Conferencing via mobile phones

       The Centre for Network Research of Songkhla University is expected to complete the development of the open-standard application for enabling mobile phone-based conferencing in November.
       The project is funded by the Telecommunications Research and Industrial Development Istitute (Tridi) of the National Telecommunications Commission.
       Assoc Professor Sinchai Kamolphiwong, director of the CNR, said yesterday that Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Move are interested in trying out the application, which was designed to run on the next generation network (NGN).
       NGN supports combined voice, data and media service simultaneously and effectively.
       Tridi had invited AIS, True Move, TOT and CAT Telecom to discuss with the CNR lab which kinds of specific NGN applications the telecom operators want the lab to focus its research and development (R&D) on.
       The move will let the lab develop applications that fit well with telecom industry demand.
       Tridi director Supot Tiarawut said that if the application proves successful and could be marketed commercially, it would benefit the country by promoting the use of locally-made telecom equipment.
       That would help the country reduce imports of expensive telecom equipment and save on foreign exchange.
       The move is in line with the Tridi's key role of collaborating with the public and private sectors in promoting telecom R&D through its funding.
       The NTC set up the Tridi in 2000 to foster local telecom R&D and telecom humanresource development, with a focus on the next-generation network, broadband, optical communications and Voice over Internet Protocol service industries.
       This year, Tridi granted Bt40 million to nine labs of leading educational institutions to further telecom R&D.
       Of the total grants, CNR received Bt4.6 million. The university set up CNR in 2002. The centre currently has around 70 researchers.