MMS Interoperability in the USA to Improve

3G Americas, a trade organization focused on the mobile industry in the Americas, has recommended a set of common elements for operators and vendors supporting MMS inter-carrier interoperability. The MMS implementation reference document defines GSM operator recommendations for interoperability between different network core elements and key interfaces as well as different vendor solutions.

Operators and vendors from the organization's Board of Governors companies jointly composed the reference document entitled 3G Americas MMS Inter-carrier Implementation Recommendations, to provide guidance on MMS to the wireless industry in the Americas for deployments throughout the western hemisphere.

Chris Pearson, Executive Vice President of 3G Americas, stated, "Various industry analysts predict that MMS will have an annual compound growth rate in excess of 100 percent for the foreseeable future. This will be a tremendous opportunity for the wireless industry to support inter-carrier interoperability similar to the successful path of SMS interoperability." He added, "The 3G Americas' MMS recommendations offer clear requirements to vendors and operators in the area of core interfaces being prioritized and tested, information being available earlier in the vendor selection process, and in minimizing delays resulting from interoperability problems, leading to savings in terms of operator resource time and costs inherent in the launch of 3G services."

In its MMS implementation document, the 3G Americas' technical project team defined operator requirements by identifying, and then prioritizing, existing specifications as they relate to key interfaces between Core Networks and RAN as well as differentiating the MMS requirements that are truly specific to the Americas."

Posted to the site on 6th October 2003

Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/9852.php