Mobile operators plan easier user interfaces

A group of mobile operators, including Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Japan's NTT DoCoMo, have agreed to develop systems to offer a more consistent and improved user experience for different mobile devices.

The group will define requirements for an open mobile terminal platform (OMTP) to deliver standardised application interfaces.

This will offer customers a more consistent user experience across different devices and allow operators and manufacturers to customise and differentiate their offerings.

The OMTP group will use existing standards wherever possible, and will further encourage the development of standards through its requirements.

The group said the OMTP would be a technology-neutral organisation, with membership or participation available to organisations that want to adopt OMTP requirements, to assist the process of achieving the OMTP group's goals or simply to follow the latest efforts and results of the group.