Most of our discussion throughout this Manifesto is framed in terms of a particular technology, namely, Mobile Messaging. It is important to bear in mind, however, that Mobile Messaging is just one aspect of a broader technology: Mobile Consumer Data Communications. Mobile Consumer Data Communications refers to the general ability of an end-user to send and receive digital data at a hand-held device via a wireless network. This technology includes Mobile Messaging as a special case, but also includes other wireless data transfer capabilities such as general Internet access, web browsing, etc.
Much of the discussion set forth in this Manifesto applies with equal force to all mobile data communications applications, not just that of messaging. However, it is currently well understood that the dominant application for mobile data communications is, in fact, Mobile Messaging, not web browsing or other Internet applications. Therefore throughout this Manifesto we will focus our attention on the messaging application.
Though our discussion will be framed in terms of Mobile Messaging, the reader should bear in mind that the same principles apply to all forms of mobile data communications.
Also, whenever we speak of the Mobile Messaging industry, we are referring to the totality of what is required to accomplish effective mobile messaging capabilities for the end user.
We are not referring to the implementation of mobile messaging on any particular device, such as a mobile phone, PDA, palmtop PC, laptop PC, or two-way pager. Similarly, we are not restricting our focus to any specific technologies or standards, nor are we restricting our focus to a specific market or set of subscriber services.
Rather, we are referring to the entire set of technologies and constituencies which are required to enable Mobile Messaging. This includes: mobile handheld devices and their manufacturers, wireless modems and their manufacturers, wireless data networks and their operators, ISPs and other service providers, and the set of protocols and software implementations required to allow interplay and cooperation among these various consituencies.
Our purpose in writing this Manifesto is very ambitious: we wish to describe our vision of all that is required to build the entire Mobile Messaging industry.