Automatic portable electronic device configuration

A computer-readable storage medium not comprising transmission media and data associated therewith and encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method for configuring a portable electronic device, comprising:

• inputting a computer-readable visual symbol via an image capture device on a portable electronic device, wherein the computer-readable visual symbol is generated by a network-side service in response to user input information received by the network-side service;
• based on inputting the computer-readable visual symbol, transmitting a message to the network-side service;
• receiving an authorization for the portable electronic device to access configuration parameters;
• based on the authorization, accessing the configuration parameters;
• and
• using the configuration parameters to automatically configure the portable electronic device.

A portable electronic device, comprising:

• an image capture device;
• a computer-readable storage medium;
• and
• a processor responsive to the computer-readable storage medium and to a computer program stored within the computer-readable storage medium, the computer program, when loaded into the processor, operable to perform a method comprising:
• capturing an image of a computer-readable visual symbol via the image capture device, wherein the computer-readable visual symbol is generated by a network-side service in response to user input information received by the network-side service;
• based on the image, transmitting a message to a network-side service;
• based on transmitting, receiving an authorization from the network-side service to access configuration parameters;
• based on the authorization, accessing the configuration parameters;
• and
• based on the configuration parameters, automatically configuring the portable electronic device for operation.