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Fixed-mobile convergence at its edge
Most mobile services are today pull and not push due to the lack of an organized way to access phones. Sync and upload solutions is the first step towards a web API “in the cloud”, however today’s phones go way beyond emails, basic calendar and contact entries. We need to interact with MB or even GB of data between phones and the Internet, and often in real-time.
Simply dumping all your data to the Internet or stacking multiple point solutions, one for each web application, is not a very smart way of integrating mobile into web.
Mashmobile has created a way to truly mash your mobile device with any service on the Internet - the web way.
The web API works just like Google Maps API. As one controlled web endpoint on the device replaces multiple point solutions, Mashmobile brings structure to your mobile connectivity. Multiple web applications can be connected online without draining your battery and one common cache/storage boosts performance.
Communication is secured by API keys and the web API works irrespectively of the OS running on your device. You can stop worry about building developer communities or introducing a new SDK. There are millions of web developers in the world today. Mashmobile smashes time-to-market barriers, reduces costs and risks.
To learn more about applications, please click here.
FAQ
Below are some questions and answers listed. If you have any questions yourself, please contact us.
What needs to be done?
We need to establish a universal API to mobile devices - a web API “in the cloud” where services can hook in and mobile devices can appear transparent to the Internet. Data shall preferable reside “in the cloud” but data, resources and applications on the device must also be accessible on demand.
We must be able to track devices within “the cloud”. We need to add mobility support to the Internet. Mobile devices must get global URL addresses to make them accessible on demand.
We need to support the standard web programming model. The solution must improve the open Internet proposition and communication shall take place over a RESTful web API using standard operations such as HTTP GET and POST. Access to devices must be controlled.
What is the solution?
We need a mobile web services platform that supports any real-time service - bridging areas where upload and sync solutions fall short. We need a network of overlay routers organized as a domain:
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A ”find-and-connect” routing infrastructure – scalable and robust - designed for mobile devices thus allowing for IP addresses to change frequently;
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A RESTful web API interacting with an API key management system, end-users’ privacy settings and cache/storage servers;
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Provisioning support for easy installation, removal and updates of web API plugins, files and other applications over the air;
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True end-to-end connectivity supporting mobile environments over any IP bearer.
We need one bespoke URL to each mobile device where the mobility of the URL is managed in the same way as the mobile phone number. We need a thin client running on the device that registers and maintains connectivity with the overlay, and routes incoming URL requests to applications and web API plugins on the device.
Are point solutions not enough?
Many mobile applications are today developed using a traditional client approach such as a mobile widget. Even if mobile widgets use a device API such as Bondi, the client approach implies that we cannot use common cache servers to boost performance and save bandwidth, nor reuse APIs to the device that works across the Internet, since clients are developed to interact with one specific web application.
By syncing or uploading data from the device to a dedicated server on the Internet, some solutions have started to offer a web API to stored data “in the cloud”. The data storage will act as a server on the Internet on behalf of the device, and information that has been synced or uploaded can be mashed with web applications without the need for dedicated clients. The first step toward a mobile web services platform is taken.
How does the Mashmobile web services platform work?
The cache servers in the Mashmobile “cloud network” will sometimes act similar to a sync server, but there are also major differences. To interact with data that is not possible to sync or upload, Mashmobile offers a controlled web API to interact with the devices in real-time. For instance, requests to get my current GPS position or enable a preview of thumbnails in the device without having to run through a lengthy sync process at that time, requires a real-time connection to the device.
By offering a real-time URL connection to the device, any application on the device can very easily register with the web endpoint to have its URL requests routed in real-time to that specific application. That may be native applications, on-device portals, mobile widget engines or the SQL database manager.
One bespoke URL to each mobile device makes it very easy to launch push-based services, install games and other mobile content on the device, retrieve metadata for contextual advertising and interact between applications in two directions.
What advantages does Mashmobile bring?
Mashmobile combines the best of mobile clients and sync solutions. By adopting Mashmobile, you will achieve a strategy for your mobile connectivity, support service providers and make the mobile experience richer and more real-time than before. We will facilitate development of new mobile services and make mobile Internet happen.
Multiple web applications can be connected online, the connectivity infrastructure reused and domain owners can become gatekeepers to their domains.
Mashmobile takes away OS platform dependences and reduces risks, costs and time-to-market when developing new mobile services. It supports in saving power consumption and bandwidth, and avoids many of the patents associated with sync.
Can I customize the web API?
One specific family of native applications on the device is the web API plugins. These plugins can be installed or removed on demand, offering RESTful web services to interact with popular content types and resources on the device. Web services can be tailor-made to fit specific needs such as get listening statistics from the media player, get presence data, or to enable remote operations within device management.
Mashmobile offers a standard set of web API plugins that interact with common resources such as such as position data, pictures, live video streams, messaging and more. Once static data is retrieved from the phone, it is cached in the Mashmobile “cloud network” for future access.
The Mash Provisioning Server enables web developers to easily install, remove and update web API plugins over the air. This means that the actual web API of a specific device can be customized at any time.
The provisioning mechanism inside Mashmobile can also be used for seamlessly installing music, ring tones, games and other applications or files on the device, and the real-time URL connection to the device supports protocols such as streaming or WebDAV for file transfer. If you want to actually sync or backup data into the cloud, Mashmobile adds the possibility for server-side initiated sync or backup.
What is MDS and MNET?
The Mash Device Server (MDS) resides on the device and routes incoming URL requests to web API plugins and other applications on the device. Its connection library enables any application on the device to register with MDS so these applications can respond to specific HTTP requests. A request to http://joe.anydomain.com/myapp will be routed to the “myapp” application which may be a mobile widget or a homescreen application. By making applications on the device accessible in real-time, Mashmobile represents a paradigm shift in how to develop and deploy “mobile clients”.
To deal with devices’ dynamically changing IP addresses and their habit of hiding behind firewalls and NATS, MDS is supported by a “cloud network” called MNET. MNET handles features such as mobility management, security, congestion control and caching to ensure that mobile connectivity is efficient, reliable and safe.
Please note that web developers must not install nor operate MNET to benefit from the Mashmobile web services platform. Mashmobile operates a suitable domain on the Internet called http://beta.mashmobile.com where web developers can acquire the appropriate API keys to enable their services and applications in this domain, as well as any other brand partner’s domain.
How can I become the gatekeeper to my domain?
Mashmobile uses standard API keys to track how the web API is being used in order to prevent malicious use. The API key management system inside MNET also interact with end-users’ privacy settings. Only if an API key is accepted by both MNET and the end-user, and the information is not cached, a request to MDS will be made.
Our business model offers service providers to become domain owners. As a domain owner, you can assign URLs to end-users, keep valuable metadata in your domain, customize the mobile homepage and add your own services.
You will also become the gatekeeper to your domain. Domain owners are in charge of their API keys, thereby controlling access to their domains and can decide to offer API keys to partners.
How can Mashmobile help in making mobile Internet happen?
There are millions of web developers in the world today, and Mashmobile suddenly turn them into phone developers. The barrier to develop new mobile applications is basically zero. By truly Internet enabling your devices, you will facilitate the development of new mobile applications and services.
Mashmobile allows web developers to easily interact with data, applications, SW and HW resources on a mobile device using a standard web API. For instance, to retrieve the current GPS position of a mobile device, web developers only need to send a request such as GET http://beta.mashmobile.com/joe/locations/gps.
Full developer documentation for the Mashmobile web API is available in the developer zone.
The Mashmobile web API can be used by any web developer in the world. You don’t need to build new developer communities or introducing a new SDK. Mashmobile follows the standard web programming model and the web API works independent of the OS platform – a Windows Mobile phone exposes the same web API as an Android phone.
How can the mobile homepage become my business platform?
As web developers are required to digitally sign invocations of the web API with their unique API keys, Mashmobile does not allow users to browse directly into devices. Mashmobile has been designed to redirect browser requests towards a mobile homepage “in the cloud”.
The mobile homepage is an optional web application where end-users can browse their phones, manage content and share mobile activities with friends and social networks. Typical applications include live video streams and pictures captured from phone, SMS and positions.
The mobile homepage together with the branded URLs is a powerful way to build brand equity, customer intimacy and creating new revenue streams. It’s also a tool for advanced advertising, campaigns and a place to buy mobile content.
What steps are needed to get started?
The easiest way to get started with Mashmobile is to Internet-enable your devices by pre-loading Mashmobile. Your devices will be accessible in the http://beta.mashmobile.com domain operated by Mashmobile.
You can also become a brand partner to us. As a brand partner, we will offer end-users vanity URLs within your domain and brand the mobile homepage on your behalf. The domain will be owned and operated by Mashmobile and you will get invitation codes to your end-users. If you want to customize the mobile homepage or add your own applications, we can support.
If you want to become a gatekeeper to your domain and utilize the full potential of Mashmobile, you need to become a domain owner. For more information, please contact us.
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