ITU 03 - Microsoft and Vodafone engage in mobile web services tête-à-tête

Microsoft and Vodafone have teamed up to bring together the worlds of IT and mobile telephony, all using web services bedrock standard XML.

Trumpeted by Bill Gates, speaking at ITU Telecom 2003 show in Geneva this morning, the two giants will initially work only with each other to build on existing web services architecture. They will then share their progress with other companies starting with a workshop to be held next January.

The idea is to bring some mobile functionality to PCs, for example through dongles that incorporate SIM cards for authentication and location, while delivering applications and developers to the mobile world with software working more easily between the two, shared as a web service.

John Maffei, director Microsoft Platform Strategies Group, told silicon.com: "This is about the two largest players [in their fields] doing what you'd expect them to do. It's about providing a lead but it's an industry play."

Paul Davey, strategy relationships executive for Vodafone Group, added that the arrangement won't mean Vodafone favouring .Net, Microsoft's web services framework.

"It's about creating standards," he said and promised some of the functionality of the mobile world will be brought to PCs.

The companies say that the idea of two well-known players taking the lead before involving the wider community is accepted. Microsoft's Maffei likened it to his company and IBM working on web services security, getting industry feedback and then taking what they had to standards body Oasis.

Dale Vile, service director at analyst Quocirca, said: "It makes sense and it was just a matter of time before the two industry giants got the ball rolling. Based on web services, this is more attractive to developers than past efforts to marry mobile and IT."

He added: "Microsoft and Vodafone for now get an advantage purely in terms of mindshare. They need to get other players on board, especially IBM."

The companies PowerPointed a scenario whereby a stranded motorist phones his car rescue company. Then based on his ID, triangulated location and data drawn from back end systems, the nearest and most suitable mechanic can be sent to help, cutting out several stages and inputting of information along the way.

However, in terms of real world applications, the companies admit it will be down to application developers and others to work out the best ways of exploiting mobile web services.