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Re: IP over MIME (was Re: WAP Is A Trap -- Reject WAP)

2000-06-21 11:20:02
I have seen a lot of different people bash WAP over the past two days.
However, I am a firm believer that WAP will become what IP is to us today. 

WAP might evolve into something more useful, but I don't see how it will
replace IP in any sense.  WAP as it currently exists isn't a solution 
to any future problem - it is a solution to the problem of how to 
build a consumer information service over SMS and cell phones with limited
displays.  But cell networks are starting to deploy far better data
delivery services than SMS (more bandwidth, less latency) and I expect
that cell phones will get better display capabilities along with PDA
functionality (and likewise, PDAs will get wireless data capability).
Under these conditions, WAP as we know it today isn't very interesting.

My personal experience with present-day WAP is that it's slower and
more difficult to use than comperable voice-based services.

I expect that WAP will evolve, and continue to be used, because there will 
certainly be some services that fit its market niche.  But it will 
generally be run over IP, because IP will generally be available and
it is more efficient than SMS.  And it will be just one of many IP-based 
services that are accessible from a wireless platform.

Keith