WIRELESS ECOMMERCE APPLICATIONS

Wireless Ecommerce applications

Wireless Ecommerce applications

Introduction

Wireless e-commerce applications are still in its infancy but developers are working overtime to make their offerings suitable for the tiny screens on phones and PDAs. Many of them are also promising to tailor the information to your physical location when you're connecting to the Web from your portable device. And the surge expected in the adoption of wireless devices and the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)--a protocol for reformatting Web pages to fit tiny screens--suggests that wireless e-commerce is here to stay.

Main body

Wireless services are likely to be more popular for portable phones than for palm-size organizers, according to Jupiter Communications. According to its projections, the number of users of browser-enabled mobile phones will soar from 1.1 million this year to 79.4 million in 2003, whereas Internet-capable PDA users will only increase from 5.2 million to 12 million in the same period of time.

Portal companies are among the most eager to enter the wireless e-commerce market. Excite@Home recently teamed with AirFlash, a mobile portal company, to bring personalized content that's specific to your location directly to your mobile phone. After registering your personal details and interests at the Excite Web site, you'll receive wireless content specifically tailored for your particular device and location. You'll be able to get lists of ATMs, copy centers, gas stations, hotels, restaurants, and shopping information.

AirFlash says the information will be customized in terms of accessibility as well as location. "We've created a search technique that provides the same cognitive process that you would go through in balancing convenience and distance," says Glenn Gottlieb, a vice president at AirFlash. For example, the nearest movie theater may be only a few hundred yards away, but it might require crossing a bridge or going through heavy traffic. The ...