MMS Wireless Application Development: Multimedia Messaging Services for Wireless Networks by Scott C. Guthery, Mary J. Cronin, Mary Cronin

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
The field of mobile messaging is tremendously exciting. It has the potential to dramatically change your culture by providing spectacular access to information to you at a moment's notice. And, the universal nature of the prospective market promises a tremendous financial reward for the developers of these applications and services. This excellent book brings you all you need to know about developing mobile applications. It is a rich source of both the required technology and the business acumen needed to design, test, and develop your applications, so that they can be brought to the marketplace.

Authors Scott B. Guthery and Mary J. Cronin begin Chapter 1 by taking a close look at the advantages of Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) for application development and a comparison of Short Message Service (SMS) and MMS. Chapter 2 provides essential information about the architecture and application developer interfaces that underpin MMS development and message distribution. Next, Chapter 3 guides the developer through the process of building a simple MMS application from the ground up, then preparing it by hand for the round trip through a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC), over the wireless network, and back to the mobile phone. The details of this process provide a context for Chapter 4's discussion of using software tools and infrastructure resources to create complex MMS messages for commercial distribution. Chapter 5 delves into the MMS media formats, including image formats such as Graphic Interchange Format (GIF) and Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), audio and video formats, and an overview of currently available MMS handsets and development features. Testing applications is an essential development step, and Chapter 6 reviews testing environments. Chapter 7 examines the options for using MMS for delivering existing media content, including integrating MMS services with databases and real-time data feeds, while Chapter 8 describes the technical interfaces and application management challenges of the MMS value-added service provider (VASP). Next, Chapter 9 provides an in-depth look at the business case for MMS application development, with an analysis of the MMS value chain, pricing and billing issues, business partnerships, and the role of application developers. Chapter 10 concludes with a preview of the next steps in MMS evolution, including the drivers for and barriers to adoption of advanced MMS applications.

If you want to learn how to develop multimedia applications, or if you want to know how to sell your application, Developing MMS Applications is the way to learn. This outstanding book will provide you with all of the technical and practical help that you need to ride the wave of the future. John R. Vacca

John R. Vacca, the former computer security official (CSO) for NASA's space station program (Freedom), has written nearly 40 books about advanced storage, computer security, and aerospace technology.

From the Publisher

Jumpstart your MMS application development

Perfect for building multimedia messaging apps that work on media- capable handsets worldwide, this guide provides a thorough tutorial in MMS programming interfaces, applications, and distribution—putting you steps ahead in delivering today’s hottest mobile applications. Wireless software expert Scott Guthery teams with mobile commerce specialist Mary Cronin to show you how to:

* Design, build, and integrate MMS messaging into your application environment

* Preview your applications with a “build it yourself” MMS testing platform

* Create code that harnesses the profit power of synchronized animated graphics and audio for mobile messaging

* Kick off your own applications with step-by-step examples and sample code

* Make a business case for content-rich mobile applications

* Partner with application aggregators, content providers, and MMS infrastructure vendors to accelerate adoption of your apps

This book is for you if—

* You want a one-stop resource on MMS application design, development, and integration

* You are building multimedia apps for a variety of mobile devices

* You need to understand the business and distribution models for MMS services

* You want to see some sample code for compelling MMS applications

* You are looking for detailed technical information on MMS messages

* You develop content for wireless carriers or wireless media providers

* You want to learn from the early adopters of multimedia wireless services

* You need comprehensive answers on MMS interfaces andstandards

Other books offer application overviews. Developing MMS Applications gets you writing code.

Scott Guthery is CTO of Mobile-Mind, a wireless applications and software development firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also co-author of the popular Mobile Application Development with SMS and the SIM Toolkit and the definitive Smart Cards: The Developer's Toolkit. An active contributor to international wireless standards groups, Guthery chairs the Architecture Working Group of ETSI's Smart Card Platform Project. Prior to founding Mobile-Mind, he led the development of the first Java Card(TM) at Schlumberger and the Smart Card for Windows operating system at Microsoft.

Mary Cronin is President of Mobile-Mind and co-author of Mobile Application Development with SMS and the SIM Toolkit. She is also the author of numerous books and articles on business on the Internet, e-commerce, and mobile commerce, including Doing Business on the Internet and Unchained Value. Dr. Cronin serves on the Engineering Advisory Board of the Aurora Funds, a venture firm in North Carolina.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents