Comverse has said that the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) has approved and begun work on a key standardization initiative, which was proposed by the company.

 

Supported and promoted by prominent operators and vendors, the initiative is expected to create a well-defined application programming interface (API) between operators and content providers.

 

Comverse (News - Alert) believes that the new OMA specification will offer greater significance in its applicability to third-party content-related services, such as mobile advertising.

 

Formed in 2002, OMA consists of nearly 200 companies. Members of OMA include mobile operators, device and network suppliers, information technology companies and content and service providers.

 

Through universal interoperability, the OMA initiative for a standardized API between operators and content providers is intended to ensure industry-wide benefits.

 

“The development of a new standard is an important step,” said Fred Harrison, chairman of board of directors at OMA.

 

The step is expected to benefit end-users with access to a variety of content for ringback tones and other services enables third-party content providers to connect to operators systems.

 

The ringback tone service of Comverse Fun Dial allows users to personalize network tones—ringing, busy, signals—with music and content before the call is answered.

 

Comverse Fun Broker has opened the ringback tone service arena for content players. Company hopes that this opening up of ringback service will generate substantial new ringback tone traffic and revenues.

 

“Open standards bring benefits, including economy-of-scale, to all parties in the value chain,” said Harrison.

 

Comverse is a provider of software and systems enabling network-based messaging and content value-added services, prepaid, postpaid and converged billing, mobile advertising and IP communications.

 

“Comverse’s role in initiating and promoting adoption of OMA standard underscores our global leadership in Value-Added Services such as ringback tones and mobile advertising,” said John Bunyan, chief marketing officer at Comverse.

 

In September, the company launched a new version of its Comverse Netcentrex and Open Media Platform (OMP). The updated version combines Intelligent Peripheral and Media Resource Function (MRF) capabilities on the same platform, which is a standards-based media platform.