What is WAP? 

The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a new advanced intelligent messaging service for digital mobile phones and other mobile terminals that will allow you to see Internet content in special text format on special WAP-enabled GSM mobile phones. 

WAP Web sites that support colour are still few, although several applications, such as mapping services, are expected to make use of the colour option [See Hitachi C309H CDMA Colour WAP phone]

MORE...
  WAP Developers Forum
  SIM Application Toolkit (SAT) Forum
  eSign
  Mobile Commerce
  OnLine WAP Browser!
  Download WAP Software
  WAP-enabled web sites 
  Wireless PKI for WAP Security
  WAP-enabled GSM mobile phones
  Mobey Forum (pronounced Mo-Bay)
  Radicchio
  MeT (Mobile Electronic Transaction)
  Fundamo
  WML (Wireless Markup Language)
  Wireless Internet Gateway - WIG

Through the WAP Forum, WAP has become the de facto global industry standard for providing data to wireless handheld mobile terminals.

Essentially, WAP specifies a thin-client microbrowser using a new standard called WML that is optimized for wireless handheld mobile terminals.

WML (Wireless Markup Language) is a stripped down version of HTML, more a 'DOS-like' version of HTML. 

See WAP Discussion Paper, by Brian Neilson

WAP also specifies a proxy server that acts as a gateway between the wireless network and the wire-line Internet, providing protocol translation and optimizing data transfer for the wireless handset.

WAP also specifies a computer-telephony integration API, called WTAI, between data and voice. This enables applications to take full advantage of the fact that this wireless mobile terminal is most often a phone and the mobile user's constant companion.

On-board memory on a WAP phone can be used for off-line content, enhanced address books, bookmarks and text-input methods.

More:

  WAP Developers Forum
  OnLine WAP Browser - surf WAP sites as if you were using a Nokia 7110 WAP phone
Download WAP Software
WAP Technical Details
WAP-enabled GSM mobile phones.
WAP-enabled web sites 

WAP-enabled GSM Phones:
With WAP-enabled GSM mobile phones like the Nokia 7110, Alcatel OneTouch, Siemens S25, Motorola Timeport L7389, Ericsson T36, Ericsson R520, Ericsson R320, Ericsson R380, Motorola v2282, Nokia 6250, Nokia 6210, Sagem MC 939 WAP, Sony CMD-CD5 or WAP-enabled palmtops like the Siemens IC35 (Unifier) and the Ericsson MC218 you'll be able to:

• Surf the Internet in text format

• Send/Receive e-mail

• Get/Buy stocks

• Book and buy Metro and theatre tickets

• Get traffic directions

• Order flowers for your loved one

WAP is the first truly open standard in the area, removing the barrier of proprietary solutions. WAP will make wireless data boom for the mass market.

However to get the info, your GSM network will have to implement the WAP protocol that strips ordinary HTML into the special XML format of WAP !

Mobile operators and content providers will be able to develop new differentiated services to attract new users so that users will benefit from a wider choice of mobile applications, advanced services, and Internet access.

WAP hides the complexity of GSM on the application layer, just as the Web has done for the Internet. It spans a variety of transport options and devices, including SMS, 9.6 kbit/s GSM data, HSCSD, and GPRS, making the underlying network technologies blend together from the user's standpoint.

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Goals of the Wireless Application Protocol

• Independent of wireless network standard

• Open to all

• Will be proposed to the appropriate standards bodies

• Applications scale across transport options

• Applications scale across device types

• Extensible over time to new networks and transports