26-12-2009, 01:03 PM
WAP: An Introduction
The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a new advanced intelligent
messaging service for digital mobile phones and other mobile terminals that will allow
you to see Internet content in special text format on special WAP-enabled mobile phones.
Enabling information access from handheld devices requires a deep understanding of
both technical and market issues that are unique to the wireless environment. The WAP
specification was developed by the industryâ„¢s best minds to address these issues.
Wireless devices represent the ultimate constrained computing device with limited CPU,
memory and battery life and a simple user interface. Wireless networks are constrained
by low bandwidth, high latency and unpredictable availability and stability. The WAP
specification addresses these issues by using the best of existing standards and
developing new extensions when needed. The WAP solution leverages the tremendous
investment in web servers, web development tools, web programmers and web
applications while solving the unique problems associated with the wireless domain. The
specification ensures that this solution is fast, reliable and secure. The WAP specification
is developed and supported by the wireless telecommunication community so that the
entire industry and its subscribers can benefit from a single, open specification.
The WAP forum
The WAP specification was developed by the WAP forum, a consortium
founded by the telecommunication giants Nokia, Ericsson, Phone.com and Motorola. The
WAP forumâ„¢s membership roster now includes computer industry heavyweights such as
Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Intel along with several hundred other companies. The WAP
forum is an industry group dedicated to the goal of enabling sophisticated telephony and
information services on handheld wireless devices. The WAP forum has drafted a global
wireless protocol specification for all wireless networks and is contributing it to various
industry groups and standard bodies. This WAP specification by the WAP forum enables
manufacturers, network operators, content providers and application developers to offer
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compatible products and secure services on all devices and networks, resulting in greater
economies of scale and universal access to information.
Goals of the WAP forum
The goals of the WAP forum are listed as follows.
¢ To bring Internet content and advanced data services to wireless phones and other
wireless terminals.
¢ To develop a global wireless protocol specification that works across all wireless
network technologies.
¢ To enable the creation of content and applications that scale across a wide range
of wireless bearer networks and device types, i.e. to maintain device and bearer
independence
¢ To embrace and extend existing standards and technology whenever possible and
appropriate.
Why WAP is necessary
Ensure interoperability
Service providers must feel secure that their investments will yield benefits
in the future. They will not be able to do so until equipment and software offered by
different suppliers can be made to work together. The WAPspecification has been
designed to encourage easy, open interoperability between its key components. Any
solution component built to be compliant with the WAP specification can interoperate
with any other WAP-compliant component. Service providers can choose equipment and
software from multiple WAP-compliant vendors, selecting each piece of the solution that
is appropriate for the service providerâ„¢s particular needs.
full report pdf:
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