How does the "software (firmware) update" function work on the phone?

Hey everyone. I thought I might ask this question here as well as I've posted this on the AT&T forums. My wife and I both have Samsung phones. She has the Solstice while I have the Impression. Both of our phones has the function through its GUI menu where it says we can update our software or firmware. However, after clicking that button, it does nothing. I guess that means it doesn't have an update yet (or will it ever?).

Does anyone know if this function really works or is it just there because it provides some reassurance of a future update? Does it update through AT&T itself or we have to manually update (like via D/Ling it on the computer)?

Another question is that our family plan has the "data opt out" featyre in which we block all data going in and out (to prevent any incidental charges). If AT&T does release an update to our phones, does anyone know if this will work or not? Do software updates bypass the "data block"?

Thanks.