now, the entire mobile value chain has struggled to find a solution to enable post-sale, over-the-air customization of mobile software, especially for feature phones where core applications and services are embedded in ROM," said Yoram Salinger, Chief Executive Officer of Red Bend Software. "vRapid Mobile solves this need today, and we have joined efforts with major players in the industry to show how new revenue streams can be realized through mobile software management."

The new phone's name, MAST, is an abbreviation for Master Key and symbolizes a new era in Open Access, where any mobile device and any software can be customized at any time. The Linux-based handset has not been presented yet (so there are no images or specifications), but it will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, between 11 and 14 February 2008.