|
News
Issue #2002 - 07
(February 2002)
(Updated Feb.
20, 2002)
TECHNOLOGY
Recent Developments in Presence
Technology
The days of phone tag are
gone,’ according to supporters of presence technology or presence
awareness. In essence, the technology will enable a caller to not
only know whether the person is available for a chat but also deduce
what that person is doing at that exact moment, all by way of their
wireless device.
Based on the popularity of instant messaging, used now by over 50
million Americans, software developers and handset makers predict
that presence technology will become as ubiquitous as the mobile
phone.
Overview of Three Recent Developments
The Wireless Village Initiative
Founding members of the Wireless Village Initiative, Nokia,
Motorola and Ericsson, have unveiled the first version of their
specification for the interoperability of mobile instant messaging
and presence services.
Formed last April, the Wireless Village Initiative is dedicated
to developing and promoting open, industry-wide standards in instant
messaging and presence services.
Essentially, the open specification will allow devices such as
mobile phones, PDAs, and PCs to exchange instant messages and use
presence services that can, for example, keep track of the on-line
status and availability of chat buddies.
The specification supports transport technologies such as SMS,
WAP and HTTP regardless of the platform or manufacturer.
The Wireless Village Initiative expects device makers,
application developers, wireless operators and portal operators to
begin rolling out products and services based on the specifications
later this year.
Motorola’s Messenger System
Motorola has launched the Motorola Messenger system, which is
powered by an advanced messaging and presence solution by
Personality Inc., a specialist in presence infrastructure
technology.
Motorola said the system offers operators the opportunity to
create exciting and personalized IM experiences for their customers.
Features
- Enables users to create their own mobile chat rooms and to
view the availability of their buddies to determine who is
available to receive a message or participate in a real-time
conference call.
- Alerts callers when a buddy turns their handset on.
- Supports multiple device clients, including SMS, WAP, or J2ME
handsets, and is fully compliant with open industry standards
for presence and IM, including IETF, IMPP and Wireless Village
Instant Communication Solution from OZ
OZ has announced its Instant Communication Solution 2.0, which
is also compliant with the Wireless Village standard.
With OZ ICS, wireless operators can offer their subscribers
wireless instant messaging and voice communication services that
work seamlessly and intelligently across a multitude of devices. OZ
ICS 2.0 is designed to be fully customized and integrated with
wireless operators' network infrastructure and systems.
OZ ICS 2.0 supports two-way SMS, WAP 1.2 and HDML 3.0/3.1 with
push capability and provides native clients for both Microsoft
PocketPC and Microsoft Windows.
For more information: http://www.motorola.com
http://www.oz.com
Mobileinfo Comments & Advisory: Wireless
instant messaging is an interesting application that has a bright
future. But there are huge problems also. There are a number of
implementations around - each trying to establish a defacto standard. To
us, there is no clear winner. In the end, very few solutions will
survive. Most important requirement is interoperability across different
networks, operators and backend messaging systems. Start looking out
from your messaging server like Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes out
into the wireless network and devices. Remember, the solution does not
start and end with the carriers only. Carriers provide a pipe and switch
for instant messaging. It will be a while before there is an order and
discipline in this space. Steer very very carefully from point
solutions. Experiment with good solutions, understand the technology but
do not bet your farm on it for a couple of years.
Note: This news release may contain
forward-looking statements. Readers should take appropriate caution in
developing plans utilizing these products, services and technology
architectures. All trademarks used in this summary are
the property of their respective owners.
|
