발전하고 있는 핸드셋 기기와 더 빨라진 네트워크 구현 기술로 멀티미디어메시징서비스(MMS)는 모바일 데이터 서비스 산업에서 단문메시지서비스(SMS)를 이은 주요 사업으로 자리매김 하였습니다. 그러나, MMS의 기능을 모두 구현하기에는 부족한 현재 기술적 한계 뿐 아니라, 네트워크 간의 호환성과 상호 접속(interconnection)의 문제가 풀리지 않는다면, MMS 사업의 시장 진출과 성공 여부는 불투명해질 것입니다. 본 리포트는 바람직한 MMS 솔루션을 구현하기 위한 필요 조건, 선택 사항과 다양한 이슈들에 대해 자세히 분석합니다. 또한 MMS 상호 접속과 상호 운영성(interworking)에 관련된 주요 이슈들과 수익 창출의 측면에서 이러한 이슈들이 갖는 중요성을 설명하며, 이에 따른 사업 전략과 MMS 사업을 전개함에 있어 성공적인 투자 방향을 제시합니다.


MMS Interoperability and Roaming
Published: March, 2003

SAMPLE CONTENT

Introduction - MMS Interconnection
SMS has seen phenomenal growth over the last few years, generating much needed revenue for network operators as the cost of a voice call, and hence Average Revenue Per User declined.

With the advent of more functional handsets with bigger colour screens and faster network connections (using GPRS and 3G technology), SMS is now being supplemented / succeeded by the Multimedia Message Service (MMS). This is a non-real time messaging service incorporating audio, pictures, text, and video. Added features such as message delivery via e-mail and support for Unified Messaging solutions will also be introduced. The basic and advanced features of MMS will allow a whole range of Value Added Services to be made available to users, incorporating amongst others, information services, advertising, and streaming of video clips.

Critically, text messaging has proved easy to use, with all mobiles supporting the application level, allowing text to be transferred from / to any GSM handset without the need to check for individual support.

MMS is in its infancy, but already doubts exist as to whether it will achieve the same penetration as SMS, due largely to current problems with compatibility and interworking / interconnection between networks, and also the inability of operators to offer the full range of MMS features.

This report aims to explore the issues surrounding compatibility of handsets and infrastructure, interworking with other messaging systems, and critically, achieving effective interconnection between networks. Clearly, a lot of issues still need to be resolved, but this report will give a good understanding of the requirements, options, and complexity of achieving workable solutions. Support for advanced features and Value Added Services is pivotal to the scale of success of MMS, and this is also discussed and evaluated.

By no means least, the user experience is considered throughout, allowing the reader to gain a good appreciation of potential problems and areas of concern.

Chapter 3: Connection and interoperability issues

To understand the issues related to interconnection and interoperability, it is essential to know something about the technology itself. This chapter looks at the technology in fairly simple terms before tackling more specifically those issues related solely to interconnection and interoperability.

The MMS system has been standardised by the WAP Forum (now part of the Open Mobile Alliance) and the 3GPP. However, some parts of the system have received more attention than others, and the interconnection between MMSCs is certainly open to some interpretation – obviously made more acute where the MMSCs belong to different network operators.

However, it should be noted that any deviation from standardised protocols, architecture, and addressing schemes, is bound to have a knock-on effect when transferring multimedia messages between different MMS systems.
In the main, a core set of functionality has been implemented in all early MMS systems, giving a base line to work from. However, as new features are added to particular systems, these will not necessarily be available when the messages are extended across external interfaces to other MMSCs.

3.1 MMS architecture (B header)

Various options exist for the implementation of MMS. The details need to be considered on an interface-by-interface basis, and often the differences between any two systems will mainly be defined by the transport technology used on those specific interfaces. The MMS information itself has been fairly well standardised.

In order to provide a firm basis on which to build any MMS system, MMS has been specified to use one of two mechanisms to move information around the system – namely WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and IP (Internet Protocol). These mechanisms are relevant between the user terminal and network (via an appropriate gateway), with the core part of the MMS system specified to use IP based solutions in both cases.

WAP based solutions are initially being used due to standardisation issues, and the fact that some modification of the standard Internet protocols may be necessary to provide efficient support for MMS via the IP solution.

The difference between the two mechanisms is that the IP solution would transfer messages to/from the terminal using standard Internet transport and e-mail protocols directly, rather than establishing a Wireless Session using the WAP suite of protocols. Unfortunately, different implementation options still exist within either type of system, and it should be noted that the WAP option would make use of IP transport in any case.

The advantage of flexibility and different implementation options is that operators can configure and implement their MMS solution to suit their own overall requirements and business plan, but the disadvantage is that interoperability is more difficult to achieve than would otherwise be the case.