Methods and systems for server-initiated activation of device for operation with server

1. A method for enabling activation of a wireless communication device to operate with a server on a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

in absence of any activation request sent from the device, receiving, at the device, an activation request from the server, the activation request being authenticated with a signature signed with a server certificate, the server certificate including server identity information;

verifying, by the device, the activation request by verifying the server identity information and the signature;

receiving pre-setting instructions from the server;

pre-setting the device in accordance with the received pre-setting instructions from the server, pre-settings made on the device being inactive until after receiving the input to accept the activation request;

only after receiving input to accept the activation request, establishing a mutually authenticated communication session between the device and the server for activation of the device on the server, the mutually authenticated communication session being authenticated by a device certificate from the device and the same or different server certificate; and

removing the pre-settings made on the device after receiving an input to reject the activation request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein pre-setting the device comprises at least one of:

pre-setting a security perimeter governing usage of one or more resources on the device;

pre-installing an application on the device; and

pre-setting personal information management (PIM) on the device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

at a first-time communication with the wireless communication network, receiving the device certificate from a certificate authority, the device certificate including device identity information and device authentication information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server certificate also includes server authentication information, and the same server certificate is used to establish the mutually authenticated communication session.

5. A wireless communication device configurable to operate with a server on a communication network, the device comprising a processor configured to execute instructions to cause the device to:

in absence of any activation request sent from the device, receive an activation request from the server, the activation request being authenticated with a signature signed by a server certificate, the server certificate including server identity information;

verify activation request by verifying the server identity information and the signature;

receive pre-setting instructions from the server;

pre-set the device in accordance with the received pre-setting instructions from the server, pre-settings made on the device being inactive until after receiving the input to accept the activation request;

only after receiving input to accept the activation request, establish a mutually authenticated communication session between the device and the server for activation of the device on the server, the mutually authenticated communication session being authenticated by a device certificate and the same or different server certificate; and

remove the pre-settings made on the device after receiving an input to reject the activation request.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein pre-setting the device comprises at least one of:

pre-setting a security perimeter governing usage of one or more resources on the device;

pre-installing an application on the device; and

pre-setting personal information management (PIM) on the device.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the device certificate is received from a certificate authority at a first-time communication with the communication network, the device certificate including device identity information and device authentication information.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the server certificate also includes server authentication information, and the same server certificate is used to establish the mutually authenticated communication session.

9. A method for enabling activation of a wireless communication device to operate with a server on a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

in absence of any activation request sent from the device, pushing, by the server, an activation request to the device, the activation request being authenticated by a signature signed by a server certificate, the server certificate including server identity information;

pushing pre-setting instructions to the device, the pre-setting instructions causing pre-setting of the device, pre-settings made on the device being inactive until the activation request is accepted, the pre-setting instructions cause removal of any pre-settings made on the device after the device receives an input to reject the activation request; and

after receiving from the device an indication to proceed with activation, establishing a mutually authenticated communication session between the server and the device for activation of the device on the server, the mutually authenticated communication session being authenticated by a device certificate from the device and the same or different server certificate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pre-settings instructions cause pre-setting of the device including at least one of:

pre-setting a security perimeter governing usage of one or more resources on the device;

pre-installing an application on the device; and

pre-setting personal information management (PIM) on the device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein establishing the mutually authenticated communication session comprises verifying identity of the device using the device certificate.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the server certificate also includes server authentication information, and the same server certificate is used to establish the mutually authenticated communication session.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein a different server authentication certificate including server authentication information is used to establish the mutually authenticated communication session.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the server certificate is received from a certificate authority, when the server first registers with the wireless communication network.

15. A server configurable to enable activation of a wireless communication device to operate with the server, the server comprising a processor configured to execute instructions to cause the server to:

in absence of any activation request sent from the device, push, by the server, an activation request to the device, the activation request being authenticated by a signature signed by a server certificate, the server certificate including server identity information;

push pre-setting instructions to the device, the pre-setting instructions causing pre-setting of the device, pre-settings made on the device being inactive until the activation request is accepted, the pre-setting instructions cause removal of any pre-settings made on the device after the device receives an input to reject the activation request; and

after receiving from the device an indication to proceed with activation, establish a mutually authenticated communication session between the server and the device for activation of the device on the server, the mutually authenticated communication session being authenticated by a device certificate from the device and the same or different server certificate.

16. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions for execution by a processor of a wireless communication device configurable to operate with a server on a communication network that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to:

in absence of any activation request sent from the device, receive an activation request from the server, the activation request being authenticated with a signature signed by a server certificate, the server certificate including server identity information;

verify activation request by verifying the server identity information and the signature;

receive pre-setting instructions from the server;

pre-set the device in accordance with the received pre-setting instructions from the server, pre-settings made on the device being inactive until after receiving the input to accept the activation request;

only after receiving input to accept the activation request, establish a mutually authenticated communication session between the device and the server for activation of the device on the server, the mutually authenticated communication session being authenticated by a device certificate and the same or different server certificate; and

remove the pre-settings made on the device after receiving an input to reject the activation request.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions for execution by a processor of a server configurable to enable activation of a wireless communication device to operate with the server that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

in absence of any activation request sent from the device, push, by the server, an activation request to the device, the activation request being authenticated by a signature signed by a server certificate, the server certificate including server identity information;

push pre-setting instructions to the device, the pre-setting instructions causing pre-setting of the device, pre-settings made on the device being inactive until the activation request is accepted, the pre-setting instructions cause removal of any pre-settings made on the device after the device receives an input to reject the activation request; and

after receiving from the device an indication to proceed with activation, establish a mutually authenticated communication session between the server and the device for activation of the device on the server, the mutually authenticated communication session being authenticated by a device certificate from the device and the same or different server certificate.