Open Mobile Alliance facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | OMA |
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| Formation | June 2002 |
| Merger of | IPSO Alliance; March 27, 2018 |
| Type | Nonprofit NGO |
| Purpose | International technical standards |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California, United States |
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Membership
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Wireless vendors, information technology businesses, mobile operators, application & content providers |
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Official language
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English |
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General Manager
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Seth Newberry |
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Staff
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OMA SpecWorks is an organization that creates important rules, called standards, for the mobile phone industry. It was previously known as the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). These standards help different mobile devices and services work together smoothly.
OMA SpecWorks is a nonprofit group. This means it does not aim to make money. It is also a non-governmental organization (NGO). It is a place where companies in the mobile industry can agree on common rules for their products and services.
Contents
How OMA SpecWorks Started
The OMA was formed in June 2002. Before that, many different groups were working on parts of mobile technology. For example, there was the WAP Forum for browsing and the Wireless Village for instant messaging. Each group had its own rules and ways of working. This often led to duplicated efforts.
The OMA was created to bring these groups together. The goal was to make it easier to create common standards. This helped avoid confusion and made sure different mobile services could connect.
Who Are the Members?
Many different types of companies are part of OMA SpecWorks. These include companies that make mobile equipment, like Ericsson and Nokia. Mobile phone companies, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, are also members. Software companies like Gemalto also join.
In March 2018, the OMA joined with another group called the IPSO Alliance. Together, they became OMA SpecWorks.
What Is Their Main Goal?
The main goal of OMA SpecWorks is to make sure mobile services work everywhere. This means services should work across different countries and with different mobile phones. They focus on the rules for applications, not the network technology itself.
For example, an OMA standard for a mobile app will work on any type of cellular network. This includes networks like GSM, UMTS, or CDMA2000. Companies follow these standards voluntarily. OMA SpecWorks does not force anyone to use them.
If a member company owns a patent on a technology needed for a standard, they agree to share it. They offer licenses to other members fairly. OMA SpecWorks is based in California, United States.
Important Standards and Rules
OMA SpecWorks creates many important standards. These rules help different mobile features work well. Here are some examples:
- Browsing Standards: These rules help mobile phones browse the internet. They are now called Browser and Content standards.
- Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS): These standards allow you to send pictures and videos in messages.
- OMA DRM: These rules help protect digital content, like music or videos, on your phone. This is called digital rights management.
- OMA Instant Messaging and Presence Service (OMA IMPS): This standard helps instant messaging work on mobile phones. It was once known as Wireless Village.
- OMA Device Management (OMA DM): These rules help manage mobile devices remotely. For example, they can help update software on your phone.
- OMA Data Synchronization (OMA DS): This standard helps keep data, like contacts, the same across different devices. It uses something called SyncML.
- Secure User Plane Location Protocol (SUPL): This helps your phone use assisted GPS to find your location.
- Mobile Location Protocol (MLP): This is another rule for finding the location of a mobile phone.
- Firmware Update (FUMO): This standard helps update the software that runs inside your phone's hardware.
How OMA Standards Help Others
The standards made by OMA SpecWorks have inspired other groups. For example, the ETSI group used OMA ideas to create their NGSI-LD standard. This shows how OMA's work helps shape the future of mobile technology.
Other Related Groups
- LiMo Foundation
- Open Handset Alliance
- 3GPP
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
- Mobile Device Management
See also
In Spanish: Open Mobile Alliance para niños
