Summary

All of the basic components that are needed to launch LEAP are complete, in place, and ready to go. These components are:

The Protocols Themselves.

The protocols are well-designed, meet all the technical requirements of the industry, and are published as RFC-2188 and RFC-2524. The complete text of the RFCs is available at
http://www.rfc-editor.org.

Freedom from Patents.

The protocols have been declared to the Free Protocols Foundation as patent-free. For more information see http://www.FreeProtocols.org.

Open Maintenance Organizations.

The protocols are maintained by open and public organizations at
http://www.esro.org, http://www.emsd.org, and http://www.LeapForum.org.

Open-Source Software Implementations.

These are in the process of being made available for all major platforms and end-user devices. For details see http://www.MailMeAnywhere.org.

Free Subscriber Services.

Provided to support initial deployment of the protocols in end-user devices. For details see http://www.ByNumber.net and http://www.ByName.net.

Together, these components represent a complete recipe for the success of LEAP. The protocols themselves are open and immediately available, and open-source implementations of the protocols are in the process of being made available as free software.

The combination of free protocols and open-source software is something which has enormous power. It is this combination of factors which has driven the overwhelming success of other industry standards such as Linux and the Web (HTTP/HTML). We believe that this same combination of factors will drive the acceptance of LEAP in the wireless data communications industry.

Finally, we do not claim that LEAP is technically ideal - like all engineering solutions it includes compromises. What we do claim is that LEAP is a good solution, and that its processes have integrity. Where the LEAP protocols fall short of the industry needs, the open maintenance processes will provide a mechanism by which they can evolve into a better solution.

The LEAP Manifesto

Every aspect of LEAP is described in The LEAP Manifesto [65], available at
http://www.LeapForum.org/LEAP/Manifesto/roadMap/index. html. The LEAP Manifesto includes a technical description of the LEAP protocols themselves, and a description of all the components required to encourage their widespread usage. The LEAP Manifesto consists of the following articles:

Executive Summary.

An overview summary of the entire LEAP Manifesto.

Overview of the LEAP Protocols.

A general overview description of the LEAP protocols.

The LEAP Protocol Development Model.

A description of the processes used to develop the LEAP protocols, and how and why these processes differ from the conventional development process. This article also includes a criticism of the IETF protocol development processes.

EMSD: The LEAP E-Mail Component.

A technical description of EMSD, the e-mail component of LEAP.

ESRO: A Foundation for the Development of Efficient Protocols.

A technical description of ESRO, the transport mechanism component of LEAP.

Efficiency of EMSD.

A technical paper analyzing the efficiency characteristics of EMSD and comparing its efficiency to other e-mail protocols.

EMSD on Windows CE.

A technical paper describing the architecture and implementation of EMSD on Windows CE devices.

EMSD on Palm OS.

A technical paper describing the architecture and implementation of EMSD on Palm OS devices.

A Brief History of LEAP.

A summary of the major events in the evolution of the LEAP protocols.

The Future of LEAP.

A description of the planned future development of LEAP, including descriptions of several LEAP-based products and services which are currently under development.

The WAP Trap.

A detailed criticism of a set of specifications called the Wireless Application Protocol, or WAP. This article demonstrates that WAP is entirely inappropriate to play the role of a Mobile Messaging industry standard.

LEAP: One Alternative to WAP.

A point-by-point comparison of the LEAP protocols to the WAP specifications. This article compares and contrasts LEAP with WAP, and demonstrates that LEAP has all the desired characteristics of an industry-enabling protocol that WAP lacks.

Operation WhiteBerry.

A description of how all the capabilities of the closed RIM BlackBerry mobile messaging solution can be duplicated using existing software implementations of LEAP, and existing off-the-shelf hardware components.

Strategy for Making LEAP Widespread.

A description of our strategy for encouraging widespread usage of the LEAP protocols, including the distribution of open-source software implementations of the protocols, and the availability of free subscriber services.

Trying Out LEAP.

A step-by-step, hands-on demonstration of how the LEAP protocols can be used to turn any Windows CE device into a fully functional Mobile Messaging device.

Lessons from History: Comparitive Case Studies.

An analysis of the factors which lead to the success or failure of protocols, including discussions of several historical case studies.

The Mobile Messaging Industry.

An overview of the Mobile Messaging industry, and a description of the essential factors that are required for its long term success and growth.