Multimedia Messaging Shines at Interoperable Solutions Showcase
19 February 2004 /The Wi-Fi Technology Forum/- Visitors to this year’s 3GSM World Congress (Cannes, 23-26 February 2004) can experience demonstrations of the successful interoperability of mobile multimedia messaging (MMS) at the MMS Showcase, hosted by the GSM Association, the global trade association for GSM operators.
The Showcase, which runs for the duration of the Congress, is sponsored by Alcatel, Comverse, Ericsson, LogicaCMG, Magic4, Microsoft, Nokia, Openwave, SonyEricsson, Tecnomen and Telenity, and is supported by mobile network operators from around the world.*
The MMS Showcase is focused on demonstrating the successful interoperability of MMS that has been facilitated by the definition and adoption of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) MMS Candidate Enabler Releases 1.1 and 1.2. Five demonstrations are provided that cover inter-device interoperability, interoperable Smart Handsets, Content Adaptation, OMA DRM Forward lock and an example of a live service based on MMS.
“The GSM Association places high priority on the interoperability of new services like MMS, and the adoption of OMA MMS Release 1.2 demonstrates the importance of operators and vendors working together to resolve interoperability issues,” said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association and member of its Board. “We are pleased to see that real progress is being made and this Showcase is a tangible demonstration of interoperable products and services.”
The GSMA works with vendors and operators to progress interoperability through the promotion of standards bodies’ specifications. Over the last 12 months, significant progress has been made in the interoperability of MMS, and last year the specification of the OMA MMS Candidate Enabler Release 1.2 was completed and is now being implemented.
The OMA specifications classify MMS into five classes of content: text, for text-only messaging; image basic, for small size imaging; image rich, for moderate size image messaging, plus basic and rich classifications for video imaging.
Content adaptation enables the MMSC to recognise the content classification and deliver the MMS in an acceptable specified format for the destination terminal, providing interoperability with older mobile phones that support the less complex content classes, and utilising the functionality of more advanced terminals that can accept the full range of content.
The clear and mandatory specifications of OMA MMS 1.2 Candidate Enabler release guarantee interoperability between terminals that support the same message classes, opening up end-to-end MMS capability to a wider subscriber base. Operators also gain the ability to advise the subscriber if an MMS is not compliant with a defined message class and may therefore not be correctly received.
During the Congress, the GSMA will also be hosting an afternoon seminar on MMS standards and MMS testing and certification, providing a unique opportunity to listen to industry experts discuss the latest information, products, case studies and MMS-related issues.
*The MMS Showcase will be in the Debussy Foyer on Level 1 of the congress centre and will be open all four days, Monday to Thursday, at the same times as the exhibition.
More information can be found at:
http://www.gsmworld.com/events/gsma/mms_cannes04/
A pdf detailing the Showcase demonstrations can be found at:
http://www.gsmworld.com/events/gsma/mms_cannes04/mms_seminar.pdf
OMA Multimedia Messaging Service v. 1.1
MMS 1.1 enables a client to provide a messaging operation with a variety of media types. This standard includes the MMS conformance document which defines the minimum set of requirements and guidelines for end-to-end interoperability of MMS handsets and servers. This is a baseline for ongoing MMS interoperability testing.
OMA Multimedia Messaging Service v. 1.2
MMS 1.2 is an enhanced version of MMS 1.1 and introduces a fully interoperable Multimedia Messaging content core domain. Within this core domain, the four message classes (Image basic, Image rich, Video basic and Video rich) guarantee full interoperability within each class. In addition, the hierarchical definition of the classes and content adaptation provide interoperability with OMA MMS 1.1 as far as physically possible. Synthetic audio and video have been added as new content formats, and the maximum file size has been increased from 30 KB to 300 KB.
About the GSM Association:
http://www.gsmworld.com/news/boilerplate.html
Contacts:
GSM Association:
Ian Volans, Catherine Haslam or Liz McFarlan at GSMA on +44 20 7518 0530
Companycare Communications:
Kevin Taylor, Richard Fogg, Beth Sharples or Alex Sowden on +44 118 939 5900
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