Open Source Wireless Village IMPS
The question of whether to open source the wireless village code on onesoup came up before, but I thought I should revisit it now to gather more feedback, and open the conversation.
As I have blogged about in the past, I am fully re-writing the system to move to XMPP. All the code, obviously, is now written in Python. The new architecture consists of a twisted HTTP server and TCP server (for CIR) together with client interfaces to XMPP. Actually, in retrospective, the architecture is not very dissimilar to the one I would expect for a BOSH Connection Manager.
I am considering the pros/cons of opening the project under an open source license. The obvious consequence of opening up would be that anybody could setup their own onesoup server, i.e. a Wireless Village Connection Manager against XMPP backend(s). In other words, any XMPP admin could install onesoup and get their mobile users to access XMPP through the built-in IMPS client on the phones.
But there is a much more important aspect to be considered: interoperability between WV domains. Today, the Wireless Village Server to Server Protocol (SSP) is fairly useless. But if onesoup became a common software gateway for the mobile world to access the XMPP federation, we’d then be able to use the XMPP S2S to replace the IMPS SSP, and then achieve true mobile instant messaging interoperability. And, the thing is, one the key reasons, or perhaps the key reason, SMS triumphed as a disruptive messaging technology was interoperability. You can send and receive messages to your friends, regardless of their operator. Interoperability is the quintessential property for open communications.
But there are other reasons I can think as of why to open source something like onesoup. First, there are number of players competing with proprietary mobile instant messaging technologies, and a really great way to compete effectively with them is through openness. Then, there are also pure technological advantages in IMPS for the mobile world vs raw-XMPP or HTTP-XMPP (BOSH), such as transactional message acknowledgements, binary XML and CIR (SUDP, that is). So in a way, an IMPS CSP HTTP connection manager like onesoup, could be the key for spreading XMPP to the mobile world.
Obviously, there are the financial aspects to be considered too. Open sourcing needs to make financial sense, not only to me, but to any other party that could potentially become a contributor. Sure, there are personal reputation, consulting, contractor, support, etc. opportunities associated, but let’s face it, it’s very hard to make a living out of writing open source software.
Because that’s really the trade off, moving from being a service provider, to being a software provider. I believe Jabber did not get acquired by CISCO because of their service (under the jabber.org domain), but because of their software, talent and responsibility for the standard. On the other hand, the success of Jabber Inc. can be largely attributed to the success of the jabber.org domain.
At this point I’d like to open the conversation, both with end-users and potential contributors alike. Do you think there is space, interest and returns for creating an open source wireless village server to interface to the XMPP federation?
January 28th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Hi Bruno,
The question you have raised is a very valid one. But I would like you please look it from the client prospective as well.
Here in Africa, we have low end handsets and while we would like to offer some kind of chatting capabilities to our customers. Except they cannot afford the Nokia phones which start from $100+. The IM application is missing from the unbranded phones which are popular (because people can afford them). There is so little work done on the Wireless Village outside the Nokia/SE etc domain that you cannot find applications which unbranded phone vendors would build into their phones.
The other side of the coin is the developed world; where many sets have IM capability but because they are sold through operators which customise them with their own applications.
Also you need to consider software like Fring or Nimbuzz which install on lot more devices and offer connectivity to all IM networks.
In my opinion, Nokia has seen the light and their XMPP based Nokia chat is a step in the right direction. The application is more integrated into the contact list (there is room for improvement).
But since Nokia has taken a proprietary route as well by forcing registration to their own server (instead of letting users define their own server as well); it would be some time before it would take off.
So now we are left with the interoperability issue. We have not been able to achieve this on the desktop as yet as well. I mean Yahoo and MSN talk to each other; Google Talk and AIM can be signed into one client (they don’t talk to each other) and ICQ lives in a world of its own (i think it can talk to AIM). This creates a need for something which enables XMPP baseline to connect to other IMs.
But the future of Wireless village is uncertain as Nokia may decide to move away from it all together as they get better integration to address book with Nokia Chat which also have presence capabilities and that could increase adoption.
PS: Thanks for the tip for SRV records for my Google Apps domain.
February 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Ali – great points. Thank you!
You are absolutely right regarding the handsets, and looking at this from a client-side. And this really links back to the interop issue: I don’t believe operators nor handset manufacturers are going to shape the MIM game. It will be service providers coming from the other side of the spectrum who will. Because the service provider side is free of legacy, because to the service provider customer comes first (you have nothing else, no locked up customer base), and because both operators and manufacturers have demonstrated their complete lack of capability to deliver anything sensible, swinging from technology to technology, without really delivering anything.
Sure Fring and Co. have lots to walk, but they are the only ones who can do this change. The likes of Gtalk, Ymsg, AOL/ICQ won’t. You see, IM is a money sink – you don’t make revenue out of it, only “strategic” losses. They have no interest in interop, today. Unless IM is actually the core of your business as a service provider, you don’t want interop. And it’s exactly those MIM-centered service providers in developing countries the ones that will shape this game and reap the rewards.
March 24th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Hey,
I am working on something similar.
I just started coding and would not really want to re-invent the wheel… In other words – I WANT YOUR CODE! And will ofcourse contribute to it if you open-source
Let me know what your position is on this, also contact me if you are interested in a partnership even if you don’t open-source.
Tchau
Adriaan
July 20th, 2009 at 10:57 am
When is this gonna happen? Is it really gonna happen or you’ve changed your mind?
July 28th, 2009 at 8:15 am
I am currently discussing other options. If I finally go the open source way, I’ll most likely release under a GPLv2 license.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Any updates on this? Would be very interested, but at some point we need at least decision if it’s going to happen or not…
February 5th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
I have a trouble when I was logining in msn via my sonyericsson phone ( W705 nor K800). It feeds me back “network error” But I can get it done pretty well with my friend’s Nokia phone
I don’t know what’s going on and can it be fixed ?
July 19th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Hi friend!
Is it really working?
Not able to login using my sony ericsson c510. It returns network error.
The service is not blocked by operator as I can use speago .
Thanks & regards.
Sawant.Uday@gmail.com
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