Focused on ensuring the interoperability of protocols in the exploding wireless multimedia and Internet market, a group of nearly 20 communications industry vendors today announced the formation of the Wireless Multimedia Forum (WMF).
Founded by PacketVideo, the group includes domestic and international hardware and software makers, carriers, and content developers. Charter Membership in the forum is open until May 5, 2000.
The WMF will work together to reach industry-wide consensus on the use of certain protocols and identify application requirements for the roll-out of new content and carrier services in the mobile arena. For example, it plans to choose common compression technologies and service delivery platforms associated with building and delivering streaming, downloadable, and interactive multimedia content for mobile networks. Such implementation agreements will enable content providers to develop rich multimedia content just once in a format that will allow it to be received by any and all wireless IP devices.
"The Holy Grail is to circumvent fragmentation in the wireless content arena caused by the use of multiple protocols," explains Martin Hall, Chief Technology Officer at Stardust.com, the organization that oversees the WMF's activities. "Without such implementation agreements among vendors, content developers would either have to choose among protocols and development platforms--which would limit the availability of content to mobile users--or go to the time and expense of developing the same content again and again for multiple platforms."
Hall adds: "The WMF also wants to ensure interoperability between different hardware and software products and identify new application capabilities that enable wireless carriers to enhance their businesses with new multimedia data services."
Industry players with an interest in accelerating the proliferation of wireless multimedia content are encouraged to investigate membership opportunities at the WMF's Web site at www.wmmforum.com.
Next meeting: April 27-28
The Business Working Group is focused on identifying generalized business cases/opportunities and their technical implications and requirements based on discussion with content providers and carriers. Its next meeting will be April 27 in San Jose, California.
The Technical Working Group, focused on developing a technical framework for the delivery of rich media content to mobile devices from wireless and/or wireline content sources, will meet April 28. This group is responsible for identifying appropriate, existing standards that apply to the technical requirements identified by the business group.
Scope of activity and relationship to other wireless groups
The WMF's activities will focus on the delivery of content across wireless networks to mobile devices, as well as over wired networks such as the Internet to mobile devices. While the WMF is not a formal standards-setting body, it will work with official standards groups such as the IETF, ISO, and ITU, as well as industry alliances such as the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum.
The WMF will agree upon which digital video and audio compression protocols to use for the delivery of multimedia content--content that contains more than text and static graphics, and potentially interactive capabilities. In addition, the WMF aims to settle on billing, copyright, security, and management conventions to further enable the consistent delivery of wireless content and the introduction of new business services. WMF efforts should boost the usefulness of mobile networks and drive acceptance of new wireless applications.
Who is participating?
PacketVideo, a developer of software that enables wireless multimedia, founded the WMF. The Charter members of the WMF fall into four categories: hardware manufacturers (makers of mobile devices and network equipment); software developers (makers of management software, authoring tools, and multimedia software); wireless network service providers, carriers and content providers. A sampling of the members includes the following:
Charter Members General Members GEO Interactive Media Zapex Research Ltd. Luxxon Sanyo North America Matsushita Communication Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Nortel Networks Optibase PacketVideo Samsung SignalSoft Sonera Synovial
Others interested in the group's activities or in joining are invited to visit www.wmmforum.com, or contact Suzanne Brock at 408/879-8080. Charter memberships close on May 5, 2000.
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