Beyond Operation WhiteBerry

In this article we have focussed on LEAP and WhiteBerry in terms of a specific application, namely, interpersonal Mobile Messaging. But this is just the beginning - WhiteBerry is also the starting point for a more general set of wireless applications and usages. In the following paragraphs we describe a few examples.

• Broader forms of usage. Note that person-to-person messaging is a special case of a more general set of communications scenarios, which also includes person-to-machine, machine-to-person, and machine-to-machine messaging. Existing e-mail applications already encompass these other scenarios; for example, person-to-machine messaging applications include the use of e-mail robots which can be invoked by the user to accomplish various tasks; while machine-to-person messaging applications include various sorts of automatic e-mail alert and notification services.

  All this existing capability can be immediately brought to the wireless world by means of WhiteBerry. In other words, in addition to providing interpersonal Mobile Messaging services, WhiteBerry can also function as a generalized efficient message transfer infrastructure, which generic applications can use to deliver message-related services to the user.

• Greater richness of content. The capabilities of WhiteBerry can also be expanded in terms of richness of information content. Though the basic content of interpersonal messages usually consists of plain text only, this basic information payload can be augmented with more complex forms of content - for example, a variety of MIME attachments have been defined which greatly enhance the utility of the existing e-mail paradigm. Similar content-expanding features can readily be brought to the wireless domain by incorporation into the WhiteBerry model.

  Note that the implied message shortness of the WhiteBerry model is not necessarily in conflict with richness of content. This simply means that such content must be appropriate to the wireless and mobile domain - it must bring added value to the user, without violating message size restrictions. An example of such content is the use of embedded responses, in which the message originator provides the recipient with a set of pre-defined, multiple-choice replies from which to select [18].

• Expanded usage patterns. E-mail has traditionally been considered an asynchronous activity, and unsuitable for real-time or near-real-time usage. However, since a mobile user is available for communication to a far greater extent than a desktop user, and since the efficiency of the LEAP protocols permits very rapid message exchange, various interactive applications can be built on top of WhiteBerry.

  A good example is Instant Messaging. Note that in this application the exchanged messages are by nature very short, and therefore the efficiency of EMSD brings a significant performance premium. The LEAP protocols can readily be used to extend existing Instant Messaging capabilities to mobile devices. This extension of the WhiteBerry model requires only simple integration with existing Instant Messaging solutions, and with existing facilities such as Presence Management and Location Management.

• Location-based applications. The availability of mobile device location information enables numerous location-based applications such as taxi dispatch, driving directions, local weather conditions, availability of local products & services, emergency assistance, and many more. Location information can also be integrated with Mobile Messaging services to provide the user with a powerful set of new applications. For a comprehensive and imaginative survey of the location-based services domain, see WaveMarket's white paper entitled Location, Presence and Event-Driven Mobile Applications, available on the WaveMarket website at http://www.wavemarket.com/. Many of the applications described in that document can be built on top of WhiteBerry.

Also, note that LEAP itself has broader scope than just the WhiteBerry Mobile Messaging model. WhiteBerry is part of a larger family of LEAP-based applications, which also includes other applications such as LEAP-based web applications. These applications can be tightly integrated, so as to provide a consistent package of capabilities to the user.

Note in particular that usage of ESRO is not limited to WhiteBerry. ESRO is a generic enabling foundation, upon which a variety of efficient applications can be built. For more information on generalized uses of ESRO, refer to the Manifesto article ESRO: A Foundation for the Development of Efficient Protocols.

In Operation WhiteBerry we have established a framework which can bring tremendous benefits to the wireless industry and the consumer. There is a great deal more that can be done by extending and building on this framework. We will continue to expand on this framework and work to bring it to its full potential.