HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF WAP SERVICES:
The Wireless Application Protocol is a global standard for bringing Internet content and services to mobile phones and other wireless devices. The WAP standards suite is maintained by an industry consortium called the “WAP Forum”[5]. Founded by Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Openwave (then known as Unwired Planet) in June 1997, the WAP Forum now includes hundreds of member companies that are infrastructure providers, software companies, and content providers. The goal of the WAP Forum is to address the problems of wireless Internet access, ensuring that access is not limited by vendor or underlying network technology.[4].
WAP can solve the following problems that are faced in wireless Technologies. : [4]
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Protocol Mismatch: Unlike the Internet, mobile networks (such as GSM and TDMA) are not inherently IP-based; they do not support the protocol of the Internet.
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Device Limitations: Mobile devices (cellular phones, pagers, and palmtops) are not ideal Web clients.
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Usability: Usability is an issue, particularly with the limited size of mobile phones and pagers.
In the recent years WAP has developed its standards tremendously to suit its performance to compete with the upcoming trends and needs of the world.
NEED FOR MOBILITY IN DATA AND COMMUNICATIONS:
With advances in wireless networking and application technologies, Organizations are increasingly challenged to deliver critical business applications and real time data for the workers in the fields. Remote access to business critical data and applications is quickly becoming the standard, and business are rising to meet the challenges of enabling their mobile work force. While remote access capability brings with it new opportunities for business, such technologies also present significant management challenges for enterprise IT departments.[6]
Organizations are facing the growing challenges of mobilizing the business applications and data to their remote workforce. Moving critical data between remote devices and corporate networks is quickly becoming the rule rather than the exception as business begins to take advantage of advances in networking and application technologies. Enabling remote access to business applications presents new opportunities for business growth, as well as new challenges for IT managers as they struggle to implement and maintain new mobilization technologies. [6]
DIFFERENCES IN FUNCTIONALITIES BETWEEN WAP & I-MODE :
The main reason for taking this study is to show that both platforms has same basic functionalities but has some major differences that makes WWW more convenient they are :[7]
1) The first important difference is the programming language used. WAP uses the markup language WML (Wireless Markup Language) while i-mode uses CHTML (Compact HTML). Compact HTML has an advantage over WML in that a large majority of WML developers come from the "Web" world where they are used to HTML. However, the future of Internet content serving is XML, and from XML the step to WML is hardly noticeable. It's much more noticeable with Compact HTML or HTML.
E-mail will become as instant as Short Message Service (SMS), and as phone technology advances, we will be able to send, receive and store large files on our wireless devices. This difference also pressures the billing rates imposed, that is while Imode billing consists of how much you are as i-mode is based on a packet-data (9600bps) transmission system, subscribers will be charged according to the volume of data transmitted, not the time spent on line. With the 'always on' connection, this method is necessary as the time spent is unlimited.
2) The second important difference between WAP and i-mode is that i-mode is an always-on connection. This means that you do not have to 'dial up' to access a site and email is instantly sent to your phone. This uses GPRS technology and will be made available to us some time next year.
3) Thirdly, I-mode can support a high amount of graphic on smaller displays while WAP, supporting hardly a small bmp standard (WBMP) is nowhere I-mode comparison. The proof of this is latest tie-up between NTT DoComo and SEGA to provide online gaming to wireless users. This is because I-mode uses packet based data network as compared to WAP’s circuit switched network.
4) An important point in WAP’s favor is the fact that it is an open standard while I-mode is still thought to be a proprietary Japanese standard
3) PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES :
The main aim of this project is to find the functionalities that are missing in an mobile web application when compared with an WWW application and bring out with an course work that can be implemented in WAP enabled mobile phones with more enhanced features that can make an mobile platform compete with WWW.
The objectives of the project can be summarized as follows :
- To study in depth about the facilities that are available in WAP that can be implemented for the improvements of the project.
- To find the existing facilities that are available in the WAP applications.
- To decide a solution to enhance the found functionalities and make it easy for navigation.
- To implement the found enhancements to the mobile platform.
- To test the interface using different devices for its functionality and performance.
- Final valuation and presentation report.
4) INTELECTUAL CHALLENGE :
The main challenge for this proposal is to find the differences between the existing facilities available in the WAP applications and the web applications. Then to design a template to implement the ideas decided to be implemented and to indulge in the software engineering tasks and to proceed with testing the application tremendously and evaluating the total process and providing the report. There are some key challenges that are considered to be the context where to concentrate first and they are :
- The existing mobile devices have very small screen size. So, bringing web applications to such a small screen size is a big task. More over the application should be developed in such a way that it is equally competing WWW.
- The developed application must be having very good accessibility and very easy for navigation. With in few clicks the task should be accomplished.
- The application must be very user friendly so that it makes the usage very easy.
- The big task is that the application must be capable of adapting any type of mobile phones. Since there are minimal number of keys and its operations.
- The developed application must be faster in performance so that the navigation will be faster.
5) RESEARCH PROGRAMME :
5.1) METHADOLOGY :
The methodology that is going to be followed in developing this Application is summarized as follows. :
- Discussing with IT professionals about the various Functionalities of WAP and the enhancements in the services needed.
- Discussing about the feasibility of the project with various experts opinion and proceed with the implementation.
- Developing a Design that will be more compatible for future application developments.
- Developing interface using Microsoft .NET package (With License).
5.2) SCHEDULE :
The schedule for the entire work is worked out. The project starts from 25th May 2006 and ends by 20th September 2006. The detailed schedule for the project is presented as :
Contingency Periods :
- This may happen when refusal of appointments of the officials for the Discussion.
- May be needed if the application requires more testing and Reengineering.
- Occurrence may be rare but depending upon the Unpredictable Health Conditions and typical situations.
SCHEDULE BAR CHART :
6) DELIVERABLES :
At the final stage of this research project the following deliverables will be the final outcome :
- In depth Study of all functionalities of different types of wireless devices and its controls.
- Lump some research work done in and out of WAP ,its services, its usage, ability and much more in depth details on its developments.
- Differences in the functionalities of WAP & WWW applications. And the need for the enhancements.
- Final template of the application that can be implemented in the different mobile phones.
- Suggestions for the industry to develop & enhance the existing functionalities of their Mobile services.
- Dissertation and Final project Documentation.
7) RESOURCES :
- Access to the university library, Online Resources from EBrary, Journals, Whitepapers.
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To get Latest resources and information’s on WAP services, usages and functionalities access to .
- Access to different business areas to find the need of the WAP services and data’s on existing facilities and its pitfalls.
- License to Run Microsoft .NET into the system for the development of the application.
- Outside people is required for testing the developed application rigorously. And to find the disabilities in the project that can lead to Reengineering of the design.
- Different types of wireless devices to test the application depending upon the memory facilities, Keys, Controls and other facilities.
- A constant connectivity to the internet to get information updates then and there.
REFERENCES :
[1] Bringing Web Services to the Wireless Web
By, Robert Hartford
Advisor: Dr. Hala ElAarag
Available From :
[2] The Future of Mobile Device Research in HCI
Jacob O. Wobbrock
Human-Computer Interaction Institute
School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
[email protected]
Available From :
[3] WAP: Now And Into The Future!
by Christoffer Andersson
Wireless Developer Network
Available From :
[4] A Brief History of WAP
Article By, Chris Bennett
Available From :
[5] WAP Forum
[6] Enabling theMobile Workforce : Issues and Trends (February 2006)
Article By, Tech Republic Inc. www.techrepublic.com
Available From :
[7] Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and I-mode: An insight
Guided by: Prof.Kevin Ryan, Date: 04/07/2001
Submitted by: Amit Lakhani
SID # 157-06-6960
Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ.
Available From :