Wysdom’s new messaging gateway makes inter-carrier communications easier

A Toronto-based wireless infrastruc provider has launched a new gateway product that promises to eliminate one of the major impediments to the text messaging market in North America. Unveiled April 4, Wysdom Inc’s expanded version of its InterCarrier Mobyle Gateway (ICMG) makes it possible for mobile users, for the first time, to send short messaging services (SMS) to all pagers, PDAs and handsets, using just a telephone number. Competing wireless standards have turned out to be the Achilles heal of the SMS market in Canada and the U.S., making it difficult, if not impossible, to send messages between competing carriers. Wireless subscribers needed to have the recipient’s device number, and that carrier’s SMSC or messaging gateway address in order to send inter-carrier messages. Wysdom VP business development, carriers, Glen Schmid is bullish on the technology’s market potential. The company is currently working with a couple of the largest carriers in North America and is hoping to sign on another eight to 10, he says. The first announcements are expected in a couple of months. "We’ll go after (carriers) in North America first, then move into Latin America and there are parts of Asia that are interesting as well," Schmid says. "We’re hoping to get 40 per cent to 50 per cent marketshare." Technical aspects aside, the ICMG essentially translates the data originating from one network so that it can be processed and then delivered to a user on a different network. Schmid says the gateway is ideal for carriers on CDMA and TDMA networks, and where they meet GSM networks, looking to add the inter-carrier SMS functionality. The added feature has not been limited to voice carrier networks. Data-only networks, like Mobitex, iDEN, CDPD and other paging networks are also able to use this extra functionality. There are millions of users on these networks, says Schmid. "It’s like Metcalfe’s law, where the more (users) you have connected (to the network) the more useful it gets." Catching up to European messaging traffic levels The market opportunity for short messaging is huge, according to a recent Yankee Group study. The report, SMS: Why can’t North American carriers get along, indicates that if the right network characteristics were in place, SMS could grow substantially on this side of the Atlantic. It is already widely used in Europe and Japan, where competing standards aren’t an issue. Last August, there were more than five billion messages exchanged between GSM users globally, according to the GSM Association. It also projected that more than 10 billion messages would be sent in December 2000. Yankee Group projects major increase in traffic volume The Yankee Group acknowledged that a lack of interoperability is the main barrier to expanding this market in North America. Unless solutions are found, the report indicates that North America will remain far behind Europe, with SMS penetration unlikely to surpass 10 per cent by 2003-2005. "The Yankee Group believes that North America would experience an increase of 40 per cent volume in total SMS traffic if cross-network correspondence were permitted," the November 2000 report writes.

Wysdom’s new messaging gateway makes inter-carrier communications easier

News | 04/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

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