Microsoft and Vodafone develop mobile web
Industry leaders to help develop mobile Web services
standards
13 October 2003
GENEVA - Oct. 13, 2003 - Microsoft Corp. and Vodafone
today outlined their plans to help create mobile Web services
standards that will enable new business opportunities for application
developers and mobile network operators and deliver new integrated
services for customers across fixed (wired) and wireless networks.
Mobile Web services will utilise existing industry
standard Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based Web services architecture
to expose mobile network services to the broadest audience of
developers. Developers will be able to access and integrate mobile
network services such as messaging, location, authentication and
billing into their applications. The companies’ efforts
will help expand commercial opportunities for developers to further
promote their applications and enable solutions that work seamlessly
across PC and mobile environments. Customers will be able to use
mobile Web services from multiple devices on both wired and wireless
networks.
During a keynote presentation at ITU Telecom World
2003, Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft,
and Ian Maxwell, group strategic relationship director of Vodafone,
outlined the companies' vision of providing developers with access
to mobile services using industry-standard Web services techniques
and tools. Microsoft and Vodafone called upon the industry to
embrace this approach to bring about the convergence of PC and
mobile applications and services through Web services standards.
The companies also announced their plans to detail a technical
roadmap of the mobile Web services specifications on which they
intend to collaborate and seek industry engagement.
"With the creation of mobile Web services standards,
developers and operators will be able to deliver new and exciting
services to customers. By bringing mobile services into the PC
world, Microsoft and Vodafone are offering developers the opportunity
to create greater value services for customers and new revenues,"
Maxwell said.
"Web services are already redefining the way
that customers build applications,” said Eric Rudder, senior
vice president of Servers and Tools at Microsoft. "Extending
Web services into the mobile world is a natural next step. Microsoft
and Vodafone are committed to working across the computing and
mobile industries to speed the development of mobile Web services."
Evolving the Software Model
Web services create new and exciting possibilities
for the mobile telecommunications market. By using mobile Web
services, developers can create more compelling user experiences
that allow PC-based applications to take advantage of services
formerly reserved for mobile devices, such as mobile messaging,
location, billing and authentication. By integrating mobile services
into their software, developers gain more flexibility in how their
applications create value. Mobile network operators can extend
their businesses by making their network services available to
the broadest audience of developers and software users.
Laying the Foundation for the Vision
As a global player in the mobile telecommunications
market, Vodafone has more than 123 million customers throughout
the world. Vodafone's proven track record in supporting millions
of consumers accessing mobile network services makes it an ideal
leader to show how mobile services can extend to the PC. Microsoft's
leadership in application development and its Web services expertise
complement Vodafone's mobile services expertise. Microsoft and
Vodafone expect that other companies will recognize the potential
of Web services within the PC and mobile space and join this effort.
Industry Call to Action
At the Microsoft® Professional Developers Conference
(PDC) in Los Angeles Oct. 27 - 30, Microsoft and Vodafone will
share a technical road map for specifications that address such
issues as integrating GSM-based security services with the Web
services architecture, as well as exposing location, messaging
and payment network services using the Web services architecture.
Microsoft and Vodafone will invite industry feedback on the mobile
Web services efforts announced, and introduce a series of industry
workshops, the first of which will be in London in January 2004.
The companies will release a joint white paper further detailing
their vision for the PC and mobile space convergence at the PDC.
Microsoft
Mobile Web Services
Vodafone
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