WAP from the content provider's point of view

WAP introduces both new challenges and new possibilities for the content providers. The first challenge is learning the new technology. Adapting should however be quite easy since WML (wireless markup language), the markup language used, is a subset of HTML, which is used in internet applications. Content providers used to writing content for the internet should be aware of the fact that the mobile phone is much different from a desktop computer. For example, the input possibilities of a mobile phone are much more restricted than on a computer. The small display also imposes restrictions on the content presentation. The low bandwidth in turn restricts the use of for example graphics.

User requirements for mobile applications are not the same as for "office applications", i.e. applications used in a non-mobile environment. When using a mobile application the user often has a small and very specific task that he wants to accomplish in as short a time as possible.

The major advantage of WAP lies in the huge new market that it opens. The technology makes it possible to develop a multitude of new services. To be able to take advantage of this new media the content providers need to be innovative.

The services could be anything from train timetables to banking services. Compared to the mobile phones of today WAP offers many new features. One of the new features to take advantage of is the possibility to "push", i.e. send, information to the user. The protocol also makes it possible to tailor the menus in the mobile phones which gives the content providers and application designers further flexibility.

The new market is enormous. There are already over 200 million subscribers and the number is increasing. All these are potential users of WAP. The main task for the content providers will be to take advantage of WAP by developing meaningful ways of using the new capabilities. In short, content providers need to be able to develop applications that provide information that the user is willing to pay for. The ease-of-use of the applications need to be such that the user is willing to use them.