The FMCA today announced that six telecom operators are working together to provide interconnection and inter-working for rich presence applications between their services and online communities. The move further is said to emphasise the global significance of using "Internet Presence" as a major component of the digital lifestyle.
"Presence" is commonly used in many online communications applications and services, such as Instant Messaging and social networking, to indicate whether other parties are online and ready to participate in communications activities.
Leading telecom operators such as Brasil Telecom, BT Plc, KPN, Korea Telecom, NTT Communications and Telkom South Africa, have initiated trials between each other to potentially reach over 200 million customers with new global Internet services. Entitled "Open Presence", this initiative lays the foundation for the next wave of service interoperability, enabling users on different global operators' networks to inform each other of their real-time availability and delivering enhanced social networking applications and services.
The Open Presence trial will operate as a global hub, delivering a multi-protocol bridge between communities. As deeper presence information gets progressively deployed, it will act as a conduit through which IP messaging and presence can be used on different devices (mobile phone, PC, IPTV, PDA, etc). This will provide new ways for customers to actively update and display rich profile information – including such items as their picture, location, online activities, mood, availability status and communication preferences – to their expanded personal or business contacts, regardless of network, telecom operator or online community.
"Our customers are increasingly demanding access to new generation converged communications services that provide the convenience and ease of use that can be found in social networks and online environments. This trial is an illustration of how global telecom operators, as members of the FMCA, can collaborate to break new ground in the development of global Internet services for hundreds of millions of customers", says Steve Andrews, FMCA Chairman.
During the Open Presence trial, technical, operational and commercial models for presence enabled services in areas such as unified communications, VoIP, mobile IM, IPTV, social networking, content sharing services and networked gaming as well as Wholesale services shall be explored. This will be supported by the joint technical and operational expertise in IP inter-working, multiple protocol conversion (XMPP-SIP), routing, IP clearing and settlement of the participating telecom operators and suppliers.
