How To WAP-enable Your Content

How To WAP-enable Your Content

Making your web site mobile is no rocket science.

Author: Rajeev Batra is technical architect at eCapital Solutions (India) P. Ltd.

With the buzzwords like XML, WML, WAP, GPRS, UMTS etc. floating around in the wireless Internet domain it may seem quite a daunting task to even conceive an idea of mobile enabling a website. It may also be presumed that it may not be possible to provide the content of a website or services on mobile device without getting into an alliance with the local mobile service provider. Well, these fears may be true in some respect. But there is technology to work your way around. It is also possible to enable website and services for mobile devices without considerable investment.




Let us dwell on various permutation and combinations available that may be employed to:








1. Mobile enable a website
2. Mobile enable the services like e-mail, corporate calendaring, news updates, stock updates, weather updates, and like information services.
3. Provide customized application services like mobile banking, location dependant service (based on GIS database), credit card-related services, tickets query and booking for various functions, catalogue based shopping, and many more like these.

Whereas just providing content is quite easy task and requires low investment, for information services and mobile applications (generic or personalized) it may require substantial investment in purchasing products, services, and consultancy from expert software developers and systems integrator in the WAP arena.

Salient points to be considered

A person accessing WML content and WAP services has very little time to do so and the cost involved is high (hopefully this scenario may change in the future)

Bandwidth is definitely not helping
, hence access speed will be slow. This scenario requires proper grooming of data for quick display.

Content should be minimal but good and compulsive enough to force a visitor to return.

Ideal proposition for a website

A website built in XML would be intelligent for both PC based browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer as well as a minibrowser on a WAP phone. However, to provide this level of intelligence to a website, again expert help would have to be sought so that it could be ascertained whether the incoming request has be served the HTML output or the WML output. There is a concept of style sheets also involved here which formats the data for a particular WAP phone screen since no two phones have similar screens and if the data is not formatted properly it would make sense on one phone but not on the other.

What WAP phone users need to do?

The mobile phone user needs to data enable the existing SIM card to be able to access WML content and WAP services.

The phone needs to be configured for various WAP gateways/servers for different services.

Architecture for different set-up required:

Only the WML content is made available on the website and mobile phones will access a website through the telecom service provider who has its infrastructure i.e. WAP gateway, secured Internet connectivity, and RAS dial-in numbers in place. In this case, as soon as the user connects to the WAP services and types in the URL the request is directed to the site which has the WML content in place to be displayed on the screen.

This is the most basic level of set-up and does not require any investment at infrastructure level by the content provider.

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Content and service provider maintains certain infrastructure i.e. a hunt phone number that is unique to its services or content where its members (the general public) can dial and access the services/content. Applications need to be built to enable services to be accessed by mobile phones for which there are products and services available.

These applications are now readily available off the shelf bundled in products like eVector (of eCapital) which also provide capability to add new applications in a very low turnaround time, which is the essence of Internet, and telecom converged world. Plus they can give an interface to the user to personalize the services being accessed by them.

However, in this case too, the telecom service provider needs to have the WAP gateway and secured link to Internet to allow content to be accessed by the mobile phone.

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3.   A way that is independent of mobile service provider i.e. entire infrastructure is maintained by the content and value added service provider, including WAP server, Remote Access Server (RAS), and incoming telephone lines. This set-up would be affordable only by the big players or those with substantial funds.

The call from the WAP service user directly land on the service provider RAS and a screen is displayed to him at the home URL giving the various service options that is available.

In this case the service provider also needs to invest in products that can mobile enable the various applications and content without much technical expertise at service provider end. These types of products will also enable the service provider to make both HTML websites and legacy systems accessible to WAP user without going into the hassles of converting the old data in another format.

This can be the model for big corporates, ASPs, and ISPs.

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The above cases will amply give an idea of the model that can be adapted for the content and value added services to be provided to the mobile customers.

With the advent of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) round the corner, serious thought needs to be given to the concept of bringing Internet and value added services to the hands of an individual or be left behind in the race. Since, very soon, the capabilities available on fixed lines will also be available in the wireless domain and people will look into the mobile devices probably more often than holding it to their ears.