Understanding Wap : Wireless Applications, Devices, and Services
Marcel G. A. van der Heijden, Marcus E. Taylor · Medical Entomology and Zoology · 2000
From the Book: Over the last five years or so a revolution has taken place, and continues to do so, that is changing the way we communicate and interact with each other and our environment. The advent of the Internet and the ubiquitous presence of mobile personal communications systems are the most prominent examples of this. The Internet has made it possible to exchange information instantly on a worldwide scale and has released unprecedented amounts of information into the public domain. Mobile communications allowed personal communications on an anytime, anywhere basis. While mobile access is possible using standard technology, more is needed to make mobile access truly seamless. The creation of a world standard for mobile Internet access and information access would ensure a rapid growth and a basis for all mobile communications users to interact. The wireless application protocol (WAP) is an attempt to do just that, and judging by the industry support at the time of this writing, a successful one. The impact of WAP on all parties in the value chain of services delivery and information exchange is hard to underestimate. WAP will be an additional channel for some to offer their services, a new enabler for others who can now offer services that could not be offered before. It will be a treat for some and an opportunity to others, depending on the approach taken. Most of all, it will release an enormous potential of services and applications for the end users. In many ways WAP will probably change the world as the Internet and mobile communications have done before. Understanding WAP: Wireless Applications, Devices, and Services is a comprehensive description of many aspects ofWAP. It will explain some technicalities of WAP and the system elements involved for a full understanding of the potential of WAP, though it is not specifically geared towards engineers only. It will also describe the impact of WAP on wireless operators and service providers. This book is aimed at engineers and technical managers as an introduction to WAP and at business managers as a way to gain an understanding of the technical background of WAP. Finally, the editors wish to express their gratitude to all who have contributed to the creation of this book and who have made working on this book an interesting experience. Marcel van der Heijden and Marcus Taylor Editors