MMS (multimedia messaging) is increasingly becoming popular among subscribers as well as among mobile marketers. Billions of users are using MMS each day. For private needs, it enables to deliver personal photos, video clips and music, enjoying the multimedia experience. For business purposes, MMS allows marketing professionals to use targeted messaging including ads and multimedia-based promotion campaigns. Cellular operators are aware of the power of MMS, and install an MMS store and forward server, known as the MMSC (Multimedia Messaging Service Center).

Mobile Carriers are Looking for Innovative MMS Solutions

Cellular operators are looking today for more and more innovative MMS solutions to meet their subscribers needs while reducing the costs for the operator in applying the service. The technological pressure is growing too, as multimedia messages become more complex, with rich content and audio-visual effects. Users are looking for a trustworthy service enabling them to send and receive multimedia messages easily just like SMS text messages. Therefore, the smooth and reliable functioning of the Multimedia Messaging Service Center is critical.

MMSC Enables Easy Quality of Service Control

CALLUP developed a complete solution for establishing mobile multimedia messaging services that includes all aspects of message store, content adaptation, message delivery and integration with operation and management services.

CALLUP MMSC provides the operator with easy quality of service control, advanced charging and detailed usage statistics. In addition, it allows the operator to target new market segments, enhance customer loyalty, increase revenue and develop new application easily and quickly. It interoperates with other MMSCs using the standard MM4 protocol.

MMSC Adapts Content to Fit the Capabilities of the Recipient’s Device

The MMSC notifies terminals and applications on incoming messages. It delivers the message and reports errors and transaction acknowledgment. In addition, it adapts the content to fit the capabilities of the recipient’s device. A Multimedia Transcoding Gateway (MTG) checks the Device Capabilities Table (DCT) to configure the adaptation, including screen size, maximum multimedia size and supported content formats of the recipient’s terminal.  The MTG also adapts video clips, still images, audio clips, text and layout, and performs sophisticated image processing operations like logo embedding, watermarking and fingerprinting.

Multimedia Album for Storage and Retrieval

The Multimedia Messaging Service Center includes a multimedia album (MMBox) for storage and retrieval of multimedia messages on the mobile operator’s portal. Users can access the MMBox over WAP or Web, compose messages, manage the library and send messages directly from the MMBox portal. Each user can upload and manage video and audio clips, photos and text files. Complete messages are kept in the library for legacy users accessing through the web.

Full control of end-user experience

CALLUP MMSC is fully compliant with 3GPP, 3GPP2 and OMA standards. It interfaces with GSM, GPRS, UMTS and CDMA service components like WAP-Gateways and Push Proxy Gateways and is ready for integration with billing, provisioning and O&M services. It is designed for high performance, scalability and flexibility in providing Person to Person (P2P), Application to Person (A2P), person to e-mail and person to application messaging. Value Added Service Providers (VASPs) and content aggregators can launch 3G services with little integration efforts and full control of end-user experience.

MMSC Supports any Type of Message Combination

CALLUP MMSC adapts the messages to fit the capabilities of the recipient devices. Its built-in multimedia transcoding servers ensure that the recipient device will be able to accept and play the message. Recipients with legacy devices are notified via e-mail or SMS about the incoming messages stored in their private multimedia library. The advanced image and video processing servers can embed operator or VASP logos while preparing the content for delivery. All types of messages are supported on the MMS platform. The Multimedia Messaging Service Center can support any type of message combination, as long as it follows MMS standards. This can include a message with one or more images and optional text, messages with one or more audio attachments, video attachments, or any type of combination or data type inside.