OMA is a membership organization that develops and promotes standards. Its focus is mobile data services used over devices like telephones, handheld computers or PDAs. The members consist of representatives from all sectors of the industry, including content, service and technology providers. This broad representation assures specifications that will operate seamlessly between networks and devices to provide consistent services for the consumer.

The organization works closely with other standard-setting organizations so that services on mobile devices will interoperate with and provide similar user interfaces to the stationary services that people use in other enviroments. Providing browser clients on cell phones, for example, requires the same kinds of authentication, authorization and other security measures over an open network, that are required when the browser sits on a wire-connected PC.