The Wireless Application Protocol: Strategic Implications for Wireless Internet Services

Abstract

Individually, the Internet and mobile telephony have witnessed extraordinary growth during the last decade. However, only recently have these two areas of technological development begun to converge. The result is the availability of wireless data communications on remote devices, enabling an array of applications tailored for consumer mobility. In this new era, one standard has been hailed as the entry platform for creating mobile Internet services – the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Whether WAP will become a key platform is unclear, but it has provided an interesting starting point for the emergence of mobile data services. This paper explores the dynamics of the emerging market for WAP services, examining the role of the consumer, suppliers, substitutes, new entrants and rivalry among the players. The paper concludes by examining some of the key strategies for WAP service provision, making some predictions regarding the future of strategic Internet service delivery.