Provision of services via the Wireless Application Protocol: A strategic perspective

Throughout the 1990s, the technological development and market penetration of mobile phones and other mobile handsets, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), was very strong. Recently, the convergence of wireless and the Internet has occurred - bringing 'the Internet in your pocket' for which the potential applications are many and various, including shopping, banking, news feeds and e-mail. Under the present technological constraints of low bandwidths and high latency in wireless networks, as well as the low power and small screens of handheld devices, a key standard has emerged for Internet service provision - the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). WAP provides the means for bringing the Internet and a range of services to the wireless consumer. As such, WAP has created a whole new set of dynamics in the wireless industry driven by this new era of value-added service provision. This paper explores the strategic implications of WAP service provision, drawing on a number of analytical frameworks. The purpose of the paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the forces impacting on the ability of WAP to succeed in Internet service provision. It concludes with a discussion of the future of WAP services and recommendations for practitioners.