BSQUARE Licenses Handset Certification Platform to World's Largest Mobile Network Operator

- China Mobile Using BSQUARE Automated Testing Suite to Improve Device Quality and Customer Satisfaction

News provided by
Bsquare Corporation
Aug. 04, 2011 15:47
BELLEVUE, WA--(Korea Newswire)--BSQUARE Corporation (NASDAQ: BSQR), a leading enabler of smart, connected devices, today announced the Company is providing China Mobile, the world‘s largest mobile network operator (MNO) with over 600 million subscribers, with handset testing software and related support services. Testing of China Mobile’s subsidized handsets is done using BSQUARE Handset Certification Platform (HCP), a testing suite also licensed to device makers. China Mobile is among the first adopters of BSQUARE HCP and is using HCP to enable its device suppliers to speed new smartphone releases to market while at the same time improving overall device quality.

BSQUARE HCP facilitates faster releases and improved device quality by automating elements of handset testing and standardizing tests to ensure consistent device testing and evaluation processes. HCP enables device makers to conduct their own independent testing using MNO-defined tests before devices enter an MNO's certification lab. With BSQUARE HCP, device makers can detect and fix problems earlier in the product development cycle, which ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction as well as reduced time to market and lower development costs.

“This is an expansion of the work that BSQUARE has been doing with China Mobile in support of their efforts to ensure outstanding quality of service for their subscribers,” said Brian Crowley, chief executive officer of BSQUARE. “We are pleased to work with China Mobile as they continue to invest in improving the quality of their network and the devices that run on their infrastructure. Their new focus on handset certification is a testament to China Mobile's continued commitment to deliver the best possible services to their customers and support for their device suppliers.”

BSQUARE HCP is a distributed and collaborative device testing and certification platform based on the Company‘s patented TestQuest automated testing technology that is used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to execute handset testing based on MNOs’ unique certification processes and testing requirements. HCP facilitates increased test coverage and consistent, automated test execution while providing improved test lab throughput and assurance of greater testing efficiencies at lower costs for OEMs seeking MNO certification. Using HCP to test early in the development process enables OEMs to increase defect identification and achieve faster product development via shorter test-fix-retest cycles. HCP also includes pre-defined, automated processes that can be used to reduce re-testing costs.

Following the Company's launch of the device testing program, BSQUARE will continue its work with China Mobile, expanding and enhancing the portfolio of test cases deployed through HCP to the device maker ecosystem. This ongoing effort will ensure OEMs keep up-to-date with the latest testing requirements and enable these companies to avoid the cost of manual testing and the complexity of trying to build their own test automation tools.

“The mobile phone market is changing rapidly with evolving standards, rapid product releases and short product lifecycles,” said Hugues de la Vergne, Principal Research Analyst of Gartner. “This is a complex reality that demands quality assurance and testing; a process that consumes a large portion of the overall device development effort. With devices now running multiple types of software from different vendors, the earlier a defect is identified in the development cycle, generally the faster and less risky it is to fix. And, fixing is critical as defects that go unidentified can result in material impacts on business through shipment delays, supply shortages and costly customer satisfaction issues.”

For MNOs, HCP enables faster release of higher-quality handsets with consistent, standardized testing. China Mobile‘s handset OEMs that use HCP to test their devices for Mean Time Between Failure performance before the devices are submitted for final MNO Certification in the China Mobile lab will benefit from the standardized testing process that will help to reduce the overall time required for the Operator’s testing processes and speed time-to-market for new handsets. BSQUARE HCP can be used to test devices utilizing mobile device operating systems from suppliers such as Google, Microsoft, OPhone Software Development Network, RIM and others. To date, leading device makers including Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and Lenovo have licensed HCP from BSQUARE in support of their devices to be used on the China Mobile network. BSQUARE continues to sign additional OEMs as the device testing program is being rolled out.

“We are pleased to be able to test our devices using the China Mobile tests in advance of submitting the devices for certification,” said Feng Lin, Testing Manager for Lenovo Mobile Internet and Digital Home Business Group. “HCP will enable Lenovo to ensure improved device quality and also enables us to scale our handset testing to meet China Mobile's ambitious nationwide requirements and increasingly stringent testing processes. With HCP we can now run a device test 1000 times and do that as easily as we performed the test 10 times with manual test procedures in the past.”

For more information about the BSQUARE Handset Certification Platform, visit http://bsquare.com/automated-testing-tools.aspx.

About BSQUARE

BSQUARE is an industry leader with a proven track record in providing production-ready software products, engineering services, solutions and automated testing for smart, connected devices. With deep technical knowledge of mobile and embedded technologies, BSQUARE enables device makers to develop and ship best in class products. Since 1994, BSQUARE has provided satisfied customers with innovative software solutions allowing them to get to market faster with reduced risk and cost. For more information, visit www.bsquare.com.

BSQUARE is a registered trademark of BSQUARE Corporation. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Website: http://www.bsquare.com

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