Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a standard for telephone messaging systems that allows sending messages that include multimedia objects (images, audio, video, rich text) and not just text as in Short Message Service (SMS). It is mainly deployed in cellular networks along with other messaging systems like SMS, Mobile Instant Messaging and Mobile E-mail. Its main standardization effort is done by 3GPP, 3GPP2 and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). Microsofts streaming server Microsoft Media Services (also called NetShow Services) uses the Microsoft Media Server (MMS) protocol to transfer unicast data. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... For other uses, see SMS (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) is a collaboration agreement that was established in December 1998. ... The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is a standards body which develops open standards for the mobile industry. ...

Basics

MMS is the evolution of Short Message Service (SMS, which is a text-only messaging technology for mobile networks). It allows the sending and receiving of multimedia messages such as graphics, video and audio clips. It has been designed to work with mobile packet data services such as GPRS and 1x/EVDO. For other uses, see SMS (disambiguation). ... General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a Mobile Data Service available to users of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and IS-136 mobile phones. ... CDMA2000 is a hybrid 2. ... EVDO, thrid generation CDMA1X data transfer. ...

Application

• MMS-enabled mobile phones enable subscribers to compose and send messages with one or more multimedia parts. Multimedia parts may include text, images, audio and video. These content types should conform to the MMS Standards. For example your phone can send an MPEG-4 video in AVI format, but the other party who is receiving the MMS may not be able to interpret it. To avoid this, all mobiles should follow the standards defined by OMA. Mobile phones with built-in or attached cameras, or with built-in MP3 players are very likely to also have an MMS messaging client—a software program that interacts with the mobile subscriber to compose, address, send, receive, and view MMS messages.

Look up Multimedia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is a standards body which develops open standards for the mobile industry. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...

History

MMS was originally developed within the Third-Generation Partnership Program (3GPP), a standards organization focused on standards for the UMTS/GSM networks. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Standards Organizations are bodies, organizations and institutions that produce, and in some cases measure, standards. ... Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is one of the third-generation (3G) cell phone technologies. ... The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. ...

Since then, MMS has been deployed world-wide and across both GSM/GPRS and CDMA networks. The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. ... General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a Mobile Data Service available to users of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and IS-136 mobile phones. ... General Information Generically (as a multiplexing scheme), code division multiple access (CDMA) is any use of any form of spread spectrum by multiple transmitters to send to the same receiver on the same frequency channel at the same time without harmful interference. ...

MMS has also been standardized within the Third-Generation Partnership Program 2 (3GPP2), a standards organization focused on specifications for CDMA2000 networks. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) is a collaboration agreement that was established in December 1998. ... Standards Organizations are bodies, organizations and institutions that produce, and in some cases measure, standards. ... CDMA2000 is a hybrid 2. ...

As with most 3GPP standards, the MMS standards have three stages:

• Stage 1 - Requirements (3GPP TS 22.140)
• Stage 2 - System Functions (3GPP TS 23.140)
• Stage 3 - Technical Realizations

Both 3GPP and 3GPP2 have delegated the development of the Stage 3 Technical Realizations to the OMA, a standards organization focused on specifications for the mobile wireless networks. The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is a standards body which develops open standards for the mobile industry. ... Standards Organizations are bodies, organizations and institutions that produce, and in some cases measure, standards. ...

GSM Association has produced a MMS Interworking Guidelines IR.52 document for MMS interconnection between GSM operators.

Challenges faced by MMS

There are some interesting challenges with MMS that do not exist with SMS:

• Content adaptation: Multimedia content created by one brand of MMS phone may not be entirely compatible with the capabilities of the recipients' MMS phone. In the MMS architecture, the recipient MMSC is responsible for providing for content adaptation (e.g., image resizing, audio codec transcoding, etc.), if this feature is enabled by the mobile network operator. When content adaptation is supported by a network operator, its MMS subscribers enjoy compatibility with a larger network of MMS users than would otherwise be available.
• Distribution lists: Current MMS specifications do not include distribution lists nor methods by which large numbers of recipients can be conveniently addressed, particularly by content providers, called Value Added Service Providers (VASPs) in 3GPP. Since most SMSC vendors have adopted FTP as an ad-hoc method by which large distribution lists are transferred to the SMSC prior to being used in a bulk-messaging SMS submission, it is expected that MMSC vendors will also adopt FTP.
• Bulk messaging: The flow of peer-to-peer MMS messaging involves several over-the-air transactions that become inefficient when MMS is used to send messages to large numbers of subscribers, as is typically the case for VASPs. For example, when one MMS message is submitted to a very large number of recipients, it is possible to receive a delivery report and read-reply report for each and every recipient. Future MMS specification work is likely to optimize and reduce the transactional overhead for the bulk-messaging case.
• Handset Configuration: Unlike SMS, MMS requires a number of handset parameters to be set. Poor handset configuration is often blamed as the first point of failure for many users. Service settings are sometimes preconfigured on the handset, but mobile operators are now looking at new device management technologies as a means of delivering the necessary settings for data services (MMS, WAP, etc.) via over-the-air programming (OTA).
• WAP Push: Few mobile network operators offer direct connectivity to their MMSCs for content providers. This has resulted in many content providers using WAP push as the only method available to deliver 'rich content' to mobile handsets. WAP push enables 'rich content' to be delivered to a handset by specifying the URL (via binary SMS) of a pre-compiled MMS, hosted on a content provider's web server. A downside of WAP push is that from a billing perspective this content is typically billed at data rates rather than as an MMS. These charges can be significant and result in 'bill shock' for consumers.

Although the standard does not specify a maximum size for a message, 300 kB is the current recommended size used by networks due to some limitations on the WAP gateway side. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the File Transfer Protocol standardised by the IETF. For other file transfer protocols, see File transfer protocol (disambiguation). ... Over-the-air programming (OTA), also known as over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP), over-the-air provisioning (OTAP) or over-the-air parameter administration (OTAPA), is a method of distributing new software updates to cellphones or provisioning handsets with the necessary settings with which to access services such as... WAP is an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication. ... WAP is an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication. ...

MMS should not be confused with Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), which is simply Short Message Service (SMS) with additional payload capabilities, allowing a mobile phone to send and receive messages that have special text formatting (such as bold or color), animations, pictures, icons, sound effects, and special ring tones. Abbreviated as EMS, an application-level extension to Short Message Service (SMS) for cellular phones available on GSM, TDMA and CDMA networks. ... For other uses, see SMS (disambiguation). ...

MMSC Vendors

• Comverse
• Acision
• Openwave
• Ericsson
• Nokia Siemens Networks
• Motorola
• Vimatix
• TruTeq Wireless
• LG
• [1]
• [jataayu]

Openwave (formerly software. ... Ericsson () NASDAQ: ERIC. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is a leading provider of communications networks, related services and handset technology platforms. ... Motorola Inc. ...

Open Source

• Mbuni

See also

• Common Short Code
• Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS)
• Mobile Marketing
• Short Message Service (SMS)
• MMS-Stamp - the worlds first MMS stamps, published by the Swiss Post after a public competition

Common Short Codes are special telephone numbers, significantly shorter than full telephone numbers, which can be used to address SMS and MMS messages from mobile telephones. ... Abbreviated as EMS, an application-level extension to Short Message Service (SMS) for cellular phones available on GSM, TDMA and CDMA networks. ... Mobile Marketing can refer to one of two categories of marketing. ... For other uses, see SMS (disambiguation). ...

Protocols

• EAIF — Nokia's External Application Interface
• MM1 — the 3GPP interface between MMS User Agent and MMS Center
• MM2 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Relay and MMS Server
• MM3 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and external servers
• MM4 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Centers
• MM5 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and HLR
• MM6 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and user databases
• MM7 — the 3GPP interface between MMS VAS applications and MMS Center
• MM8 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and the billing systems
• MM9 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and an online charging system
• MM10 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and a message service control function
• MM11 — the 3GPP interface between MMS Center and an external transcoder