Philippine Network Enables International MMS Sending

The messaging aggregator, Mobileway has signed an agreement with the Philippines based GSM network, Globe Telecom - a partly owned SingTel company - to enable its subscribers to send and receive Multimedia Messaging (MMS) to and from cellular operators in different destinations around the world.

Globe Telecom is the first mobile operator in the Philippines to enable MMS interconnect with more than 30 other MMS-enabled mobile operators in the world. Using Mobileway's MMS delivery network, any MMS message from Globe subscribers can be delivered to the cellular subscribers of the partner operators in real time. For WAP enabled phones, the MMS may be delivered via WAP push; for non-MMS and non-WAP phones, the MMS message may be delivered as a SMS alert, where subscribers can view MMS via their Internet accounts.

Mobileway already provides Globe with SMS interconnect service, extending Globe's coverage to SMS destinations in addition to the latter's own roaming agreements with other mobile operators. Mobileway's SMS interconnect network has the capability to deliver SMS to more than 600 mobile operators around the world.

The largest mobile operators in the world currently do not have more than 10 MMS interconnect agreements and mid-sized operators, not more than five. Presently, most of the MMS interconnect agreements are more likely to be constrained within national boundaries and to a lesser extent, regionally.

"Our partnership with Mobileway has allowed us to enable all our subscribers to send pictures, animated greetings and even videos to their friends and loved ones to the most number of countries and operators worldwide. We are proud to bring to our users the opportunity of sending MMS messages not just on special occasions, but anytime they want to share a moment with somebody, even if that person is abroad," says Fino Ruiz, Director for Value Added Services of Globe Telecom. He adds, "International MMS is a next-generation service that we are putting at the subscribers' fingertips, just like we did with international texting, and we are excited to have this feature available for them."

By year's end, Mobileway's MMS interconnect service will reach 50 MMS-enabled mobile operators. There are currently about 80 carriers globally that have launched MMS service. Mobileway is currently working to reach all MMS-enabled carriers for its MMS interconnect service."

Posted to the site on 12th September 2003