This document provides an overview of the key enabling wireless technologies and hindrances to the early adoption of wireless data solutions, and thus defines the market drivers behind the foundation of the Mobile Management Forum (MMF) by The Open Group. It also sets out proposals for specific activity within the Mobile Management Forum.
This document can be expected to evolve to reflect changes in the market and technology, and discussions within the Mobile Management Forum itself.
In early 1999, The Open Group membership identified the growing importance of wireless and mobile computing and initiated a study to identify key areas where The Open Group could make a significant contribution towards enabling the emerging market for corporate wireless data applications.
The first stage was the creation of The Open Group wireless computing web portal, www.openwirelessdata.org, to categorize and analyze the large number of existing wireless standards efforts.
Subsequently, The Open Group embarked on a six-month study of the wireless computing market, involving in-depth interviews with leading wireless vendors and early adopters of wireless technologies. The interviews have served to refine and validate The Open Group’s views on its role in accelerating the adoption of wireless data solutions into the enterprise environment. These meetings took place in both Europe and North America and were conducted by Gregory Gorman, Director of The Open Group’s Wireless and Mobile programs, and Peter George, Principal, Wheatstone Consulting (UK), a UK-based consultancy company that provides strategic advice on mobile data solutions.
The Open Group’s essential conclusion is that the enterprise and wireless markets are converging but still face serious obstacles. Integration of wireless data devices and applications into the enterprise environment is seriously impeded by the lack of interoperable standards and solutions.
Sections of this document highlight the major findings of the research and identify concrete proposals for action by the new Open Group Mobile Management Forum.
On April 12th 2000, The Open Group launches the Mobile Management Forum (MMF), based on:
The results of this research
The views of existing members of The Open Group
The broader demands of the market
The Mobile Management Forums's overarching objective is to accelerate the deployment of wireless data into the enterprise environment, by leveraging its vendor and user membership.
Its vision is deceptively simple, to allow a user to access any information (to which he/she is entitled) over any network via any device:
Initially, the Mobile Management Forum is invited to focus on five key areas which the research clearly identified as current barriers to attainment of the vision:
Session management of wireless and mobile devices and applications
Wireless and mobile data synchronization
Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs)
Wireless data device-independent content origination
Authorization, authentication, and accounting issues related to wireless data devices and applications
In each case, this summary highlights the issues, examines the problems, and offers a set of specific recommendations to drive the market forward.
The members of the Mobile Management Forum will determine the programs and projects of the Forum.
In instances where pre-existing standards bodies and
industry organizations are already doing important work on wireless data
standards, the role of The Open Group should be complementary and
supportive. For example, The Open Group has developed close working
relationships with the Personal Computer & Communications Association (PCCA)
and the WAP Forum.
In cases where The Open Group has identified unmet
needs, these will need to be addressed within the Mobile Management Forum.
In such cases, The Open Group will be able to deploy one of its most
powerful assets–the strong vendor and corporate/government buyers
membership base–to drive interoperable standards that will move the market
forward.
In all other instances, the Forum should work closely with other parties driving forward wireless data standards to make sure that efforts are properly coordinated for the benefit of the wireless data community and meet the full needs of customers.