On the Verge of Wireless Data - Industry Trend or Event

Telecommunications, June, 2000 by Sanjiv Parikh

But SMS has an attractive feature that WAP can't match. It runs on any cell phone with a text message capability. If a phone has an LCD window, it is most likely SMS-capable. Plus, almost all major mobile networks support SMS technology. It's cheaper for service providers to deploy because unlike WAP systems SMS doesn't require a network overlay or an expensive gateway. Furthermore, SMS works with HTML based systems, so it doesn't require Web companies to rewrite content in WML.

SMS is the optimum technology for an e-business like QXL.com While SMS may not match the level of interactivity provided by WAP, its bandwith is more than enough for QXL.com to send messages with text descriptions of auction items, as well as the latest bid prices, Since customers can use standard LCD-equipped phones to receive messages, QXL.com can provide services to a far larger installed base.

Delivering value-added services over existing wireless data technologies will ultimately drive demand for more and better wireless services. When the PC arrived in the 1980s, everyone realized it was a major development, but no one was quite sure where it would lead. With the advent of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) such as Windows and the explosion of Internet computing in the mid '90s, it quickly became apparent that the PC was ushering in a new age. Similarly, when today's handhelds adopt colorful GUIs and start connecting to the network with much higher bandwidth, they will open a new era in mobile communication. A device that combines e-mail, fax, voice, Web surfing, e-commerce and real-time, on-line communications such as video conferencing, lets users stay connected while giving them unprecedented mobility.

More people become wireless data ready every day. A recent report from Ovum predicted hat the number of mobile device will "exceed the magic one billion mark by 2003". When the technology matures, and wireless data puts the power of anywhere, anytime, any-type communications into our hands, there will be a quantum leap on the level of any of these developments.

Sanjiv G. Parikh is a senior product manager at Centigram Communications where be concentrates on wireless data technologies and intelligent networking. He earned bis engineering degree at Gujarat University. Abmedabad. India and bas several patents pending in wireless data.