We oftentimes use lingo here on BBGeeks that might be foreign to some users. In an effort to clear up any confusion as to what we mean with certain acronyms, we’re going to take the time to explain as many of them as possible. First up: OTA.
The acronym stands for Over The Air. This usually refers to downloads. You might see links saying OTA. In such an instance, it means that you can download the application directly to your device, without having to download it to your computer and load it with BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
The advantage of downloading OTA is that it’s one process. Instead of using multiple devices and taking multiple steps to download and install software, OTA downloads offer instant installation. Once you hit “Download” (example shown below), that’s it. You’re done. The application (or theme) is yours.
The disadvantage is that it uses your data plan. For those of us in the U.S., that’s not much of a problem. We have essentially unlimited transfers from our BlackBerry devices, so Over The Air downloads mean little in the long run. However, up in Canada there are caps on data usage, so downloading applications over the air can eat into that and run up your bill.
I hope this explains things on a basic level. Any questions?
