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Multimedia messaging service (MMS) is a new global messaging standard which enables a wide range of media elements-including text, images, audio, and video to be combined in messages and sent between mobile devices (Shen, Zhang & Song 2004, 627). Been described as a "next generation" service (Margarita 2005, 32) MMS allows varied applications for the user who have the ability to send personalised greeting cards and select form the following features; animated cartoons, sports highlights, news and weather updates (Guthery & Cronin 2003, 6).
MMS was launched by various operators across Europe in 2003, mobile operators hyped the services and assumed the large popularity of short messeging services (SMS) would translate into demand for MMS. Initially MMS was not successful as it was limited by network interoperability issues and the lack of handsets that could receive picture messages. Further more sending messages proved to be a challeng for users due to complicated and lengthy procedures resulting in most picture messages sent by early adopters never been received (Fildes 2005). Today, however, wireless analysts are predicting that by 2007 SMS traffic will decline significantly with MMS becoming the prefered medium of exchange for commercial and peer-to-peer communication (Guthery & Cronin 2003, 12).
Currently Mobile Phones have raced ahead of personal computers in terms of global adoption; today's Mobile Phones have developed into a full-fledged computing device which are capable of handling data and running multiple applications (Guthery & Cronin 2003, 2). The majority of youths today are fluent in the use of Mobile Phones and use them to gather information and to send SMS and MMS to other handheld device. As stated in Schmidt (2005) 45 percent of youths have Mobile Phones and 33 percent use them to send messages which include; text, Web links and pictures. As a result, the boundaries between information, learning, and play have become blurred for many of those within todays youth culture.
The major issues that are arising from the use of MMS are; the limitations by network interoperability and the fact that MMS handsets and infrastructure which are purchased from different vendors will not work together smoothly therefore causing users to stick with SMS (Snap Happy 2002). Further concerns raised deal with the transmission of content bits across networks. As discussed in Guthery & Cronin (2003, 197) MMS content agreements are encrusted with worries about; where the content will go, how long it will stay alive, who will handle it and what mobile network gateways might do to it along the way to the end user. The future availability of MMS depends on addressing the above concerns while also expanding the options for digital rights management (DRM) (Guthery & Cronin 2003, 197).
Fildes, N. 2005. Multimedia Messaging Could Take Off. Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition), (accessed October 3, 2005, from ProQuest).
Guthery, S. and M. Cronin. 2003.Developing MMS Applications: Multimedia Messaging Services for Wireless Networks. MaGraw Hill: New York.
Margarita, B. 2005. Hiring trends in the telecom market. Telephony, 246(14) 32-32 (accessed 27 October 2005, EBSCOhost database).
Schmidt, Aaron. 2005. The Young & the Wireless, School Library Journal 51(10) (accessed 27 October 2005 EBSCOhost database).
Shen, J., P. Sun, and S. Song. 2004. iMMS: Interactive multimedia messaging service.IBM Journal of Research and Development, 48 (5/6): 627 - 634. (accessed October 3, 2005, from ProQuest).
2002. SNAP HAPPY. Economist, 363(8270) (accessed October 14, 2005, EBSCOhost database).
Alicia Michelle Machin 23:53, 3 Oct 2005 (EST) Alicia Michelle Machin 13:44, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
