Publisher review:Mbuni is a fully-fledged Free/Open Source MMS gateway. This chapter provides an overview of MMS (short for Multimedia Messaging Service) and the Mbuni MMS Gateway. MMS offers mobile users enhanced messaging capabilities like the ability to send pictures and sound from a cell phone. It is generally considered the natural successor to the very popular SMS service. MMS usage has continued to grow since introduction, and it is expected that projects such as Mbuni should further boost the adoption of MMS and its explosion. The Mbuni Project attempts to provide that little bit of boost to MMS adoption/growth, by providing two important parts of the MMS infrastructure: For the network "operator" Mbuni includes a fully-fledged MMS switching centre (MMSC), while for the MMS content provider Mbuni includes a MMS Value Added Services (VAS) Gateway (MMSBox). Mbuni implements all major MMS interfaces, including phone-to-phone (so-called MM1 interface), phone-to-email (MM3), inter-MMSC (MM4) and MMS VAS (MM7). The level of support for each type of interface is listed on status page of the website. Mbuni is inspired, in part by the Kannel project, and utilises Kannel's GWLIB and WAP libraries. Kannel provides well-designed, simple interfaces for management of octet strings, lists, threads, servers, etc, and a certified WAP implementation. This made it a natural choice for Mbuni, rather than re-inventing the wheel.
The Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), is intended to provide a rich set of content to subscribers (pictures, audio, games, etc). It supports both sending and receiving of rich content by properly enabled client devices. MMS is a non-real-time delivery service, much like SMS or email. The service utilises a store-and-forward usage model.
MMS is designed to be transported largely over IP rather than traditional GSM (SS7) networks. It is also designed to interoperate with other IP services such as email and WAP. In fact, MMS messages are typically transported over WAP, and are encoded using WAP MIME formats.
Multimedia messages can be originated by or terminate to end-user client devices (i.e. MMS-enabled phones) or third party applications (typically used by MMS content providers). In the MMS architecture, the MMSC acts as the message-switching system within the core network, while the MMSBox acts as the message dispatch and content management system on the VAS (third party) side.
The elements shown in the figure can be summarised as follows:
- MMS Client: A device through which the user receives or sends multimedia messages. This might be a phone or a PC-based MMS client. The Client sends messages to and receives messages from the MMSC using WAP/HTTP as transport.
- MMS Gateway: Switches messages between different MMS clients and between MMS and Email. The Gateway may also interface with other gateways to exchange messages destined for foreign networks. This is also more properly known as the MMSC.
- MMS Server: This component provides persistent storage of messages on the network. Typically users can access stored messages via a web interface.
- Other MMS Systems:Other systems, such as Third Party MMS systems (e.g. MMS VAS providers) can interface to the MMSC to receive and send MMS content. The Interface used is termed MM7.
- SMSC: The MMSC utilises WAP Push to send notifications to MMS Clients. These are typically sent using SMS as the bearer service, hence the need for a link to a Short Message Service Centre.
Typically, the message cycle begins with a user sending a multimedia message (MM) from the MMS client. The client must be configured for MMS, which includes bearer settings (i.e. GPRS or GSM/CSD settings), WAP gateway address and MMS Gateway address (a URL). On receipt of the message, the MMSC decides how to deliver the message (e.g. to another MMS client or to a VASP), and proceeds to dispatch the message. A VASP may also originate a message to the MMSC, for onward delivery.
An MM is typically a multi-part message with pictures, sound, text and other media. Each part of the message is identified by media (MIME) type, name and/or Content ID. Usually the message is of a multipart/related MIME type, with the start element being a SMIL part that controls how the message should be displayed. When submitting a message, the MMS client indicates the intended recipient list, but usually not the sender address, which the MMSC retrieves from the WAP gateway. Like Email, a single MMS can specify multiple recipients (MSISDNs and Email addresses), and it is up to the MMSC to ensure correct delivery to each of the recipients.
When the MMSC receives a message destined for an email address, it typically re-codes the message as standard MIME and passes it on to an SMTP server for delivery. Email messages received are similarly re-coded as MMS and forwarded to the relevant MMS Client.
When the MMSC receives a message destined to MMS Clients in the area served by the MMSC, the message is stored and an MMS notification sent to the recipient via WAP Push. On receipt of the notification, the client typically fetches the message via a URL provided in the notification.
When a recipient requests an incoming MM from the server, it indicates to the server its capabilities for a User Agent Profile URL. The profile data includes such things as supported media types, screen size, supported character sets, etc. Typically, the MMSC will re-code the MM to suit the client's capabilities before returning the message. Messages destined to email may also be re-coded to make them more suitable for email readers.
Mbuni MMS gateway is a modular software system, designed to be full-featured, efficient and simple, supporting current generation multimedia messaging. Mbuni operates in one of two modes: As an MMSC or as a VAS gateway.
- Operating as MMSC, Mbuni provides:
- Phone-to-phone messaging
- Automatic content adaptation: The server modifies message content depending on the capabilities of the receiving terminal
- Integrated Email-to-MMS and MMS-to-Email gateway
- Support for persistent storage of messages for subscribers (MMbox).
- Inter-MMSC message exchange (MM4 interface)
- Support for MMS Value Added Service Providers using MM7 protocols (SOAP or EAIF).
- Support for integration with subscriber database to enable smart handling of handsets that do not support MMS, handsets not provisioned, etc.
- Support for flexible billing structure through billing/CDR plug-in architecture
- Bearer (data) technology neutral: Works with GSM/CSD or GPRS.
- Operating as a VAS Gateway, Mbuni provides:
- Support for both SOAP and EAIF connectivity with an operator MMSC
- Multiple connections to different MMSC of different types can be maintained
- MMS content can be loaded from file, URL or as the output of a program
- MM composition from SMIL: The gateway will automatically fetch all components referenced in the SMIL and add them to the MM.
- A URL interface for MM dispatch.
Mbuni 1.2.0 is a C/C++ script for phpBB Modules scripts design by Paul Bagyenda.
It runs on following operating system: Windows / Linux / Mac OS / BSD / Solaris.
Operating system:Windows / Linux / Mac OS / BSD / Solaris
Mbuni 1.2.0 script details 
