News Release

December 19, 2008
Contact: Joe Farren
202.736.3207

CTIA – The Wireless Association® Announces Enhanced Messaging Product Features Including Group Messaging and Presence

WASHINGTON, DCCTIA -The Wireless Association®, on behalf of its Wireless Internet Caucus (WIC) Enhanced Messaging Action Team (EM Team), today released its Final Set of Uses Cases and Call Flows for the development of Enhanced Messaging solutions.  Agreed to by all of the major US carriers, the Use Cases and Call Flows document provides carrier partners with a complete set of the tools and information they will need to move forward with the development of inter-operable Enhanced Messaging products, enabling both Group Messaging and Presence functionality. 

Enhanced Messaging (EM) is a presence-enabled mobile messaging service that allows for richer real-time text messaging and communications than traditional mobile messaging, such as SMS.  The Group Messaging feature enables multiple users to interact with text based communication on their mobile devices, as well as support multi-media files in group communications.  Cross-carrier support for the Use Case and Call Flow specifications will ensure inter-operability of Enhanced Messaging products and services. 

"Enhanced Messaging communication has the potential to revolutionize mobile data communications," said Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.  "Text messaging has long been a huge growth opportunity in mobile data communication, and we fully expect Enhanced Messaging to take it to the next level.  The newly released Final Set of Use Cases and Call Flows give prospective carrier partners the tools and information they need to move forward with the development of Enhanced Messaging solutions." 

The EM product is currently expected to be launched in the US as early as third quarter 2009.  The details of the Enhanced Messaging feature functionality and customer experience are contained in the Final Set of Use Cases and Call Flows, which outlines the baseline of standard protocol for the implementation of Enhanced Messaging (EM) products.  The document is the result of the EM Team's detailed Response Review of the RFI it issued in June, which generated more than a dozen submissions by industry providers.  

Copies of the newly released Final Set of Enhanced Messaging Use Cases and Call Flows and more information about the Enhanced Messaging Action Team are now available.  All this and more can be accessed on the "Mobile Enhanced Messaging" page at www.ctia.org, or by contacting contact Kate Kingberger at kkingberger@ctia.org, 202-736-3892. 

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CTIA is the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry,
representing carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers. 
www.ctia.org