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| Frequently Asked Questions: MMS
1. What is MMS? MMS, short for Multimedia Messaging Service, is a messaging technology that lets you send still images, video, and voice or audio clips in addition to the familiar text content of SMS. MMS is very similar to short message service (SMS), in that it provides automatic, immediate delivery of self-created content from phone to phone as well as from phone to email and vice versa. 2. Is MMS a wireless application protocol (WAP) browser application? MMS does not use WAP browsers in any way. The MMS application is a messaging application, whereas WAP is used for browsing applications. 3. Is MMS a Nokia proprietary service or a standardized service? MMS is an open standard, standardized by the WAP Forum and 3GPP. The 3GPP specification defines the network architecture and general functions. The WAP Forum specification defines message encapsulation and application protocols. Existing transport protocols are used for delivery of messages. Back to top 4. Does MMS require changes in the network? MMS is primarily targeted at phone-to-phone communication. The possibility will always exist that the message cannot be delivered due to the receiving phone being switched off, having an empty battery, or poor network coverage. A new network element, the multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) has been created for storing undelivered MMS messages until the receiving phones can be reached. In addition, the MMSC enables delivery of services and network interconnection to e-mail. Nokia and several other manufacturers produce MMSCs. 5. What content types does MMS support? The following supported media types are recommended: JPEG, GIF, text, AMR voice, video H263, and some other formats. To achieve interoperability, Nokia and some other manufacturers have agreed upon an MMS Conformance Document that lists the minimum set of content types to be supported by an MMS phone. However, the MMS standards do not mandate any specific content format(s). Instead, an MMS is encapsulated in a standard way, so that the recipient's phone can identify those content formats it does not support, and handle them in a controlled way. This is also the solution used for content interoperability on the Internet. 6. How big can an MMS message be? The standard does not specify a maximum size for an MMS. This is done to ensure future interoperability and to avoid limitations similar to the 160-character limit with SMS. The message size also depends on operators, who may set a standardized message size for billing purposes. The Nokia standard, in the first phase, is a maximum of 100 kB. Back to top 7. How fast is an MMS transmission? The MMS transmission is dependent on both the message size and the bearer used. Sending a larger video clip will take longer than a simple image-plus-text. However, since the recipient is rarely aware of the ongoing transmission before the whole message has been delivered, he or she will usually perceive no delay at all. 8. Can you send an MMS to a Nokia phone that doesn't have the MMS feature? Yes, if that phone supports SMS and the operator offers this service. Nokia non-multimedia terminal support identifies the recipient's phone as a non-MMS phone, and the message is stored on a Web page instead of being sent to the phone. An SMS is then sent to the non-MMS phone with the address to the web page where the message can be retrieved. Check with your operator to see if they offer this service. 9. Can you send an MMS to a phone with a black-and-white display? A substantial part of MMS content is color images. So a color display is better to enjoy the full MMS experience. Yet, any MMS-enabled phone can, in theory, receive an MMS. There are several ways to present color images using dithering on black-and-white displays and, to a limited extent, a representation of the color image can be made on a black-and-white display. Back to top |