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 a group that creates important rules for the mobile phone industry. It used to be called the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). This group makes sure that different mobile phones, apps, and services can work together smoothly.
OMA SpecWorks is a non-profit organization. This means it doesn't aim to make money. It's also a NGO, so it's not run by a government. Instead, it's a place where many different companies in the mobile world agree on common rules. These rules help make sure your phone and apps work well, no matter who made them.
Contents
How OMA SpecWorks Started
OMA SpecWorks began in June 2002. Before that, there were many different groups, each making their own rules for mobile technology. For example, one group focused on web browsing on phones (WAP Forum). Another focused on instant messaging (Wireless Village).
Having so many separate groups caused problems. They sometimes made similar rules, which wasted time and effort. The OMA was created to bring these groups together. The goal was to have one main place where everyone could agree on rules for mobile phones and services.
Who Are the Members?
Many different companies are part of OMA SpecWorks. These include companies that make mobile phones and network equipment, like Ericsson, ZTE, and Nokia. Mobile phone companies, such as AT&T, NTT Docomo, and Verizon, are also members. Software companies like Gemalto and Mavenir also join.
Merging for Better Standards
In March 2018, the OMA joined with another group called the IPSO Alliance. Together, they formed OMA SpecWorks. This merger helped them work even better to create new rules for mobile technology.
Working with Other Groups
OMA SpecWorks also works with other important groups that create technology rules. These include 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). All these groups help make sure technology works well for everyone.
What OMA SpecWorks Aims For
The main goal of OMA SpecWorks is to make sure mobile services work everywhere. This means your phone should work with different networks and in different countries. They focus on the rules for apps and services. They don't make rules for how the mobile network itself works. For example, their rules for instant messaging work the same whether you use a GSM or CDMA2000 network.
Companies follow these rules on their own choice. OMA SpecWorks doesn't force anyone to use their rules. However, if a company owns a patent for a technology that's part of an OMA rule, they agree to let other members use it fairly. OMA SpecWorks is based in California, United States.
Important Rules and Specifications
OMA SpecWorks creates many different rules, called specifications. These rules help make sure various mobile services work correctly. Here are some of the key ones:
- Browsing and Content: These rules help your phone's web browser work well. They make sure you can see websites on your mobile device.
- Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS): These rules allow you to send and receive picture and video messages on your phone.
- Digital Rights Management (DRM): These rules help protect digital content, like music or videos, from being copied or shared without permission.
- Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS): This rule helps you send instant messages to friends from your mobile phone. It also lets you see if your friends are online.
- Converged Address Book (CAB): This rule helps manage your contacts. It allows your address book to work across different devices and services.
- Converged IP Messaging (CPM): This is a base rule that helps power richer messaging services, like those that let you share location or make video calls within a chat.
- Lock and Wipe (LAWMO): These rules help you protect your phone if it gets lost or stolen. You can remotely lock your device or erase your personal data.
- Lightweight M2M (LwM2M): These rules help machines talk to each other. This is important for smart devices and the "Internet of Things."
- Client Provisioning (CP): This rule helps your phone get the right settings automatically. This makes it easier to set up new services.
- Data Synchronization (DS): This rule helps keep your data, like contacts or calendar events, the same across different devices.
- Device Management (DM): This rule allows mobile companies to manage and update software on your phone from a distance.
- Mobile Broadcast Services (BCAST): These rules help deliver broadcast content, like mobile TV, to your phone.
- Push to talk Over Cellular (PoC): This rule allows you to use your phone like a walkie-talkie.
- Secure User Plane Location Protocol (SUPL): This rule helps your phone's GPS find your location more accurately, especially indoors.
- Mobile Location Protocol (MLP): This rule helps apps get your phone's location.
- Firmware Update (FUMO): This rule helps update the basic software (firmware) on your phone.
See also
- Linux Phone Standards Forum (LiPS)
- LiMo Foundation
- Content Management Interface
- Open Handset Alliance
- Mobile Platform
- 3GPP
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
- List of wireless router firmware projects
- Mobile Device Management
- List of Mobile Device Management Software
