The technology landscape of wireless web

Abstract

The traditionally separate technologies of the internet and mobile computing have now started to converge, bringing promises for seamless wireless internet access through portable devices. This article represents a comprehensive review of the main technological, architectural, and business issues related to the current state-of-the-art wireless web technologies: Wireless Application Protocol, i-mode, and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). A brief review of relevant application development platforms and authoring tools is also included, covering Microsoft solutions with emphasis on the Microsoft .Net platform for the Mobile Web and the Macromedia Flash Lite. The article also presents a critical analysis of the main assets and weaknesses of these technologies as well as their current status and the trends that affects their market share and customer base in the foreseeable future.