Windows Phone 7 Device Update_FINAL_122010

Windows® Phone 7 for IT professionals
Windows® Phone 7 device update
This article is part of an ongoing series designed to help IT professionals evaluate Windows Phone 7 and understand how it can play a role in their organization. The articles in this series will focus on different topics of interest, such as the Windows Phone 7 architecture, using Windows Phone 7 devices with other applications such as Microsoft® Exchange Server, security, and management. This article provides information about how Windows Phone 7 devices get updated. It includes the following sections: One update, one delivery How to update Windows Phone 7 Improved process
OEG32.1 12/2010
Windows® Phone 7 for IT professionals
How to update Windows Phone 7
When a software update for your Windows Phone 7 phone is available, a notification will display on the phone. You can also do the following: 1. On Start, flick left to the App list and tap Settings. Then tap Phone update. Tip: You can customize the notification settings and connectivity methods that Windows Phone 7 uses to check for updates as shown in the following screen shots. By default, your phone uses your cellular data connection to check for updates and notifies you when an update is available.
2
2. 3.
If an update is available and you want to learn more about it before you install it on your phone, connect your phone to your computer using the USB cable that came with your phone. On your computer, run the Zune software if it doesn't start automatically, and then, in the Zune software, select Settings > Phone > Update. Note: If your computer doesn't have the Zune software installed, you'll be prompted to download and install it before you can update your phone. The Zune software will provide an estimate of the time required for the update to complete. If you aren't prompted to download the Zune software, you can install it from the Download Zune software page.is a different kind of mobile phone, and the Windows Phone 7 update process is very different from the Windows Mobile update process. With the release of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is taking full responsibility for end-to-end updates and providing Windows Phone 7 users with a much better experience than they had with Windows Mobile. Windows Phone 7 updates take advantage of the world-class Microsoft Update infrastructure that is in place today to deliver updates directly to phones. Users do not have to concern themselves with figuring out where to download their updates from; they are automatically notified when updates to their phones are available.
One update, one delivery
For Windows Phone 7, Microsoft created a single update mechanism. Users receive a single update that is created by Microsoft, even though each update might actually include multiple updates. In this way, if a phone needs multiple updates they will all be downloaded and installed at the same time. The new update process makes it much easier on Microsoft partners, including device manufacturers and mobile operators, by establishing a single, consistent update process that they can take advantage of. This approach means that partners aren’t responsible for creating and delivering their own individual updates like in the past. This new approach is really a win for everyone. Windows Phone 7 features a notification that pops up on the phone when an update is available. When this notification appears, connect your phone via USB cable to a computer running the Microsoft Zune® client software. At that point it's literally just one click and the update is downloaded and transferred to the phone, a restore point is created, and the update is installed, all of which is done automatically.
OEG32.1 12/2010
Windows® Phone 7 for IT professionals
3
5.
The update process will proceed. Windows Phone 7 displays an Update in Progress screen that provides information about the status of the different steps in the process. For example, the following screen shot indicates that the “Installing updates” step is in progress.
OEG32.1 12/2010
Windows® Phone 7 for IT professionals
6.
When the update process is complete, the following screen will display:
4
Improved process
The Windows Mobile update process was difficult for users, and was one of the most important things on the list of things to fix for Windows Phone 7. The new update process doesn’t do anything to personal data, settings, or installed apps. When the update is complete, you'll be able to use your phone right away, exactly as it was before, along with all the new benefits from the update. Previously, there was some risk of losing information if the update process failed or didn’t work properly. The new process creates a “snapshot” of the phone that is taken directly before the update, which provides the ability to return to the pre-update state. Microsoft works very closely with its partners to make sure updates are not only tested thoroughly, but also released in a timely fashion, following standard practices in the industry today for smartphone devices. Original design manufacturers (ODMs) play an important role in the update process, and more prescriptive guidance is available to them for certain hardware specifications than in Windows Mobile. Also, Windows Phone 7 provides better separation between Microsoft and ODM software at low levels of the hardware. It’s not possible at this time to perform over-the-air (OTA) updates. For the first release of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft wanted to create a consistent, reliable solution that customers could trust 100%. Connecting to a computer and using the Zune client software for the update provides several advantages, including a large screen for the update user interface, the ability to charge the phone while updating, and a full backup of the phone in case any problems occur. However, Microsoft will continue to evaluate customer feedback and consider the possibility of adding OTA update capability in a future release.