BROWSING: WAP

BELLSOUTH TO TEST WAP SERVICES IN GSM MARKETS

NEW ORLEANS-BellSouth Cellular Corp. announced it will begin a Wireless Application Protocol trial with customers in some of its Global System for Mobile communications markets next month in a partnership with Saraide.com and InfoSpace.com.Several hundred BellSouth customers in Raleigh, N.C., and Greenville, S.C., will...

WIRELESS DATA IS REBORN

In 1989, I started my career in wireless as an outside sales rep for Metro Mobile (which would later become part of Bell Atlantic Corp.) in my hometown of Columbia, S.C. Those were the heady days of thousand-dollar telephones, $3 per-day roaming fees, 3-watt...

DEVELOPER INTRODUCES SERVICE PLATFORM FOR WAP USERS

Joining several other third-party developers creating applications for the Wireless Application Protocol, CMG Telecommunications introduced its WAP Service Broker, a platform designed to connect wireless phone users to WAP-based content.The WSB is a platform that carriers can place in their networks to complement WAP...

WEB2PCS.COM OFFERS WAP SEARCH ENGINE

TORONTO, Canada-Web2PCS.com introduced a wireless Internet service called the WAP Search Engine.The company said it allows those using Wireless Application Protocol technology on wireless devices to conduct keyword searches on the Internet form their WAP-enabled mobile device.Searches using the Web2PCS.com engine provides subscribers with...

ESAT DIGIFONE OFFERS MOBILE-TO-INTERNET CONNECTION

DUBLIN, Ireland-Esat Digifone, an Irish Global System for Mobile communications carrier, announced the first service in Ireland that allows customers to access Internet information via mobile phones.The service, called dot digifone-on-line, is based on Wireless Application Protocol technology.Users can access news, airline information, stock...

TDMA CARRIERS FACE DAUNTING DATA DECISIONS

U.S. TDMA operators must make some critical decisions about competing in the wireless data market during the next year as they witness their CDMA counterparts begin to launch circuit-switched data services in large scale.Time Division Multiple Access operators-which in the late 1980s banked on...

WAP MAKES HEADWAY INTO EUROPE

The Wireless Application Protocol made strides in Sweden, Germany and Finland last week, adding to its gaining momentum in Europe.In Germany, Nokia Corp. and Deutsche Bank have agreed to develop new mobile banking services based on the WAP that will allow users to conduct...

PRODUCTS

HandsetsNokiaNokia announced a new NMT 450 analog handset, to be available in the third quarter, that features true 3-volt technology and the Nokia NaviKey concept. The Nokia 640 weighs 195 grams and has a standby time of up to 80 hours and talk time...

NOKIA FORMS INTERNET UNIT, TRIALS NEW WAP VERSION

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. said it will combine three units and establish Nokia Internet Communications to serve enterprises and Internet service providers, effective Oct. 1.Nokia Internet Communications will consist of Nokia Wireless Business Communications, Nokia Wireless Software Solutions and Nokia IP Application and Connectivity Platforms."Nokia...

MOTOROLA INTRODUCES FIRST WAP HANDSET

Phone.com Inc.'s Unwired Universe conference attracted about 1,100 attendees from 29 countries, twice the number expected by conference planners.The conference was designed to act as a meeting point for vendors, carriers and application developers interested in Wireless Application Protocol technology. Several WAP-related announcements were...

SPYGLASS GETS MOBILE ENTERPRISE CONNECTION

Riverbed Technologies Inc. and Spyglass Inc. said they have entered a worldwide licensing agreement under which Riverbed will incorporate Spyglass' Prism technology with its ScoutWare mobile enterprise software.The agreement provides a much-needed entrance into the growing mobile enterprise market for Spyglass."The most significant aspect...

DIVERSINET JOINS WAP FORUM

TORONTO-Diversinet Corp. has joined the Wireless Application Protocol Forum, a move expected to bring added encryption security standards to the wireless data transmission technology.Diversinet said it plans to work closely with the WAP Forum's Security Group to develop open security standards based on public...

PHONE.COM IPO BUYS FIRM STAYING POWER

Since opening its initial public offering at $16 on July 9, Phone.com Inc.'s stock price recently has been closing in the $70 range, with sales during the day breaking $80.Whether this success will stand the test of time remains to be seen, but for...

NOKIA, SPYGLASS ENTER DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

NAPERVILLE, Ill.-Nokia Wireless Software Solutions and Spyglass Inc. said they have entered into a distribution agreement that empowers Spyglass to license the Nokia Wireless Application Protocol browser to manufacturers of mobile phones, personal digital assistants and other devices that rely on wireless communications.Spyglass also...

SARAIDE.COM, APION TO TRIAL WAP GATEWAY

SAN FRANCISCO-Saraide.com and APiON Ltd. have partnered to conduct Wireless Application Protocol Gateway trials, scheduled to begin this summer.According to the company, the trials will allow Saraide.com to integrate the APiON WAP Gateway into its global infrastructure and thereby make its Internet-based wireless data...

NOKIA INTRODUCES WAP BROWSER

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp.'s Wireless Software Solutions division introduced the Nokia WAP Browser, a Wireless Application Protocol microbrowser designed for wireless handsets and personal digital assistants.The browser is featured in Nokia's previously released 7110 phone, but now is available to others wishing to integrate WAP...

WAP RELEASES VERSION 1.1

SAN FRANCISCO-The Wireless Application Protocol Forum has released the latest version of its mobile Internet standard-WAP version 1.1-at its members meeting.Enhancements to the new version include: local and international support to create one worldwide standard for mobile Internet communications; static conformance needed for interoperability...

MOBILE E-COMMERCE TAKES A STEP IN THE DARK

OXFORD, United Kingdom-While the drive to implement Internet e-commerce is being hyped almost on a daily basis, with some justification, as the way forward for almost all future business transactions, the possible success of this application within the mobile world remains less than clear.Many...

LATE NEWS

Scandinavian Softline to license WAPHELSINKI, Finland-Scandinavian Softline Technology has agreed to license Nokia Corp.'s Wireless Application Protocol technology to deliver value-added data solutions for wireless carriers.SST has developed several products for the short messaging service and smart messaging markets, and said it intends to...

MICROSOFT JOINS WAP

MONTEREY, Calif.-Ending months of speculation and veiled tension, Microsoft Corp. last week officially announced it joined the Wireless Application Protocol Forum, a move many see as effectively ending a microbrowser war in the making.The announcement spurred a collective sigh of relief among industry players...

U S WEST WIRELESS TO ROLL OUT IN TERNET ACCESS

Leveraging its parent company's strength as a landline and Internet service provider, U S West Wireless said it expects to roll out commercial mobile text-based Internet access during the fourth quarter."Our service will be different than what our wireless competitors are deploying," said Jamey...

FIRST WAP OFFERINGS ROLL OUT IN FRANCE

GENEVA-As any one of the tens of thousands of visitors who thronged the halls of February's GSM World Congress knows, the latest word in GSM services is Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). If the sheer quantity of recent WAP-related announcements is anything to go by,...

COMPETITION HEATED FOR GERMANY’S TOP TWO OPERATORS

GENEVA-The ferocious competition that has characterized the DM70 billion (US$40 billion) German telecommunications market since the introduction of full telecom competition a year-and-a-half ago shows no signs of abating, with the country's four cellular operators all promising more price cuts and the introduction of...

WAP IS THE RIGHT SOLUTION, RIGHT NOW

Recently I have read a few opinions casting doubt on the value of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) in today's converging wireless and Internet industries. I consider these opinions to be under-informed because the authors of these criticisms missed the basic goal and motivations...