Microsoft Enlists Vodafone on Mobile Web Services.
By Gavin ClarkeMicrosoft Corp has selected telecomms operator Vodafone to help lead development of XML-based specifications for convergence of fixed and mobile applications.
The companies announced yesterday they plan to unveil a roadmap of technical specifications later this month along with a white paper detailing their vision at Microsoft's Professional Developers' Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles.
Calling their work an "industry call to action", Microsoft and Vodafone are inviting industry feedback and introduced a series of workshops, beginning in London next January.
The web services roadmap was announced by Microsoft chief software architect Bill Gates and Vodafone group strategic relationships director Ian Maxwell who appeared at the ITU Telecom World 2003 conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Gates' and Maxwell's announcement was couched in the language of broadening opportunities for mobile developers and desktop software vendors to broaden their market opportunities.
The roadmap, though, continues Microsoft's attempt to subtly stamp its hallmark on web services standards whilst working with a revolving door of partners.
In the world of desktop and server-based computing, Microsoft has collaborated with IBM Corp to develop XML specifications and standards for web services. The companies' in April 2002 published the WS- roadmap outlining a series of planned security, routing, business process and other specifications.
Since then, the companies have consistently met that roadmap, working with a shopping list of partners such as BEA Systems Inc and Verisign Inc where appropriate while completely ignoring any similar, external efforts.
The Geneva announcement appears to indicate that IBM's usefulness does not extend to the mobile sector, and Microsoft is attempting to repeat its success with, arguably, IBM's counterpart in the mobile and cell-phone-based computing sector. Vodafone is a global telecommunications player with 123 million customers.
Standards could open a back-door to broader mobile success for Microsoft's struggling Smartphone operating system. Windows is being steamrollered by Sun Microsystems Inc's Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) in Asia while Nokia Corp, the world's largest handset manufacturer, has resisted Windows on its devices.
Developing specifications that integrate with Smartphone and the limitations of mobile devices would potentially increase the operating systems' appeal to operators. Standards could also help extend the desktop-bound Windows applications to mobile devices, breathing additional life into the desktop franchise.
Sun has been making great play out of research suggesting that mobile devices would this year outship PCs, indicating a long-term stagnation of sales of desktop computing software.
Gates and Maxwell did not provide technical details of their work, but said under the roadmap developers would be able to integrate mobile network services such as messaging, location, authentication and billing into PC applications.
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| Publication: | Computergram International |
|---|---|
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Oct 14, 2003 |
| Words: | 432 |
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