2024-10-21 | Katja Grünewald | 3 min read
How to optimize your time to market with FOTA
Time to market (TTM) is a key factor in the product development process. It describes the time span from the initial idea through product development to market launch. The length or brevity of the time to market can give companies a decisive competitive advantage: The faster a product reaches the market, the faster it generates sales and establishes itself before the competition can catch up.
FOTA (Firmware Over-the-Air) updates offer an excellent opportunity to speed up this process considerably - whether in the development phase of a product, when solving problems or after the product launch.
The following examples illustrate how FOTA updates can make the entire product cycle more efficient and thus significantly reduce time to market.
Faster market launch with just in time software updates
Launching an unfinished product on the market? Doesn't sound very smart at first, but it can actually be a clever strategy!
In an ideal world, the hardware and software of a device are always ready at the same time and products can be launched directly onto the market without expensive intermediate storage or waiting times. Is this the case in your company? Then congratulations, you have established highly optimized processes.
If not, I still have good news: The software does not have to be finalized at the same time as the hardware: While the finished device is already packaged and on its way to the customer, developers can still finalize the last lines of code or the QA department can use additional time to thoroughly test all software functions.
All that matters is that the product receives a wireless firmware update when it is first switched on to provide all the required functions.
This allows you to start production and delivery of your product early, saving valuable time and costs. Missing features can be added at market launch (or at a later stage). It is important that the FOTA system is able to orchestrate and process all updates smoothly so that the launch day is a complete success.
Reducing risks: Bugs, security, compliance
In addition to the fundamental reduction in time to market through F-OTA updates, it is crucial to recognize potential complications at an early stage and react accordingly in order to avoid unnecessary delays and stay ahead of the competition.
Such complications can arise as a result of changed framework conditions, for example new security standards that are not met. Or serious problems discovered by the QA department, like a feature not working properly or even spyware in purchased hardware.
If a company does not have a FOTA system, software problems can be updated manually by hand and plug - provided that the devices are not on the market or with the customer. However, if this is no longer possible, you hopefully have a competent marketing team to cushion a recall - or a really well-functioning FOTA system.
Such a FOTA system must not only be highly scalable in order to update a very large number of devices simultaneously (and later be scalable down again to save costs). It should also offer various rollout strategies and backup plans in order to carry out all updates efficiently and risk-free in an urgent situation. This ensures that bug fixes, security and compliance updates are applied quickly and without unnecessary costs.
Discover our solutions for intelligent device management now and stay one step ahead of the competition!
Flexible feature updates to match the market situation
Months and years often pass between the planning, development and final release of a product. In the days before the Internet and FOTA updates, companies were forced to plan a product from start to finish and bring it to market completely ready. Today, it is possible to deliver new features as and when required.
If your company's product is a market leader and customer satisfaction is high, it can make strategic sense to save resources and development costs. If your competitor suddenly surprises you with an innovative feature, you can reinvest in development or roll out a reserved update.
Unforeseeable events, such as a pandemic or an economic crisis, can also lead to your company having to reassess its priorities. In such cases, it may be advisable to reduce development costs, gather valuable customer feedback and data or attract investors.
Thanks to wireless firmware updates, it is possible to flexibly develop, roll out or hold back new functions after the market launch. This allows you to adapt your product strategy to changing company and market situations in the optimum way.
Conclusion
Whether it's a product launch, solving problems during use or updating devices that have already been delivered: Updates over the air are an effective way to shorten the time to market of your product in various phases.
For this, it is crucial to have a robust FOTA system. A good firmware-over-the- air-system must be scalable, customizable and reliable. This allows you to meet the dynamic requirements of today's markets.
Then read part 1 of our article series: Firmware Over-the-Air: We explain FOTA.