Mountain View, California-based Livongo Health, a chronic disease management company, has launched a new capability on its smart blood glucose meter. The device now employs one of the most basic – yet perhaps underrated – features of a smartphone: the ability to download over-the-air updates.

The Livongo meter, a smart glucose meter that the company says is the first such device to offer downloads of software updates, is part of the Livongo for Diabetes program that also includes access to a certified diabetes educator and unlimited blood glucose test strips. Livongo’s meter has always been connected to the cloud and a virtual care team, but the over-the-air capabilities will allow for more personalized and timely insights of blood glucose data.

“Over-the-air creates the possibility to give people a meter that is designed for their needs, making it easier for people to stay healthy,” Glen Tullman, CEO of Livongo, said in a statement.  “And that’s what we want – to empower people with chronic conditions to manage their diseases and to live the lives they want.”

Livongo, which was founded by Tullman (the former CEO of Allscripts) in 2014, seeks to make diabetes management easier through a contract plan with health plans, health systems and self-insured employers. With the Livongo meter, users of the device can send blood glucose data directly to their doctor’s office. Additionally, data generated from the meter can also be integrated into their electronic health record.

“Livongo has always had the ability to deliver personalized and timely insights to the meter,” Amar Kendale, Livongo’s senior vice president of product, said in a statement. “We are committed to using the latest consumer technology and I’m excited for us to bring OTA software updating capabilities to a blood glucose meter for the first time.”