GSM suite initiative gains momentum

The GSMA (Global System for Mobile Association) has reported progress in the Rich Communication Suite (RCS) intiative, a service providing interoperable, enriched communications capabilities such as in-call multimedia sharing, converstional messaging and presence-enhanced contact management, all accessible through a user's mobile phone contact list.

The iniative has generated considerable momentum across a number of fronts since the GSMA brough RCS into its work program in September 2008, including the delivery of the RCS Release 1 specification, the addition of new program participants and the successful completion of interoperability tests.

The GSMA has issued technical specification for RCS, defining the feature set for the first version of the service and ensuring that vendors will be able to develop standard, interoperable implementations. The specification outlines the requirements for features including:

• Enhanced address book — provides presence and capability indications, enables users to initiate communications including voice calls, video calls, file transfers or messaging, and allows users to integrate multimedia elements, such as photos of contacts;
• Rich call — enables users to exchange different types of content, such as video or photos, during a call;
• Rich messaging — expands on traditional instant messaging to simplify and unify multiple messaging mediums and provides a richer user experience.

The number of operators and vendors supporting RCS has doubled in the past five months, growing to 60 participating companies.