One of the first requirement for mobile portals is to provide customized and optimized content which will enable a consistent customer experience throughout the mobile channel. Mobile portals should convert the content to the desired format on the fly before the content hits the consumer device.
In order to do this conversion, portal (or conversion enabling tool underneath it) needs to “know” the device. The device information should be listed in a central repository where it can easily be searched and extracted. Another important point is to have this information stored up-to-date at all times.
Most mobile device management software provide this kind of central repository. Some mobile portal products are also packed with this kind of information. If you are using a commercial and supported product, you can rely on the vendor to maintain this information. (It could be a nightmare to maintain this information by yourself.)
There is a nice, open-source initiative named Wurfl if you haven’t heard about it yet. You can reach it at here.
From this platform, you can download the latest mobile device repository in XML format and use it in your applications.
It also has a web interface where you can search a specific device.
After locating the device you are looking for, you can reach information categories such as:
- Product Information
- Display Information
- Markup Language/CSS/Ajax Support
- Ajax Support
- Playback/Streaming Protocol Support
- Chips (NFC, GPS etc.)
Having and maintaining an up-to-date device information repository is a must for todays’ mobile telecommunication operator. Delivering a consistent customer experience in the mobile channel, effective support processes, effective device campaigns all require you to have this kind of repository.