Originally posted by Peter Rooke:
Does anyone know if it is possible to have a server send data to a mobile device?
Which carrier and which device are you asking about? The answer may vary.
Most (all?) wireless carriers use dynamic IP addresses for mobile devices so it's impossible to directly initiate a socket connection.
You may have heard about dynamic DNS services that could, in theory, map a domain name to the dynamic IP address of your phone. However, these services rely on a 24/7 client running on your phone that would report IP address changes to a domain name server. This solution won't help you. If you are going to run a 24/7 client on the device then you might as well make that device keep an open channel directly to your server rather than mess with all the dynamic DNS stuff.
What you might be able to do is use a text message to the device is a wake-up call. When the phone receives the special SMS then it runs an application to retrieve the payload from your server.
Depending on the phone/carrier, you may be able to automate the entire process. The phone would listen for specially coded messages, launch your MIDlet, and so on. Alternatively, you can just send a message intended for the owner. Something like, "Hey, run the FooBar program now!"
William Frantz
http://sprintdevelopers.com [ January 06, 2006: Message edited by: William Frantz ]