SAN FRANCISCO—The mobile Internet should be the same as the wired Internet, at least in the mind of Openwave Systems, which used the CTIA Wireless I.T. and Entertainment show to show off a couple of new services designed to reach that goal.
Openwave Passport and Openwave OpenMedia, which run on the company’s Integra or Mobile Access Gateway platforms for operators, will make the mobile Web more attractive to users and help generate more revenue for the carriers, according to Sean MacNeill, vice president and general manager of Openwave’s service management and global services group.
MacNeill said Passport allows carriers to offer on-demand mobile internet access to consumers, while OpenMedia is an open, multimedia content adaptation service designed to make content more compelling on a mobile device.
“In order to thrive, operators must capitalize on new opportunities with the mobile internet, delivering a superior experience through value added services and leveraging new service monetization methods,” MacNeill said.
Openwave Passport makes it possible for carriers to provide a range of time-based internet access options to the casual mobile internet user, based on whether they want an hourly, daily or weekly rate. MacNeill said personalized access can attract new data users, including roaming and visiting subscribers who may not wish to sign up for contract-based data access plans. It is also a way to market value-added services to data subscribers, he said.
MacNeill said a leading carrier in North America is considering Passport to provide 24-hour, on-demand full Internet access to premium web content like games or information.
OpenMedia converts rich media objects like Microsoft Office documents and audio/video clips to a format suitable for mobile handsets.