OXFORD, United Kingdom-Having gained an estimated 70-percent share of the worldwide market for multimedia messaging service centers (MMSC), Nokia and Ericsson, which have each won around 50 contracts, are being seen by some observers as having influenced purchasers by packaging MMSC technology with picture messaging cell phones.
The “evidence” behind this assertion was the timing during mid-2002, which saw both Nokia and Ericsson announce MMSC deals with GSM operators, and the availability of the popular Nokia 7650 and Sony Ericsson T68 picture messaging handsets. Both terminals, especially the T68, were significant in setting the benchmark for other MMS terminal manufacturers to emulate.
The dominant MMSC market position obtained by Nokia and Ericsson will, according to Tecnomen, an MMSC developer, draw into question the viability of the few other companies currently attempting to compete in the market, namely LogicaCMG and Comverse. Prior to its merger with Logica, CMG announced in its second-half 2002 results that it had failed to win a number of significant contracts due to its inability to offer bundled deals, including MMS-capable cell phones.
