Sybase, Interop Prep For 4G

Interop Technologies and Sybase are taking steps to ensure that mobile operators will be able to handle the inevitable SMS issues that arise with the proliferation of 4G networks.

Sybase introduced Wednesday the Advanced IP Messaging server, and the company said this can address key technical issues with messaging interoperability as the industry moves to 4G. The server can be on premises or act as a hosted product, and Sybase said it will offer interoperability between a carrier's legacy messaging infrastructure and IMS protocols.

Wireless operators will also be able to personalize the server in order to monetize next-generation messaging, and it comes with an integrated mobile commerce offering that includes a digital wallet and mobile remittance applications. Sybase's messaging server also offers a professional app development environment that potentially enables carriers to open up their networks to third-party content creators.

Interop is also looking at mobile messaging on the next generation of mobile broadband, and announced Wednesday it had already enabled 4G messaging for 30 carriers. Interop said its messaging architecture is highly modular, so it could use gateway layer protocol converters to accommodate the new 4G messaging protocols without sacrificing compatibility of legacy equipment. The company also said its hosted customers will soon be able to deploy Voice over Long-Term Evolution, instant messaging, and rich communication suite implementations.

"The addition of IP capabilities to our existing hosted messaging infrastructure proves the efficacy and extensibility of our architecture," said Steve Zitnik, senior VP at Interop, in a statement. "To Interop, a message is a message, regardless of the protocol."

The move comes as wireless operators are aggressively deploying 4G networks, but there is a bit of a standards battle brewing. Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have already deployed multiple WiMax networks across the United States that can give users up to 8 Mbps on the go. Most of the mobile operators around the world have chosen LTE technology for their 4G networks however, and Verizon Wireless is aiming to have a nationwide LTE network running by 2015.

LTE Vs. WiMax won't be the typical winner-take-all showdown. Learn what each brings to the race (registration required).