Motorola Inc. released a new communications platform last week called Mobile Internet Exchange, or MIX, with the goal of giving users the ability to access Internet information by either voice or data on a mobile basis.
“Motorola expects that by 2005, 1 billion people will be using the Internet and accessing it from wireless connections,” said Maria Martinez, general manager and vice president of Motorola’s Internet and Connectivity Solutions Division. “The MIX communications platform breaks down the barriers of the Internet by providing an easy way for consumers to access and use important information while they are mobile.”
The platform is a complete solution comprising servers, gateways, software applications, content and a new Mobile Application Development Kit-designed to simplify the development of voice or data applications for mobile users. It serves as a common storage center for information entered from various devices and locations, like a virtual call center.
If a customer were to enter a new contact number on a personal digital assistant and then synchronize that information with MIX using the included TrueSync technology, the customer would be able to access the number from a mobile phone by connecting with the MIX platform and requesting the number using voice commands. The same can be done via a landline phone or two-way pager.
According to Motorola, carriers can buy and integrate the MIX communications platform into any existing infrastructure, or choose instead to let Motorola host the services for them as a service bureau if they don’t want to buy the platform and operate it themselves. To date, BellSouth Cellular Corp., Bell Atlantic Mobile, Clearnet Communications Inc. and British Telecommunications plc have said they intend to use the platform.
A key driver of the platform is the Mobile ADK, which allows third-party developers to write applications based on a variety of technologies, such as Motorola’s VoxML, the Wireless Application Protocol and Wireless Markup Language. The MIX platform supports these technologies, as well as Hypertext Markup Language. Software features include Nuance Communications’ automatic speech recognition, voice dialing, TrueSync, personal information management functions and carrier-hosted or corporate e-mail.
The MIX communications platform is a feature server of the company’s Aspira architecture. Its WAP 1.1 compliance is a result of a licensing agreement made between Motorola and Phone.com Inc., under which Motorola will license Phone.com’s UP.Link Gateway.