Abstract: Systems and methodologies for direct device-to-device transfer of configuration information, such as network information, are provided herein. As described herein, network keys and other information can be transferred from a device that stores and/or utilizes the information to one or more devices to be initialized on a corresponding network. Network information can be communicated using audio tones, light pulses, and/or other similar signals to facilitate transfer of network information using one or more hardware components present at devices involved in the transfer for other purposes and without requiring specialized hardware. Systems and methodologies disclosed herein enable new devices to a network to be programmed by an already-programmed device, thereby reducing the need for off-site network initialization in cases where a small number of devices are to be added to an existing population.

Abstract: A charging cradle having an embedded server, wherein the server software is a ubiquitous and integral part of the charging cradle. Additionally, the server enables monitoring of an enterprise mobile device for battery level and availability, and can push software/firmware updates to the mobile device via an integrated data connection. Furthermore, the charging cradle can distribute services to the mobile devices, reducing the overall complexity of the mobile devices.