Announcement posted by Openwave 28 Mar 2002
Openwave MMG
The Openwave Mobile Messaging Gateway (MMG) is helping carriers worldwide expand the utility of their Short Messaging Service (SMS) offerings by letting subscribers message outside of their carrier's user community while facilitating an easy transition for carriers to IP-based mobile messaging services. Openwave also announced its collaboration with VeriSign to drive adoption of advanced mobile messaging services (see related release).
Today, North American operators require gateways to translate SMS traffic because of technology incompatibilities among CDMA, TDMA, and GSM. Openwave MMG enables interoperability among these networks by providing powerful conversion capabilities between incompatible SMS protocols. Openwave MMG has load-balancing, concentration, and traffic control features that can be used to economically connect to interoperability Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or for direct linkages between communication service providers (CSPs). Interoperability is the only way to truly provide CSPs with a means to rapidly ignite user adoption of SMS messaging, and enable more advanced applications across CSP networks.
For example, some Openwave customers are already increasing SMS usage by providing more value for their existing messaging applications, like email.
"As part of our total messaging solution, we chose Openwave's solution that transparently connects SMS and email to make integration and interoperability in our network simple and painless," said Akihiro Nakashima, manager, Mobile Server Section, IP Application Engineering Department, Solution Business Sector at KDDI.
Openwave Mobile Instant Messaging
Mobile IM represents the newest opportunity to increase SMS usage. Proven with over a hundred million users worldwide, the Openwave Messaging Suite now includes advanced applications like Mobile IM, which can leverage existing SMS infrastructure and handsets and directly increases SMS revenue. Launched in November 2001, Openwave's Mobile IM lets carriers deliver richer messaging services over SMS and WAP networks and handsets.
Recently, Genie, the mobile Internet business of mmO2, launched into service the Openwave Mobile IM product, the first mobile IM product that brings all end users -SMS, WAP and Wireless Village - together into one cohesive community.
"The flexibility of Openwave's messaging suite enables our IM users to send messages to people who are on SMS and not WAP enabled," said Laurence Alexander, managing director, Genie, UK. "It allows us to serve both our existing SMS and advanced IM users, so we can expect increased overall traffic as a result. This type of integrated solution allows us to focus on customer service and improving the end user experience rather than on complex technology issues."
Operator and User Benefits
Operator Benefits
* MMG accelerates SMS adoption and usage in the Americas by enabling the same kind of inter-carrier messaging community that proved to be the critical catalyst of SMS explosion in Europe. Person-to-person mobile messaging is a powerful driver of new data services revenue for operators.
* Mobile IM with SMS-handset support addresses the need of operators to quickly come to market with "sticky" value-added services that increase customer loyalty and reduce churn. Provides operators with a proven end-to-end solution to intelligently route, consolidate and deliver their growing volume of SMS messages over the more cost-effective IP network.
* Mobile IM encourages messaging across device types, creating a larger community of users that can interact simultaneously from their SMS handset, WAP handset, Wireless Village device, or online PC. This will further increase the growth of SMS messaging in the Americas, turning the social phenomenon of PC instant messaging into the revenue phenomenon of mobile messaging. User Benefits
* Makes it possible to address short text messages, including instant messages, to other users by simply using their mobile phone numbers, ignoring previous barriers between different operators.
* Enhances the SMS experience by adding instant messaging features like presence-enabled buddy lists that provide users with information on the availability of their online "buddies." This critical enhancement distinguishes SMS plus Mobile IM from plain SMS. * Provides for the upgraded experience of full mobile instant messaging through WAP, native mobile (Wireless Village client) and PC access, in addition to SMS.
"Mobile messaging will be the catalyst for wireless data growth this year. IDC expects SMS subscribers in the U.S. to reach 11 million this year, sending a total of 1.5 billion messages, helping to fuel mobile messaging adoption," said Scott Ellison, program director, Wireless & Mobile Communications of IDC. "Openwave's messaging suite provides a flexible path for operators to evolve to enhanced messaging services when they are ready. Openwave enhances the SMS experience by adding instant messaging features like presence-enabled buddy lists that provide users with information on the availability of their friends. "
"Openwave is spurring growth in this industry by enabling the linkage between SMS and IP-based messaging services like mobile IM," stated Andrew MacFarlane, vice president of messaging for Openwave. "Customers are choosing to use our new messaging services because of its flexibility. We are seeing an overwhelming demand for these services which are paving the path for carriers to increase SMS revenues with our robust messaging suite. About Openwave's Mobile Instant Messaging Product Openwave Mobile Instant Messaging (IM) product is a server-based solution that provides users with a superior communications experience while increasing the service provider's revenue with increased traffic. Major features include SMS interoperability, IM community interoperability, ease-of-use and customizable clients.
About Openwave's Mobile Messaging Gateway
Openwave Mobile Messaging Gateway (MMG) is a carrier-class, highly scalable and flexible messaging solution that helps Communications Service Providers (CSPs) reduce costs and increase revenue along with network efficiency by enabling interoperability and leveraging IP scalability. MMG's interoperability features include protocol conversion, load balancing and routing, and traffic control. MMG is designed to provide an SMS interface for mobile messaging applications, while using IP-to-SMS technology to consolidate the SS7 traffic used for messaging delivery. MMG can be used as a message delivery platform for multiple messaging applications, beyond simple message routing/storing for two-way SMS. The MMG enables Openwave's Mobile IM product the ability to offer IM "out-of-the-box" to existing two-way SMS phones.
About Openwave
Openwave Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: OPWV) is the worldwide leader of open IP-based communication infrastructure software and applications. Openwave is a global company headquartered in Redwood City, California. For more information, please visit www.openwave.com <http://www.openwave.com>.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to expectations, plans or prospects for Openwave Systems Inc. that are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of Openwave's management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: (a) the ability to realize our strategic objectives by taking advantage of market opportunities in the Americas, Europe including the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region; (b) the ability to make changes in business strategy, development plans and product offerings to respond to the needs of our current, new and potential customers, suppliers and strategic partners; (c) risks associated with the development and licensing of software generally, including potential delays in software development and technical difficulties that may be encountered in the development or use of the Company's software; (d) the ability to manage the Company's growth; (e) the ability to successfully partner with other companies; (f) competition and technological changes and developments; (g) general risks of the Internet and wireless and wireline telecommunications sectors; and (h) the uncertain economic and political climate in the United States and throughout the rest of the world and the potential that such climate may deteriorate further.
For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements, please refer to the risk factors discussed in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001 and the Company's quarterly reports on form 10Q for the quarters ended September 30, 2001 and December 31, 2001. All documents also are available through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov <javascript:openExtLink('http://www.sec.gov')> or from Openwave's Web site at www.openwave.com. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements included in this document.
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Openwave, the Openwave logo and Services OS are trademarks of Openwave Systems Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
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