New Candidate Enablers Slated for Release in 2009

• Categorization Based Content Screening
• Diagnostic Monitoring
• Device Profiles Evolution
• Global Permission Management
• General Service Subscription Management
• Lock & Wipe Management Object
• Mobile Email
• Policy Evaluation, Enforcement and Management
• Rich Media Environment
• Secure Content Exchange

Background

Broadcasting has long been the most effective means of delivering media content to the mass market. Consumers understand well and are comfortable with the traditional broadcasting services of televisions and radios. The increased use of mobile devices by consumers, combined with the convenience of anywhere and anytime, makes broadcasting through mobile devices one more way to distribute content to the consumers. Moreover, as mobile network and device technologies evolve, mobile broadcasting can produce more media-rich and interactive experience for consumers, compared with traditional broadcasting services. Content providers, service providers and device developers worldwide are posed to capture the new market opportunities sprung from mobile broadcasting services.

Mobile broadcasting refers to a broad range of broadcast services, which leverage the unidirectional one-to-many broadcast paradigm as well as the bi-directional unicast paradigm in a mobile environment. It covers one- to-many services ranging from classical broadcast to the rich interactive services. In the mobile environment, underlying technologies of network bearers and devices vary drastically. Since the 1990s, a variety of mobile broadcasting technologies have been developed and adopted in different regions of the world, using different network technologies. Examples are DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld) and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) in Europe, ISDB-T Seg 2 in Japan, S-DMB (Satellite Digital Media Broadcasting) and T-DMB (Terrestrial DMB) in Korea, Media FLO in the U.S., ATSC MGH in the U.S. MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) standardized by 3GPP, BCMCS (Broadcast Multicast Service) standardized by 3GPP2, and MCBCS (Multicast Broadcast Service) standardized by WiMAX. Subsequently, many application-layer services were developed on top of the different network bearer technologies. The heterogeneous technologies create a tremendous interoperability issue, which limits the market potential as a whole.

Objectives and Goals

In an effort to focus the industry-wide interest in mobile broadcast on the interoperability challenge, OMA chartered the Broadcast (BCAST) Working Group (WG) to define and specify the application layer enablers to support mobile broadcast services, taking into consideration requirements for such services and the environments needed for their delivery. With industry representations from major content providers, mobile service providers, system vendors and handset manufacturers, the WG aims to deliver a set of protocols that address the required functions of service discovery, service information provision, file/stream delivery, service/content protection, service/terminal management in the mobile broadcast and unicast environments.

Coordination

The BCAST WG works closely with external industry fora and other OMA WGs to leverage existing technologies that can be used to develop mobile broadcast enablers. The external fora include DVB, 3GPP, 3GPP2, W3C, IETF, ISMACrypt, WiMAX. Internally, BCAST WG leverages works from other OMA WGs, such as DRM, DM, PUSH, MAE, etc.

Accomplishments

The BCAST WG is currently working on two enablers, BCAST v1.0 and BCAST v1.1. The chart below shows the timeline for these two enablers.

Following is a brief description of the work items in the BCAST WG and their status at the end of 2008.

Mobile Broadcast Service Enabler - BCAST v1.0, Candidate Enabler


BCAST v1.0 provides a complete end-to-end framework for mobile broadcast services by defining nine functionalities to address different technical areas. The nine functionalities are: Service Guide, Notification, File Distribution, Stream Distribution, Service Protection, Content Protection, Service Provisioning, Terminal Provisioning and Service Interaction. Some of the nine functions, such as Service Guide, File Distribution, and Stream Distribution, are basic functionalities and the others are functionalities for the enhanced feature. BCAST v1.0, as the transmission bearer independent technology, can support three different digital broadcast systems, DVB-H, 3GPP MBMS and 3GPP2 BCMCS.

With BCAST v1.0, network infrastructure investments by service providers are protected, as broadcast services can be provisioned through existing networks. Device vendors find themselves in a level playing field, where they can pick and choose functional areas to implement for optimizing cost and differentiation. Consumers will benefit from a standardized and uniform interactive experience and receive a better user experience.

Mobile Broadcast Service Enabler - BCAST v1.1, Candidate Enabler expected 1Q10

The BCAST v1.1 enabler makes functional improvements from BCAST v1.0. These improvements would serve well all entities in the value chain—content providers, service providers and device developers—and allow them to capture additional revenue from new features and value added services.

BCAST v1.1 will include enhancements for content providers to provide more personalized services, subscription and interactive functionalities, as well as improved roaming capabilities among Broadcast networks. Regarding network operators, BCAST v1.1 will allow additional underlying technologies to provision broadcast services, such as WiMAX, DVB-SH, Media FLO, and hybrid networks. Device Management (DM) for Broadcast Channel will also be defined in BCAST v1.1. As for mobile device functionality, BCAST v1.1 will include the latest DRM features, such as support of Secured Removable Media (SRM v1.0) and a variety of rich media technologies.

The BCAST WG is currently working on the requirement and architectural documents for the BCAST v1.1 enabler.


Content Delivery Working Group

Market Analysis and Requirements

In today's networked consumer and business environment, users demand rich multimedia content that is available when they want it, wherever they are. Further, users demand content that is personalized per their interests and context (e.g. location), and expect a seamless experience accessing content-based services from any device. Networks and devices are becoming increasingly more capable of fulfilling such requirements. All segments of the mobile data services value chain—application developers, content providers (including users, for user-generated content), mobile operators and device manufacturers—are contributing to satisfy customers demands for content-based services.

However, a number of challenges still remain. Application developers and content providers need to improve the user experience in consuming and interacting with content from a mobile device. In addition, the proliferation of mobile platforms requires time consuming adaptation of content by application developers.

Service enablers that OMA is developing can address how, when, and in what form content is delivered to users on behalf of content providers and standards developed through co-operative efforts of all value chain members to begin addressing these challenges and maximize the market opportunity.

Objectives and Goals

The Content Delivery Working Group (CD WG) develops specifications for client/server systems and related protocols in the form of service enablers. These service enablers address a broad range of mechanisms to deliver content via point-to-point and point-to-Multipoint bearers in networked environments, both mobile and fixed. With an evolving service environment in mind, the CD WG aims to deliver service enablers that are tested for interoperability and to drive industry-wide adoption of these enablers.

In order to maximize synergy and avoid duplication, the CD WG is working closely with external standards organizations, such as W3C, 3GPP/3GPP2, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP), as well as with other OMA WGs. Over 50 companies representing all players in the value chain are currently participating in this working group.

Work Plan

The CD WG was formed in 2006 to collect, coordinate and carry forward ongoing work in the content delivery topic. Current work includes the following:

• Dynamic Content Delivery DCD 1.0
• OMA Push, including
  • SIP Push 1.0
  • OMA Push 2.2
• Mobile Advertising - MobAd 1.0
• Content Management Interface CMI 1.0
• Customized Multimedia Ringing CMR 1.0

• Identifying devices on the networks
• Configuring devices before shipping
• Updating devices firmware after shipping
• Updating devices settings after shipping

A successful DM solution will provide a high degree of device and network security, track user equipment and capabilities and remotely support users, by resolving issues quickly, updating technology constantly and containing support costs. Further, it will assist enterprises to manage applications for devices in the field using standard, rather than point, solutions.

Accomplishments

The OMA DM WG was tasked to specify an open standard for the management of mobile devices. This includes specifying the client/server protocol and the management objects to store the various configuration and provisioning parameters. Many devices are already available in the market from all major mobile device manufacturers that support OMA DM device provisioning with an OMA DM client. The Device Description Framework (DDF) of each device contains a set of management objects and specifies operations that can be performed on those objects. Using the device specific information of the DDF, the Device Management Suite can perform a variety of management functions including firmware updates, inventory collection, alert handling, and device provisioning, regardless of the specific capabilities of the device. DM Device provisioning can provision every parameter of every OMA DM compliant mobile device. These provisioning capabilities are specified in OMA DM 1.1.2 (2004) and 1.2 (Approved Enabler 2007).

DM has proven to be critical to enabling more mobile services and operators are showing high interest. Some of the benefits of OMA DM provisioning are:

Enablers Completed

Following is the list of enablers specified by the end of 2008.

• Device Management (DM) 1.2.1 Approved Enabler
• DM Management Objects (MOs). Several enablers either Candidate or Approved
• Lock and Wipe (LAWMO) V1.0, Candidate Enabler, 4Q08
• Diagnostics & Monitoring (DiagMon) V1.0, Candidate Enabler 4Q08
• Firmware Update Management Object (FUMO) V1.0, Approved Enabler

Work Items in the Pipeline

• DM v2.0, Candidate Enabler 4Q10
  No consensus has been achieved as to direction, but the WG is planning a workshop with external organizations in early 2009
• Web Services Interface (WSI) V1.0, Candidate Enabler, 1Q09
• Browser Management Object (BMO), Candidate Enabler, 3Q09
• Smartcard (SC) V1.0, Candidate Enabler 2Q09

Development Statistics

Mobile handsets are a critical communication tool for people all over the world and, with more than 1 billion mobile handsets shipped worldwide in 2007, the number in use increases every day. At the same time, the complexity of the mobile devices and the proliferation and complexity of data applications and services offered by mobile operators is also increasing. Mobile device management technologies to do such tasks as remote diagnostics and problems fixing are experiencing strong global growth, according to Ovum. Analysis shows that between the fourth quarter of 2006 and the fourth quarter of 2007, global shipments of mobiles grew by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 83 per cent for OMA FUMO, 51 per cent for OMA client provisioning (CP) and 159 per cent for OMA DM.

• Flexible sharing of purchased content
• Import of protected content from non-OMA DRM systems
• Enabling consumption of DRM content contained in MPEG-2 transport streams across a multiple user devices

Data Synchronization Working Group

Case Study: OMA Secure User Plane Location, Qualcomm

Market Analysis and Requirements


More than a decade has passed since the publication of standards enabling Location-Based Services (LBS) both for Value Added Services (VAS) and emergency services. Arguably the regulatory mandates for emergency services were key drivers behind the development of these standards, which are now collectively referred to as the Control Plane (CP) solution.

In the intervening years, technology has advanced on many fronts. There are now highly efficient Internet Protocol (IP)-based mobile multimedia communications, and more precise techniques for pinpointing the location of the signal emitted from portable devices. Relying on geo-positioned satellites, location tracking has been further refined to leverage the network itself. In only a few seconds, hybrid Assisted Global Positioning Systems (A-GPS) now enable GPS location fixes accurate within five meters.

The shift to A-GPS in combination with the evolution of wireless networks to IP-based communications allows application developers the opportunity to create new revenue-enhancing VAS that seize the power of the Internet. Legacy standards enabling VAS on the control plane are inherently complex and expensive. They require updates to almost all components of the signaling infrastructure. This has led to ad-hoc designs around the problem. These diverse attempts to extract LBS management from the core network have resulted in proprietary IP based User Plane (UP) implementations. The Yankee Group has pointed out that, 'The A-GPS architecture that uses existing TCP/IP infrastructure for server-handset communication resulted in multiple proprietary A-GPS systems, making carrier network upgrades and location vendor selection costly and complicated* .' This inefficient methodology has stunted the adoption of location based VAS.

* A-GPS Finds Its Place as Leader of Wireless Technologies, April 2, 2008

The need to streamline VAS enablers by establishing a direct IP connection between the location server and the handset led the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) to spearhead the drive to build consensus on how to shift control to the UP. With the publication of Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) V 1.0 in 2005 as a Candidate Enabler Release, and V 2.0 in 2008, OMA continues to evolve the standard for deploying VAS on the UP. OMA's mission is to facilitate global user adoption of mobile data services by specifying market-driven mobile service enablers that ensure service interoperability across devices, geographies, service providers and operator networks, while allowing businesses to compete through innovation and differentiation. SUPL enhances traditional telecom-based location detection methods by extracting the function to the UP. With OMA SUPL, location based VAS are no longer embedded as a core network feature or dependent on the development of custom approaches.

Thanks to lower cost and interoperability benefits, UP implementations have grown beyond the CP in a much shorter time. After a full decade of work with vendors to launch CP-based VAS, only a few operators now use the technology. In contrast, in the two and a half years since OMA's SUPL specification was published, UP-based VAS is the choice of nearly three times as many operators. 'The market has clearly spoken in favor of OMA SUPL,' said Ed Tiedemann, senior vice president, engineering, Qualcomm Incorporated.


Benefits OMA SUPL

Operators in every corner of the globe are embracing the OMA SUPL specifications for two primary reasons: