A B737-700 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE ACARS MGMNT UNIT REPLACED BUT WAS NOT PROGRAMMED WITH THE CARRIER'S SOFTWARE.

Narrative

MAINT CTL CALLS LINE/MAINT TO R&R THE CMU ON ACFT FOR MAINT CONVENIENCE. MAINT CTL CALLS OUT FOR A SVC REQ OF X TO USE ON ACFT. I RECEIVED THE SVC REQ AND IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE PARTS LIST PROGRAM ON THE SCREEN TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVITY OF THE SVC REQ AND RECEIVE THE PART FROM HANGAR STORES. THE ACFT ARRIVED AND I GREETED THE CREW AND INFORMED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS. THE ACARS HAD NO FAULTS BEFORE I REPLACED THE CMU. I REPLACED THE CMU AND AFTER THE SELF TEST AND 'PING-PONG' MESSAGE TEST WAS VERIFIED; I SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK. 2 HRS LATER; MAINT CTL CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE ACFT WAS IN MAINT; HAVING THE ACARS PLACED ON MEL DUE TO CONFLICTING PROMPTS ON THE CDU. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT HONEYWELL (THE MANUFACTURER) HAD INSTALLED THEIR OWN SOFTWARE IN THE CMU AND ACR HAD THEIR OWN. THE PARTS LIST I USED GAVE ME NO NOTIFICATION THAT THIS UNIT WAS SOFTWARE SENSITIVE. THE PARTS TAG ON THE UNIT ITSELF HAD NO SOFTWARE SENSITIVE INFO PRINTED. OTHER UNITS LIKE THE DFCD (FMC); DEU'S; ETC; HAVE SOFTWARE SENSITIVE ALERTS IN THE PARTS LIST; AND ARE PRINTED ON THE PARTS TAG. THOSE SAME UNITS ALSO USUALLY COME WITH 'TOE TAGS' TO LIST THE SOFTWARE LOADED INSIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING DEEPER IN THE PARTS LIST; I USED THE GENERIC ATA 46 AND FOUND THE INFO ON PAGE #1 AND PAGE #4 ABOUT CMU SOFTWARE.