I saw a flyer in the window of a telephone sales outlet for a Nokia phone that appeared to have television-type graphics on its screen. Although the salesman said the phone in question should be out by next month or November, and that it would allow users to browse the Web complete with graphics, he wasn't able to give me any more information about the product or how it would work.
Have you any idea about developments in this regard? VINCENT TAN Hunghom You must have seen one of the many publicity brochures pushing the new Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) that Nokia plans to use in some of its new handsets. One Nokia phone in particular - the 7110 - has been specifically designed with WAP in mind and is indeed expected to be available in Hong Kong within the next two months.
What services will be available through it is, however, another matter.
WAP is the de facto global standard for providing Internet communications and advanced telephony services on digital mobile phones, pagers, personal digital assistants and other wireless devices. It is being championed by the WAP Forum, an industry association that has developed the standard and has convinced handset-makers representing about 95 per cent of the world market across all technologies to commit to shipping WAP-enabled devices in the near future. Carriers representing more than 100 million subscribers worldwide have also joined WAP and predictions are that 'tens of millions of WAP-browser-enabled products will be in consumer hands by the end of 2000'.
WAP technology is a giant leap forward from the short messaging service technology currently in use by mobile service providers to provide limited e-mail and information delivery to handsets. The idea is that with WAP, whole Web sites and add-on services will be available on hand-held devices, allowing users to browse the Web and do full e-mail (as against short messaging). Financial transactions, and news, sports and weather information can be provided to cellular phones with WAP. Driving directions, traffic reports and travel schedules are also on the list.
It is envisaged that by early next year some service providers will allow users of WAP-enabled handsets to book movies and air tickets, and even access corporate intranets. Already news giant CNN has a built-for-WAP news service called CNN Mobile.
