Telecom web services are web services that expose telecom-network capabilities, such as SMS, MMS, WAP push, terminal status, terminal location, third-party call, payment, and so on. Telecom web services enable developers to exploit these telecom capabilities to quickly create innovative applications.

The Telecom Web Services SDK consists of: 

• A library of Java components for Parlay X web services.
• A JavaScript library for REST web services (compliant with Ericsson Communication Open API v1.0).
• A telecom network-capability emulator for testing your applications.

Parlay X web services is a standardized set of interfaces that define various high-level telecom web services. REST web service is a lightweight web service that transmits data over HTTP without an additional messaging layer, such as SOAP, which simplifies the implementation of the client side of a service. The Java components give you access to Parlay X web services as plain JavaBeans. The JavaScript library facilitates the development of web and desktop widgets/gadgets that consume REST web services.

Parlay X web services are typically used for business-to-business (B2B) communication, for example between a server-side application and an operator’s web-services gateway. REST web services are typically used for client-to-business (C2B) communication, for example between a widget and an operator’s web-services gateway.

Telecom web services allow developers to create value-added applications, such as SMS voting or ordering ringtones by SMS, and mash-up widgets/gadgets that mix internet services with telecom services, such as a Facebook gadget that enables Facebook users to send SMS to friends.

With the Telecom Web Services SDK, plain Java and basic Java scripts are all you need to know. Without the SDK, however, in order to make use of the capabilities provided by the telecom network, you would have to know:

• From a Parlay X point of view: both the Parlay X web-services standard and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol). 
• From a REST point of view: both Ericsson Communication Open API details and HTTP manipulation.

It is the protocols mentioned above that allow your application to communicate with the operator’s web-services gateway.

Java components
With the Telecom Web Services SDK, you can develop your server-side application without having to bother about the details of the Parlay X web-service interfaces and the SOAP requests associated with callbacks, security, MMS attachments and other telecom web services. The Java components help you develop any type of application: Java SE applications, web applications, Enterprise JavaBeans applications and clustered applications.

JavaScript library
With the Telecom Web Services SDK, you can develop your client-side application, such as a widget, without having to bother about the details of Ericsson Communication Open API and manipulating HTTP. The JavaScript library helps you develop mainstream widgets/gadgets, such as web widget, Vista Sidebar Gadget, Yahoo! Widget and Google Desktop Gadget.

Test immediately
You can test your applications with the emulator included in the SDK before contacting an operator. The emulator implements the features of a Parlay X/REST web-services gateway and the telecom network capabilities that it makes available.

New features in v4.1 (beta):

• REST support for location capabilities
  • API extension to support REST-client style with JSONP
  • API extension to support REST-client redirect style
• Widgets and gadget support
  • Web widget for locating page owner on map    
  • Flickr mashup for Vista sidebar gadge

Features in 4.0

• The web-service platform has been changed from JWSDP to Metro.         
• A new project structure:
  • Web service artifacts have been moved to an isolated subproject shared by the Java components and emulator.
  • Example code has been moved to an isolated subproject.
• A new architecture of the Java components has been introduced:
  • Builder pattern in the API of Java components.
  • Flexibility of supporting various web-service implementations. 
• REST support
  • Support for Ericsson Communication Open API v1.0.
  •  JavaScript libraries and sample JSP pages.
• New services implemented: payment and third-party call.         
• Improved Java support: Java components and emulator can now work on both JDK 1.5 and JDK 6.         
• Improved MMS display in the emulator.         
• An advanced web-service call-tracing feature is implemented in the emulator.

Special acknowledgement
We would especially like to thank Rodrigo Pimenta Carvalho for contributing his third-party call code to the emulator of Telecom Web Services SDK 4.0.
 

By Emil Zhang
     Erik Eriksson
     Evan Huang
     James Li
     Peter Yeung
     Robin Zhang