Multimedia Messaging Service

The Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a further development of SMS (Short Message Service) and EMS ( Enhanced Message Service ) to look at and offers the possibility of using a mobile phone to send multimedia messages to other mobile devices or regular e - mail addresses. As MMS postcard can be sent via the mail, since 2003, a printed final product. MMS is standardized by 3GPP and OMA.

Operation

Could the offer Short Message Service ( 160 characters usually ), format -free text messages are written (SMS) only short, EMS has already allowed the creation of longer messages and formatting (bold, italicized, etc.) and smaller images (emoticons ) contained.

With MMS, it is now possible to send almost any messages with multimedia content. A multimedia message (MM) may consist of any number of attachments of any type. This makes it possible to send simple text, complex documents, images and even short video clips to one or more recipients. A fundamental size limit does not exist, however, can only handle MMS devices with a maximum, terminal- dependent quantity. For this reason, try the network operators, the content of the MM to be received in the MMSC (Multimedia Messaging Center ) adapt to the receiving terminal. This functionality is called transcoding and works eg via the reducing images. Currently, all German network operators have implemented a maximum message size of 300 Kbytes. Some providers have - regardless of the network operator used - implemented further restrictions, such as maximum of 78 characters for the subject and a maximum of 1500 characters in the message field with GMX.

To describe how the multimedia elements are shown to the receiver, the description language is used SMIL. SMIL, an XML format that defines the end of the slideshow, that is, in what order, arrangement, and for how long the individual items are displayed to the recipient.

MMS is not compatible with SMS or EMS devices have to support MMS explicitly. Current devices usually offer optional or permanently installed a camera to take pictures or videos themselves can.

The technology of MMS to many places on existing standards: the transfer of data via GPRS, to communicate with the WAP terminal is used, the specification includes interfaces for communication with e- mail gateways and other MMSCs based on SMTP. For communication with the so-called VAS ( Value Added Services) SOAP is being used. The encoding of the message bodies based on MIME. Compared to SMS, MMS is much more similar to e-mail.

Phone configuration

For the MMS, the mobile terminals must be set accordingly. In general, devices that are sold directly by the service provider, supplied pre-configured accordingly.

Need to be adjusted depending on the mobile operator:

  • GPRS data service ( APN)
  • WAP - Gateway (IP - address)
  • MMS server (URL)

Some operators (eg, E -Plus) does the MMS reception of a user only if it had previously sent myself an MMS.

Protocols

In connection with the MMS standard several protocols have been defined:

  • EAIF - Nokia 's External Application Interface
  • MM1, MM2, MM3, MM4, MM5, MM6, MM7, MM8
Enhanced Messaging Service Open Mobile Alliance Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language MMS Architecture
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