MMS Interconnection is First Ever to Use Different Vendors' Systems


The world's first MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) interconnection was inaugurated in Finland today between operators Sonera and Radiolinja, using equipment from vendors Nokia and Tecnomen.
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MMS solutions allow consumers to send and receive rich messages containing text, images, graphics, voice, and audio clips. This new interconnection ability will allow the operators' service subscribers to transparently exchange multimedia messages between Sonera and Radiolinja networks.

This successful interworking utilizes the reliable and secure Sonera GRX service including the new MMS-gateway functionality. With the enabling infrastructure already in place, the operators were able to implement the interworking with speed and ease.

The MMS interconnection agreement and technical implementation makes Multimedia Messaging a truly mobile mass-market service in Finland. It allows Sonera subscribers to send multimedia messages to their friends who are using Radiolinja's MMS services and vice versa.

"Nokia has always supported open standards and firmly believes that in order for MMS and future 3G mobile services to really fly interconnectivity between different networks and different operators is crucial. The Nokia Multimedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC) is working with other vendors' MMSCs according to 3GPP technical specifications by using MM4 interface to ensure interoperability," says Olli Oittinen, Vice President, Nokia.

"We are delighted to mark this milestone in terms of interconnectivity with Sonera, Radiolinja and Tecnomen and expect international MMS interconnection across Europe and Asia to be a reality by second half of 2003. MMS interconnection will increase operators MMS traffic and thus revenues as happened with SMS, although we believe it will take place with MMS in a much shorter timeframe," adds Olli Oittinen.

"Mobile telephony is meant to join people together, regardless of their service provider. The interconnection traffic opened today constitutes a significant event with regard to the expansion of picture messaging services. Now Finns are able to delight and inform each other in an increasingly versatile manner," says Jouko Lintunen, Senior Vice President at Radiolinja.

"A prerequisite for fast adoption of MMS services is that Multimedia Messaging Service should expand to inter-operator communications. As the number of users rises, the versatility of the service and the benefits it offers become part of our daily lives. I believe that multimedia messaging will expand as drastically as SMS messaging did in the last decade," says Senior Vice President Janne Vainio of Sonera.

"This is a definite industry milestone in terms of MMS developments," said Kai Kauto, Global VP Sales, Tecnomen. "We believe that the success of MMS will be largely dictated by users' ability to quickly and easily send and receive multimedia messages between networks and devices. The success of the interoperability tests will give the industry much-needed concrete evidence that interoperability is now a reality and reinforces Tecnomen's position as an advocate of open industry standards and cooperation with other leading players in the market. Tecnomen's MMSC implements the MM4 interface according to 3GPP technical specifications and is now available for all our customers."

In addition operator Suomen 2G is also planning to join, making its DNA MMS service interoperable with the other operator networks.

"Having just launched Finnet multimedia services we are, together with our network operator Suomen 2G Oy, in final negotiations about interconnection agreements with other operators. We wish to take part in creating and further developing a unique Finnish mobile market," says Ari Tolonen CEO, DNA Finland Ltd.

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.

About Radiolinja

Founded in 1988, Oy Radiolinja Ab was the first company in the world to open a GSM network, in 1991. Radiolinja is an operator focusing on wireless mobile telecommunications which offers digital mobile telecommunications services to private and corporate customers. Radiolinja produces and actively develops various mobile services to enable Finns to communicate independently of time and location. The Group's net sales in 2001 totalled EUR 686 million and it had more than 1,800 employees. Radiolinja forms part of the Elisa Group.

About Sonera

Sonera Corporation (HEX: SRA, NASDAQ: SNRA) is a leading provider of mobile and advanced telecommunications services. Sonera is growing as an operator, as well as a provider of transaction and content services in Finland and in selected international markets. The company also offers advanced data solutions to businesses, and fixed network voice services in Finland and neighbouring markets. In 2001, Sonera's revenues totaled EUR 2.2 billion, and profit before extraordinary items and taxes was EUR 0.45 billion. Sonera employs about 7,400 people. www.sonera.com

About Tecnomen

Tecnomen develops value-added service systems for teleoperators and service providers. The company is one of the world's leading suppliers of messaging systems and a pioneer in developing wireless Internet solutions. Tecnomen has a strong market position in prepaid systems and intelligent network components, and is the market leader in paging systems. Tecnomen markets its products and services through its own worldwide organisation, as well as through global and local partners. The company operates in 11 locations worldwide and has supplied its products to customers in 40 countries. Tecnomen has almost 500 employees and its shares are quoted on the Helsinki Exchanges. For more information on Tecnomen visit www.tecnomen.com.

About DNA

DNA Finland Oy, a part of Finnet, is a new national mobile operator which offers personal and tailored wireless solutions for both private individuals and companies. The DNA services utilise state-of-the-art network technology. For further information, see www.dnafinland.fi. Both DNA and its mobile network operator Suomen 2G Oy are Finnet companies.