WAP (that stands for Wireless Application Protocol) is an application environment and set of communication protocols to have access to mobile technologies, that helps to build a bridge between mobile or wireless applications. WAP has removed the gap between rich applications and the mobile devices as it is a kind of bridge between them. It has the ability to deliver a wide range of value added services to mobile users – either home or corporate ones.

WAP is backed by the WAP Forum, founded in 1997 by Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Unwired Planet. Forum members now represent over 90% of the global handset market, as well as leading infrastructure providers, software developers and other organizations.

WAP has removed the gap between rich applications and the mobile devices as it is a kind of bridge between them
Internet standards such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML), HTTP, TLS and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) are inefficient over mobile networks, requiring large amounts of mainly text-based data to be sent. Standard HTML content cannot be effectively displayed on the small-size screens of pocket-sized mobile phones and pagers. WAP is designed to work with most wireless networks such as CDPD, CDMA, GSM, PDC, PHS, TDMA, FLEX, ReFLEX, iDEN, TETRA, DECT, DataTAC, Mobitex. WAP utilizes binary transmission for greater compression of data and is optimized for long latency and low bandwidth. WAP sessions cope with intermittent coverage and can operate over a wide variety of wireless transports. The lightweight WAP protocol stack is designed to minimize the required bandwidth and maximize the number of wireless network types that can deliver WAP content.
From development point of view, WAP based applications can be built on any operating system including PalmOS, EPOC, Windows CE, FLEXOS, OS/9, JavaOS, etc. It provides service interoperability even between different device families.

How does Bluetooth relate to WAP?

Bluetooth is a local area low power radio link between devices. Many of the usage scenarios for Bluetooth will also involve one of the devices communicating over the air using WAP. While many Bluetooth members are also WAP members, and it is expected that many future handheld wireless devices will deploy both Bluetooth and WAP technology, the two technologies fundamentally address different problems.

WAP’s Competitors

Yes, WAP has competitors too. That’s because WAP has indirectly attacked interests of some other technologies that are working on the same thing. WAP is in major competition with:
• Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) toolkit—The use of SIMs or smart cards in wireless devices is already widespread and used in some of the service sectors.
• Windows CE—This is a multitasking, multithreaded operating system from Microsoft designed for including or embedding mobile and other space-constrained devices.
• JavaPhone™—Sun Microsystems is developing PersonalJava™ and a JavaPhone™ API, which is embedded in a Java™ virtual machine on the handset. NEPs will be able to build cellular phones that can download extra features and functions over the Internet; thus, customers will no longer be required to buy a new phone to take advantage of improved features.

Advantages of WAP

• Open standard, vendor independent
• Network-standard independent
• Transport mechanism–optimised for wireless data bearers
• Application downloaded from the server, enabling fast service creation and introduction, as opposed to embedded software

The writer is an IT graduate and currently doing Masters from University of East London, England.
He can be reached at habib@itinsight.info.