What Is a Multimedia Messaging Service?

MMS (Multimedia Message Service) is a multimedia information service, which is one of the highest standards for the development of short message technology. Its biggest feature is that it can support multimedia functions. With the help of high-speed transmission technologies EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) and GPRS, it uses WAP as a carrier to transmit video clips, pictures, sounds and texts. It can not only perform multimedia transmission between mobile phones. And can transfer between mobile phones and computers.

Chinese name: Multimedia information service
Foreign name: Multimedia Message Service

Function: Writing and transmitting multimedia messages
Types of: Information Technology

Development of multimedia information service market

Among the second-generation mobile communication services, text-based short message services have been widely recognized by users ^[1] . During the evolution of mobile communication technology to 2.5 and 3 generations, people hope to introduce pictures, sounds, and animations into information services. Therefore, based on the short message service, a multimedia information service service is designed ^[2] . The capacity of multimedia information is determined by the operator. Generally speaking, the average message capacity is 30,000 bytes, up to 100,000 bytes; MMS-capable mobile phones have a built-in media editor that can write multimedia information. With built-in or external cameras, users can also create and transmit PowerPoint-formatted messages or electronic postcards. In China, multimedia messaging is commonly called MMS.

Multimedia Information Service System Structure

Generally speaking, the multimedia information service system includes the following network elements: MMS terminal, MMSC, MMS user database, external application server, value-added application server, and non-MMS terminal supporting application system. In addition, in order to cooperate with the multimedia messaging platform to provide multimedia messaging services, it needs the support of WAP gateways, GSM / GPRS network resources and other equipment, and it must also be interconnected with the charging system and network management system in the existing network.

MMS terminal / MMS user agent

MMS terminals provide multimedia messaging services through MMS user agents. The MMS user agent is an application on a multimedia messaging terminal that provides users with functions such as browsing, editing, and processing of multimedia messages, as well as operations such as sending, receiving, and deleting. MMS user agents support MIME. Through the definition of different subtypes in MIME, multimedia messages can contain text, images, sounds and other data.

MMS Relay Server / Multimedia Message Business Center

(MMSC) MMSC is the core of the entire multimedia messaging system. It stores and processes multimedia messages, including message input and output, address resolution, notification, and reporting. At the same time, it is responsible for operations such as the transfer of multimedia messages between different MMSCs. The MMSC also generates CDR bills for billing. In addition, MMSC needs a lot of connections to other networks: and carry out various value-added services. The MMS relay is the IP interface of the system. The system is connected to various networks through it and supports multiple protocols.

MMS redirector

Under the condition that the URL address of the MMSC is uniform throughout the network, this device is responsible for the user's routing query for the MMSC. It also determines the MMSC to which the sender user belongs according to the MSISDN number of the HTTP packet, and returns a redirect message to the WAP gateway, so that the WAP gateway forwards the HTTP request to the MMSC.

MMS user database

Used to store user service information, service types, personalized service information, etc. The database in the target network is a part of the mobile data service management platform. It can be integrated in the MMSC system in the initial stage of network construction.

External application server

The multimedia message center supports interfaces with various external applications, which can extend some existing message systems to multimedia messaging applications. These messaging applications include: E-mail system, VoiceMail system, etc.

MMS value-added application platform

It is a value-added application platform based on the multimedia messaging platform. MMSC should provide openness. Standard API interface supports value-added application development.

WAP gateway

The WAP gateway technically follows the MMS specification defined by the WAP Forum to support multimedia messaging services. A data access channel between the MMS user agent and the MMS relay server is established through the WAP gateway, thereby supporting operations such as sending, receiving, and notifying multimedia information. For the connection between the MMS user agent and the WAP gateway, WAPStack is used to implement the bearer on different wireless network platforms. For MMS applications, wireless session protocol (WSP) is used to transfer data.

Billing System

MMSC is the charging data collection point for MMS services. It generates business service usage records (CDRs) based on traffic and duration and passes them to the billing system for billing. The billing system function should be implemented in the mobile data service management platform, and it can be implemented in the BOSS before the mobile data service management platform is completed.

The following uses the system to send information to mobile phones as an example to analyze the process of multimedia information services. The part about wireless access is omitted in the process analysis, and only the relevant part is focused on.

1. When a multimedia message is sent to a user, the message is encoded using the WAP's WSP protocol. Transfer to the WAP gateway over the wireless network.

2. The WAP gateway communicates with MMS-Relay using the HTTP protocol and transmits the file content to MMS-Relay.

3.MMS-Relay sends the file to the MMS-C server. The content of the multimedia messages on the server will be converted to MIME format. And stored in the message store (MMS-Message Store).

4. The server performs data analysis to obtain routing information and user terminal information. The information in the user database is called during the analysis. The system will determine whether the user's terminal can support MMS, and perform different processing according to the user's terminal's carrying capacity (such as display resolution, terminal capacity, etc.). For example, when the user terminal does not support MMS, the system will remove the multimedia information from the multimedia information and only send the text part of the message to the user in the form of a short message.

5. After confirming the processing method, the system routes through the MSIS-DN number of the called user. MMS-Relay will communicate with external networks through WAP gateways. The information is always stored in the message memory until it is confirmed that the called user has received the information. The operator can set the length of time saved by software.

6. The system server generates billing information and transmits it to the billing center.

Basic functions of multimedia information service

The multimedia information service system generally has the following functions.

1. Send and receive multimedia messages. After the mobile phone terminal synthesizes the multimedia message, it can send the multimedia message to all legal users in the network. The MMSC stores and processes multimedia messages, and is responsible for operations such as the transfer of multimedia messages between different MMSCs. At the same time, the receiver user can receive multimedia messages from the MMSC.

2. Provide support for non-MMS terminals. This is done by a non-multimedia messaging support system. Taking the process of receiving a multimedia message by a non-MMS terminal as an example, after receiving the SMS notification, the non-MMS terminal user can access the multimedia message through other means, such as E-mail, WAP, and www.

3. In the network bearer mode, CSD and GPRS-based bearer modes are supported at this stage, and 3G bearer modes will be supported in the future.

4. The multimedia messaging service supports point-to-point services and point-to-multipoint services. The point-to-point multimedia message service means that the sender and receiver are one terminal or an application system; the point-to-multipoint multimedia message service means that the receiver is multiple terminal addresses. During one multimedia message sending process, multiple receiving terminal addresses can be specified.

5. Support for MMS value-added applications. In addition to supporting some existing application systems (such as the E-mail system), the multimedia messaging system should also provide open, standard API interfaces to support value-added application development.

Multimedia information service business implementation

At present, the multimedia message service business is carried out in three ways:

The first is that both the sender and receiver use mobile phones with MMS functions, which can be directly transmitted.

The second type is that the sender has a mobile phone with MMS function, and the receiver is an ordinary mobile phone. At this time, the receiver can apply for an email address with their own mobile phone number as the mailbox name on the mobile Monternet website. After the sender sends an MMS, the receiver's mobile phone will receive a text message from the mobile Monternet's MMS arrival mailbox Notice. The receiver can log in to the mailbox to check the MMS.

The third is that senders using ordinary mobile phones can directly send MMS to receivers using MMS mobile phones on the Internet.

SMS Comparison of multimedia information service and SMS

MMS and SMS are the same in the way of sending messages: both store-and-forward services, that is, messages are not delivered directly to users. Instead, it is sent to the message center, and then forwarded to the user through the message center. However, there are also significant differences between MMS and SMS:

1.SMS as a carrier can carry out various applications, such as: mail arrival notification, weather forecast, news, ringtone picture download, lottery, games, securities, etc. As an application bearing platform, MMS can provide richer applications in addition to the above applications.

2. In terms of bearing mode, SMS is a signaling channel using GSM. Due to the limited transmission capacity of the signaling channel, it is impossible for SMS to transmit large amounts of data, so SMS-based applications cannot be arbitrarily developed. Must be a small data application. MMS is based on the WAP service and uses the data channel. Its transmission capacity can reach 9.6 kbit / s under the CSD mode, up to 184 kbit / s under the GPRS mode, and 2 Mbit / s under 3G. Provides great convenience. Users can send and receive data as they wish, without being limited by bandwidth.

3. In terms of content capabilities, SMS can only send and receive text messages, and each message can only carry up to 140 bytes of character information or 70 Chinese characters. Although EMS (Enhanced Message Service) can support graphics, sound, and animation information, the format of these data is too simple, and the user's experience of EMS is far less than the traditional Internet. And because the size of each SMS message does not change. To transmit more than 140 bytes of information, the EMS message must be split into multiple SMS and then combined on the mobile phone. More importantly, although EMS is also a 3GPP standard, not all mainstream mobile phone manufacturers support it. There must be obstacles in promotion. MMS can support rich data formats, including major graphics, image sound, and animation format standards. It feels exactly the same as the traditional Internet. In the future, if bandwidth allows, it can also support streaming media, which greatly improves the richness and expression of message content. Moreover, the size of MMS messages has exceeded the limit of 140 bytes. From tens of K bytes to hundreds of K bytes, users can be almost completely unaffected by the amount of information and can express their thoughts in a single message. .

4.MMS is different from SMS in network structure. MMS adopts the process of WAP event processing. The receiver actively obtains information from MMSC, which is the same as the way of WAP browsing or downloading.

Development prospects of multimedia information services

October 9, 2002. China Mobile announced at the MMS commercial press conference held in Beijing that the MMS service was officially put into commercial use on October 1, 2002, and the multimedia era of mobile communications was announced.

However, what aspects do users care most about? A few days ago, China Mobile Communications conducted a survey on the Internet of "what factors do you care most about when choosing an MMS service?" The top three factors are mobile phone prices (32%), SMS prices (29%), Easy to operate (14%).

The price of MMS mobile terminals severely affects user acceptance. If with the development of MMS business, mobile phone manufacturers cannot produce low-priced, novel style mobile phones, it will seriously hinder the promotion of MMS. It is said that China Mobile is currently negotiating with terminal manufacturers. While launching the MMS service, it is planning to bundle the MMS service with mobile phones to provide users with lower mobile phone prices to promote the service. In addition, when people really like and get used to MMS services, the role of price factors will be relatively reduced.

At present, the MMS service uses the original short message charging mode, which is priced at 0.90 yuan / item. In the initial stage of business development, a preferential measure of "send 2 and send 1" is implemented. The actual price is 0.60 yuan / piece. According to statistics, in 2001, the number of domestic text messages sent was 15.6 billion, 80% of which were text messages sent from mobile phones to mobile phones, and 20% were sent through Monternet and SP websites. But a little calculation, we will find that the price of 20% of the text message traffic is equal to or even more than the price of the other 80% of the text message traffic (the price of the picture is 0.5-2 yuan / bar, the ringtone is 0.5-4 yuan / The range is 5 to 40 times that of the plain text message of 0.1 yuan / line). And now the price of MMS is only 9 times that of SMS, which is acceptable for most users.

It is also worth noting that the details of the current MMS value-added services are not clear, such as how users order services and cancel services. The interface with value-added services has not been determined. Standards are being formulated. These will lead to the development of MMS value-added services It was slower in the early stages.

Although MMS has many advantages, it will not replace SMS immediately, and will coexist with SMS for a period of time. With the gradual withdrawal of the SMS business market, MMS will become the main theme of the SMS market. (Modern Communication)