Patent ID: 8050242

Claim:
A method comprising: a subscription portal receiving an authentication message over an air interface from a device having a wireless communication module for engaging in communication on the air interface; after receiving the authentication message, the subscription portal authenticating the wireless communication module; after authenticating the wireless communication module, the subscription portal engaging in a first-time activation session with the device, wherein engaging in the first-time activation session with the device comprises conducting initial provisioning of service for the device, wherein conducting the initial provisioning of service for the device comprises correlating the device with a service account administered by a service provider, for use by the service provider in later serving the device; and the subscription portal receiving from the device during the first-time activation session with the device a set of data specifying one or more features or capabilities of the device, and using the data as a basis to customize the initial provisioning of service for the device based on the specified one or more features or capabilities of the device, wherein using the data as a basis to customize the initial provisioning of service for the device based on the specified one or more features or capabilities of the device comprises using the one or more features or capabilities of the device as a basis to establish one or more service parameters for the service account administered by the service provider, wherein establishing the one or more service parameters for the service account administered by the service provider comprises recording the one or more service parameters in the service account administered by the service provider, for use in later serving the device, and wherein using the data as a basis to customize initial provisioning of service for the device based on the specified one or more features or capabilities of the device comprises, in addition to using the one or more features or capabilities of the device as a basis to establish one or more service parameters for the service account, using the one or more features or capabilities of the device as a basis to establish configuration data to provision on the device, and sending the configuration data to the device for storage on the device.