Ericsson: Using telecom web services for richer services

Using telecom web services for richer services

Telecom web services provide server-side applications with telecom capabilities. Server-side applications include mobile-internet applications and web-based applications for the internet or intranets. These applications can be driven by content providers, service providers or enterprises: in telecom terms, value-added service providers (VASPs). Telecom web services offer a simple way of using a service-oriented architecture (SOA) solution to access services provided by a mobile operator.

The example below describes a service, built on Java EE and Java ME, which uses telecom web services and IMS in an end-to-end converged scenario.

In the example, several telecom web services are used, defined by the following Parlay X standard services:

Presence (together with IMS/SIP)
Short message (SMS)
Terminal Location (Mobile positioning)
Multimedia messaging (MMS)

Business needs
A taxi company needs an enterprise application that knows when taxi drivers start and finish work and where their cabs are located. Taxi drivers need to receive maps and driving instructions via MMS so they can pick up and deliver customers. When the journey is complete, the taxi driver sends an SMS to confirm that the assignment is finished.

The taxi company needs to communicate both with individual taxi drivers and with groups of taxi drivers without using trunk-radio infrastructure. This is to guarantee coverage everywhere, without investing in trunk-radio equipment.

Implementation solution
The enterprise application could be a common Java EE application with a web container and EJB container for the taxi company's central operators.

When a taxi driver starts work, they simply need to log in to the taxi application from their mobile (an enterprise Java ME client with IMS application installed). The Parlay X gateway then sends a presence notification to the taxi Java EE application to notify that the taxi driver is on-line for work (Parlay X presence service). The taxi Java EE application checks the driver's location (Parlay X location service) by invoking the Parlay X gateway.

When the taxi operator gets the order from a customer, they check the enterprise taxi application for the car closest to where the customer wants to be picked up. The application verifies the taxi position by comparing the position data in the application with data from the Parlay X terminal location service. The taxi driver receives an MMS with the pick-up address for the customer, sent from the taxi application (via Parlay X multimedia messaging service). The MMS also contains a map and driving instructions. The taxi driver confirms the order by sending an SMS back to the taxi application over the Parlay X gateway (Parlay X short messaging service).

While the taxi driver is on the road, they can use the IMS Push-to-Talk (PoC) service on the mobile to talk to colleagues (like over trunk radio) and receive group messages as long as they are present and logged into the taxi application.

True mobility with telecom web services

Telecom web services are suitable for server-side enterprise applications, where the Parlay X web-services standard has a central role for business processing – especially for mobile users.

Architecture - example
Mobile browsing (or WAP browsing) and mobile client (such as Java ME client) are important mobile technologies, but they only solve the presentation logic for the front-end side of a mobile-internet application. Using telecom web services, the back-end side of the server-side business logic can achieve true mobility for the end-user. In the figure below, an example of application software architecture is given which builds on both mobile browsing technologies - Mobile Front Controller for handling multiple client types - and Telecom Web Services SDK for the back-end.

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Application - example
As an example, consider a stock alarm application, a mobile Java ME application, which presents share prices. If you suspend or turn off the application client, however, the application cannot notify you to sell or buy stocks. For an application offering true mobility, the service should not depend on whether the application client is active or not. The business logic of the stock alarm application is located on the server side and can still notify you with, for example, an MMS picture (over Parlay X multimedia services), text messages (over Parlay X short messages) or just call you with a voice prompt (Parlay X Call Control) to advise you to buy or sell stocks.

The application even works when you turn off your business mobile phone and switch to a private low-end mobile (without WAP or Java ME). When the business mobile phone is turned off, the Parlay X Terminal Status services will notify the application, so that it switches to the low-end mobile phone profile. This type of true mobility application can be developed with Parlay X web services. In this context, we call it an end-user service rather than an application.

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The figure above shows an example of end-to-end application architecture (N-tier model) from a mobile client (Java ME and WAP browser) and desktop client (Java SE and web browser) to the server side (Java EE technology). The back-end side of the application uses telecom web services. This end-user service will become access and client agnostic.

True application platform independency with telecom web services

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The figure above shows an example of how a VASP application uses telecom web services to connect to the network operator's web-services gateway. With telecom web services, the server-side application does not need to be built on Java EE or Java SE standard as an application platform. The application can, for example, be based on MS.NET or an open source alternative for .NET, such as Go-Mono or DotGNU (with ECMA-334 and ECMA-335), similar to Open Source for Java EE Application Servers.

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