What in the wireless world is WAP?

It's nearly the oldest promise in the history of cellular phones - the ability to access data over a wireless connection.

For nearly 10 years the promise has been greeted by snickers and outright laughter, but now it finally appears to be garnering some credibility.

Credit the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), an open protocol that allows for the efficient transmission of Web-based data and applications over a wireless connection.

WAP is slim and hip; Internet standards are fat and slow.

WAP is not a replacement for Internet standards. It is actually based on many of the standards currently running on the Web. It's just that WAP handles them in a more efficient way.

Internet standards such as HTTP and TCP are not designed for long latencies, intermittent coverage and the limited bandwidth of wireless networks. HTTP sends commands in bulky text format, and security standards require heavy client/ server communication that makes them nerve-wracking and nearly useless over wireless links.

WAP's got the goods

WAP has the answers, according to nearly all major carriers, handset vendors and software developers in the wireless market.

WAP uses binary transmission for greater compression of data, and is optimized for long latency and low bandwidth. It uses Wireless Markup Language, a derivative of XML, for WAP content, which makes optimum use of small screens, including support for two-line text displays or full graphic screens.

By 2001, every wireless phone will be WAP-enabled, according to market research firm International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass. With that kind of ubiquity, much like the browser has enjoyed on the Web, users will be able to run applications on their cell phones that could provide great efficiencies.

IT professionals could check the health of their servers while stuck in traffic on the morning commute. Sales personnel could check on a customer's latest orders minutes before stepping into their offices.

Another plus for WAP is that it works over a variety of wireless transport mechanisms and can work in conjunction with Bluetooth, another up-and-coming wireless specification.

Unlimited potential?

The protocol appears to have unlimited potential, with the WAP Forum already working on end-to-end security, smart card interfaces, connection-oriented transport protocols, persistent storage, billing interfaces and push technology.

With the client side enjoying unprecedented popularity, the back end is beginning to be filled in. Nokia this week will release one of the first WAP servers, which will be able to satisfy appetites for WAP-enabled applications (see related story.

So it looks like it's good-bye snickers, hello reality.