MEF Working on Industry Standard for Delivering Mobile Content

The Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) has launched a ‘Smart Pipe Enablers Initiative' to create an industry-wide framework that will lay the foundation for the next generation of mobile entertainment services.

The initiative has been founded by three full MEF members - the BBC, mBlox and Vodafone Group - and was formally launched at Mobile World Congress.

Smart Pipe Enabler Services are to be provided by operators to third-party providers of content and services, enabling the delivery of a simpler, faster, more intuitive and more enjoyable user experience for the consumer. MEF's initiative will make a major contribution to industry efforts in this area by devising a coherent, profitable and workable model for enabling services, and accelerating their uptake through education and promotion. Enabler services offered by network operators will deliver many capabilities to content providers, including age-verification, location, identity authentication, reliable phone applications, specific tariffs to consumers and delivery with specific quality of service. Enabled by these services, content providers can offer the consumer a better user experience, a key objective for much of MEF's work.

Andrew Bud, Global Chair, Mobile Entertainment Forum commented: "The mobile industry is at the dawn of a new era with many new services becoming available. As mobile content becomes richer and more sophisticated it is important for the industry to create common standards to enable the next phase of growth. Some operators are doing this individually or in groups, evolving into ‘smart pipes,' but without a fully co-ordinated approach the market is in danger of developing a fragmented landscape that will inhibit the take up of consumer services. The MEF Enablers Initiative will address this and lay the foundation for the next generation of mobile operator services for years to come."

The MEF Enablers Initiative is fundamental to the future growth of the $32bn mobile entertainment industry, of which half is based off-portal. The value of creating a coherent and co-ordinated approach to enablers is highlighted by the enabling services that operators offer today, such as bulk SMS, premium billing, short code rental and location look-ups.

Posted to the site on 22nd February 2009